Dog Agility My Training Journey: Where To Begin With Your Dog

Let me tell you about my journey training Max. It wasn't easy, and I made plenty of mistakes along the way, but I learned a lot.

Truly a team sport, agility combines skill, training, and human-dog communication in a display that’s just as fun for spectators as it is for participants.

If you’re looking for a way to bond with your dog, challenge their mind, or just burn off some of their excess energy, agility training may be the right fit..

In agility competitions, a handler directs their dog through a sequence of obstacles — such as tunnels, hoops, weave poles, and seesaws — without ever touching the dog or the equipment.

Using only voice and hand signals, they direct their dog through the course as quickly as possible with as few mistakes as possible.

While certain breeds seem to excel at agility, most notably Australian Shepherds and Border Collies, the sport can be enjoyed and done well by any dog.

Competitions are usually divided by dog size, so your dog will only be competing against others close in size to them..

Even if you have no intention of ever competing, the benefits of agility are many.

Two of the biggest are the intense mental and physical workout agility provides.

I wish I had known this sooner.

before starting agility training, schedule a check-up with your vet to make sure your dog is physically able to participate.

When it comes to finding a place to train, you can look up facilities in your area.

You will find agility classes of all levels in cities across the country, as well as private trainers who will work one-on-one with your dog.

Usually, a pup must be at least a year old to participate in classes or competitions, but requirements vary.

This helps avoid any excess stress on joints and bones that may still be developing..

Though it may not be right for every dog, agility training offers a plethora of benefits.

Interested in other activities you can do with your dog.

If you're going through something similar, know that you're not alone. And definitely talk to your vet - they know way more than I do!