GENERAL AGILITY TRAINING CONCEPTS:
Ten tips to help keep you on track
1. Use Positive methods - Your dog should never have to be worried
about being corrected on the agility course. Concentrate on getting
and rewarding the behavior you WANT, and simply ignore
unwanted behavior. KEEP AGILITY FUN !!!
2. Teach your dog to enjoy food, toys AND game playing as a reward.
In general, use food rewards when you want your dog to STOP, a thrown
toy when you want him to move away from
you or ahead of you,
and game playing when you want him to focus back on you.
KEEP AGILITY FUN !!!
3. When teaching anything new, introduce it in small increments and find
ways to help your dog succeed. KEEP AGILITY FUN !!!
4. Keep your criteria absolutely clear. Have a picture in your mind of how
the behavior should look, and don't reward for anything less. Rewarding a
performance that is "almost" right will only confuse your dog. Imagine your
first
mathematics lessons. If the question was "What is 2+2 ? ", and you
answered " 3", how much would you have learned if the teacher had
responded " Close enough! " ? KEEP IT HONEST!
KEEP AGILITY FUN !!!
5. Keep your training sessions short! If working in a group of 6-8 dogs, 1 hour
is plenty of time. When working alone, 5 or 10 minutes is usually enough.
Always stop when the dog still wants MORE! KEEP AGILITY FUN !!!
6. Train each obstacle until your dog is confident, fast, and focused in his performance
of that obstacle. Never be afraid to back up a step or two in your training if your dog
is having trouble. KEEP AGILITY FUN !!!
7. If your dog is not feeling well, is lame or for any other reason doesn't want to play the
game, either fix the problem before training or don't train at that time. KEEP
AGILITY FUN !!!
8. If your dog takes an obstacle without being directed to do so, help him complete
it safely, but don't reward him. Rewards are for correctly doing the obstacles you
ask him to do. Resolve to be more careful about keeping your attention on him so
this doesn't happen again. KEEP AGILITY FUN !!!
9. When you begin to chain obstacles together
in sequences, keep the sequences
very simple, and choose obstacles your dog likes best. You want him to have
fun and be successful so that he will enjoy sequencing. KEEP AGILITY FUN !!!
10. Last, but certainly not least, the MOST important concept of agility training:
KEEP AGILITY FUN !!!
Send to obstacle (forward and lateral)
Weaves with handler on either side
Contacts- keep your criteria honest:
2on/2off & wait for permission to leave, vary handler position
Rear cross/Tandem turns at all obstacles
Windmills of all shapes to include 270’s
Ready, ready game –(motivation) before any obstacle & at start line, contacts, & table.
Call to handler after any obstacle (to redirect, to reward, or to end the session)
Call through obstacles, call to obstacles
“Turn”, “Again”, or “Back” commands – redo same obstacle in opposite direction
Lateral distance at any obstacle
Start line stays. ("Ready?..... Set?.....GO!" game)
Advanced practice should also include the following
Weaves with handler not always moving parallel with dog
Weaves with distractions (Jumps or tunnel off to the side)
Contacts with distractions (Jumps or tunnel off to the side)
Contacts with handler at different positions
(behind dog, ahead of dog, close in or w/lateral distance)
Contacts with handler not always moving parallel with dog
Directional commands – left, right – come, go – come by, away.
“Get out” – dog/handler Angle away from each other
Obstacle discrimination – body language and/or verbal
Ad lib exercises to help you think on your feet
Obstacles, have you practiced all of them?
Jumps
Broad jumps
Panel jumps
Double jumps
Triple jumps
Start Lines
Finish Lines
Gamble Lines
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