When you watch a dog agility competition, the dogs are having a fantastic time, zooming around the course. They love the challenge of navigating all of those obstacles and also enjoy all of the admiration and praise that comes along with a job well done. Most people probably mistakenly think that only certain breeds, sizes and temperaments of dogs will excel at dog agility, but this is definitely not the case.
For someone who owns a particularly shy dog, who dislikes being around other dogs or even other people, you might never have given dog agility training a second thought. But this type of training truly can provide a huge boost in confidence for your shy dog. While they might be terrified of training at a local dog agility club or in the local park, they might love training in the privacy of their own yard with you as their trainer.
One easy way to start training is by using a pause table. If your dog tends to be nervous around anything new, simple leave the pause table out in the yard or even in your living room for a couple of days. Let your dog sniff it and walk around it, and when he or she begins to seem comfortable with the table, place a treat or favorite toy on top and gently coax your dog to climb on the table. You can purchase an adjustable pause table and simply start out low to the ground and when your dog becomes more comfortable, you can add height. For a shy or timid dog, it could take a few days before they are confident enough to climb on the pause table, so just be patient.
After your dog is comfortable jumping on the table and has learned how to sit down and stay on the pause table for many seconds with you standing away from the table, you should consider adding some more equipment. A contact trainer, such as those sold by Carlson Agility, can be a great addition. This has a pause table in the middle and is flanked on one side by a mini A-frame and on the other by a mini dog walk. In general, miniature-sized agility equipment is an excellent training tool for shy dogs as well as for puppies and smaller breeds of dogs. In addition to the contact training, you can find agility dog jumps, dog tunnels, tire jumps, weaves and much more at Carlson Agility. So once your dog has mastered a new obstacle, simply add something new.
Just by mastering the pause table and contact trainer, you should notice an improvement in your dog's level of confidence. As you add obstacles, their level of confidence will continue to gain momentum. Mini versions of just about all of the equipment are available, so you can continue with the smaller sizes, which can be less scary and also have the added advantage of fitting into your yard more easily. You can even take them into your house on a rainy day or at night for some fun extra training. Once the mini obstacles seem pretty well mastered, you could try introducing your dog to other dogs at a local agility group or club. However, some dogs will always be more comfortable enjoying agility training only at home.
Agility training is also great exercise for your dog and helps the two of you create a stronger bond. While this bond is important to build with any dog, a shy or timid dog really needs this extra encouragement, and dog agility can be a fantastic way to boost confidence.
For someone who owns a particularly shy dog, who dislikes being around other dogs or even other people, you might never have given dog agility training a second thought. But this type of training truly can provide a huge boost in confidence for your shy dog. While they might be terrified of training at a local dog agility club or in the local park, they might love training in the privacy of their own yard with you as their trainer.
One easy way to start training is by using a pause table. If your dog tends to be nervous around anything new, simple leave the pause table out in the yard or even in your living room for a couple of days. Let your dog sniff it and walk around it, and when he or she begins to seem comfortable with the table, place a treat or favorite toy on top and gently coax your dog to climb on the table. You can purchase an adjustable pause table and simply start out low to the ground and when your dog becomes more comfortable, you can add height. For a shy or timid dog, it could take a few days before they are confident enough to climb on the pause table, so just be patient.
After your dog is comfortable jumping on the table and has learned how to sit down and stay on the pause table for many seconds with you standing away from the table, you should consider adding some more equipment. A contact trainer, such as those sold by Carlson Agility, can be a great addition. This has a pause table in the middle and is flanked on one side by a mini A-frame and on the other by a mini dog walk. In general, miniature-sized agility equipment is an excellent training tool for shy dogs as well as for puppies and smaller breeds of dogs. In addition to the contact training, you can find agility dog jumps, dog tunnels, tire jumps, weaves and much more at Carlson Agility. So once your dog has mastered a new obstacle, simply add something new.
Just by mastering the pause table and contact trainer, you should notice an improvement in your dog's level of confidence. As you add obstacles, their level of confidence will continue to gain momentum. Mini versions of just about all of the equipment are available, so you can continue with the smaller sizes, which can be less scary and also have the added advantage of fitting into your yard more easily. You can even take them into your house on a rainy day or at night for some fun extra training. Once the mini obstacles seem pretty well mastered, you could try introducing your dog to other dogs at a local agility group or club. However, some dogs will always be more comfortable enjoying agility training only at home.
Agility training is also great exercise for your dog and helps the two of you create a stronger bond. While this bond is important to build with any dog, a shy or timid dog really needs this extra encouragement, and dog agility can be a fantastic way to boost confidence.
About the Author:
Cheng Bernhardt enjoys dog agility training. To discover a dog agility course, or to find more about training equipment for agility for dogs, please visit the Carlson-Agility.com website now.
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