Dog Training Ultimate Guide

Training with practice agility equipment?

I have a friend who wants to do agility with her dog, one day. The dog, a Border Terrier, is about a year old.

She has some practice equipment and I’ve stressed to her that if she actually wants to compete one day, she needs to make sure she teaches the dog to use the practice equipment right so she won’t have big problems later. (i.e., not running in the tunnel and attacking the sides or running out the entrance.)

She has a tunnel from Ikea, which the dog adores.

She just found a small training ramp at Target, which is what I have the question about. It is built for agility but it’s rather small. It says for dogs up to 150 pounds, but it seems kind of pointless for such big dogs. It’s less than a foot tall and about 4 1/2 feet long.

Any tips on playing with the ramp? Right now it’s all fun but she doesn’t want to develop bad habits for later. Should she make the dog walk slowly so he at least steps on the downramp? As in, imitating contacts?
I ran out of space, but I also wondered, since it was small short both length and height, about making the dog stay on it from the onramp to the offramp. Maybe a wall on one side and something on the other while teaching him?

Anyway, any tips at all that you have about having fun with the equipment while not training bad habits for later agility would be great.

Thanks!

2 Responses to “Training with practice agility equipment?”

1. geminiast Says:
   December 3rd, 2009 at 9:53 pm

   the small equipment is a good place to start.

   if she is having issue with the dog jumping off the ramps before hitting the bottom she can use a wall in 1 side and her body on the other side should keep the dog on. also treating with cookies at the bottom of the ramp will help. Also making the dog stop at the bottom and treating will help the dog have good contacts. ( the contacts need to be touched on obstacles it is usually a different color at the start and end of obstacles like the dog walk, tetertater, A frame ect.)

   if she is serious about trying to compete in agility she can get a book called.
   Introduction to Dog Agility
   written by
   Margaret H. Bonham
   and or find an agility trainer in her area.

   AGILITY IS A BLAST.
   As long as your friend stays happy and upbeat and uses lots of praise and cookies the dog will have fun!!!!!

2. Daniella M Says:
   December 3rd, 2009 at 10:38 pm

   Here is a copy of the rule book. Hope this helps s you and her know the requirements for each obstacles. So that way when the dog is ready you can go to the requirements.

   http://www.akc.org/pdfs/rulebooks/REAGIL.pdf?SEARCH_BUTTON.X=9&SEARCH_BUTTON.Y=14

   Small equipment is good to get the dog use so they know where they have to go and what hey have to do. Good luck.

Leave a Reply

Name (required)

Mail (will not be published) (required)

Website

Security Code: