Agility Training for Dogs: 8 Tips for Agility Training Your Dog

Agility training for dogs involves leading them through special obstacle courses called agility courses, which focus on skills like running, jumping, pivoting on a dime, and dodging contact obstacles. Consider the basics of agility training classes.

• Professionally managed by a specialist: Professional agility training classes are led by specialized dog trainers who excel at teaching physical skills and guiding dogs through agility obstacles. You can also teach agility skills to your own dog on your own time, but professional trainers have well-developed dog handling skills and access to training facilities that may not be otherwise open to the public. The United States Dog Agility Association (USDAA) maintains directories of agility training centers in all fifty states. The USDAA can be a resource for dog owners who are serious about agility training.
• Often staged at formal training clubs: An agility training center has many specially designed obstacles that can be used in agility classes. These include tunnels, weave poles, ramps, see-saws, tire jumps, and A-frames for special dog walks. You can also build your own agility equipment using materials like wood and PVC pipe.
• Linked to the sport of agility: The American Kennel Club (AKC) officially sanctions a sport of agility, and many local groups hold dog agility competitions throughout the calendar year. Show dogs spend many years in training sessions to rise up the ranks and dominate agility courses. The AKC also offers an official Agility Course Test (ACT), an agility trial that dog owners can conduct in their own backyards.
• Best for high-energy dog breeds: The best dogs for agility events tend to be working breeds that have bundles of energy and a desire to please.

Dog owners who are serious about building their pet's agility skills should start with these key dog training tips.

1. 1. Start your dog young. Dogs are ready to start agility training at twelve months of age. Nearly all dogs that compete in the sport of agility will begin their training by the age of two years. Consult your dog's veterinarian for guidance.
2. 2. Build up your dog's focus. A strong sense of focus is a prerequisite for succeeding in the sport of agility. Before you get into physical exercises, go through games and drills that build your dog's ability to focus on you and the task at hand.
3. 3. Teach your dog to leave your side and trace the shape of other objects. Some dogs instinctively remain by their owner's side, but for agility sports, your pooch will have to fan out in either direction. They may also have to run around objects like barrels, staying close to the side of those objects. Teaching this behavior is another prerequisite to sophisticated agility tricks.
4. 4. Work on your dog’s balance. Dogs tend to prefer the ground to be stable beneath them, so the first time on a teeter-totter can be a bit scary (or, depending upon your dog's personality, great fun). It may take time for your dog to build confidence on unsteady ground, but that will be an essential part of any agility course. Take your time getting your dog comfortable balancing on unstable objects and provide treats to reinforce their good behavior.
5. 5. Practice with jumps that are low to the ground. Jumping is one of the easier skills to teach, as you can always incentivize dogs to jump over objects around the house (holding a broomstick parallel to the floor is a great bespoke jumping obstacle). Agility courses don't involve high-jumping, however. Most of the leaps are rather low to the ground, so practice with low jumps in your training sessions.
6. 6. Incorporate a pause table. The pause table is the part of an obstacle course where a dog must remain still before proceeding on to the next task. For a lot of dogs, remaining still on the pause table can be harder than the see-saw or the weave poles. They will have a natural instinct to move on to the next obstacle, which means training them for the pause table will take a lot of work. Incorporate it early.
7. 7. Work with weave poles last. You can teach your dog agility skills in just about any order, but plan for the weave poles to come last. These are very tricky for a dog, whose visual perception is different from our own. Only the best-trained dogs can make it through a weave pole course, so consider enlisting the help of a professional agility trainer if you want to reach this point.
8. 8. Always remain positive. Train your dogs using positive reinforcement. Provide plenty of treats, encouraging pets, and positive affirmation. Dogs are naturally eager to please; they have been bred over countless generations for exactly such a disposition. Not only will punishing your dogs damage your relationship with them, but it will also counteract this natural instinct. Trust that your dog's agility training will be far more successful if it's exclusively based on positive reinforcement.

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