Dog Agility Training - Overcoming the Obstacles

No matter the age of your dog, when beginning dog agility training the obstacles the dog has to overcome must be respected. Such as, very young dogs or very old dogs may have limits based on their age when faced with an obstacle course for dog agility training.

An older dog may be unable to perform due to stress on its aging body. A puppy has not matured enough to comprehend the training principles, since it may face mental and physical obstacles in agility training.

When raising an older dog, you should remember that a dog that is in the age range of eight years is a senior citizen and may face obstacles during agility training. The breed of the dog also plays a factor in its aging process. A larger breed will age more rapidly than a smaller breed of dog.

When training a puppy for agility, it is best to start out small and as time progresses begin to increase the dog’s training. Since it may not be ready for the pipe tunnels, the use of boxes on the floor may be best to begin. Begin by allowing your puppy to cross boards and bars that are earth bound, rather than up off the ground.

When the puppy is hesitant during agility training, begin by creating a playtime that is full of fun experiences to acquaint the puppy with the newness of dog agility training. As the puppy grows, its attention span will grow, also, and it will become more physically able to go the next step in agility training.

A dog of any age will of course need to be evaluated for agility in specific obstacles that the dog may face during agility training. For example, if the dog is overweight, it can get in the way of its ability for physical performance, just as any other health condition can present a problem of poor performance abilities.

Many times all that is required is that the dog be conditioned to reach the standard required for agility training. Perhaps if the dog already has experience in agility training, all it needs is a refresher course to get back on track.

While in agility training, the dog is doing much more than just roaming around outside or lying around in the house. When participating in dog agility training, the dog is doing a quantity of hard work and may need to build up its endurance, as does a human when they are in sports training.

You must also keep an eye on the dog for any injuries and have the dog seen by a veterinarian if you notice anything irregular, since it is possible to push the dog farther than it own capabilities, and accidents do sometimes happen. Dog agility training is an extremely active sport that does place stress on the dog while he is training and you must be aware of this aspect for the dog. It is possible that your dog will not be able to handle diving into a tunnel, making a 180-degree turn or a triple jump. Always keep your dog’s health in mind when considering whether or not to get him involved in agility training.