It's obvious, just by watching, that agility dogs absolutely love the challenge of competition. They love running up and down teeter totters and A-frames, they love scampering through tunnels, leaping through tire jumps and zipping through all of the other obstacles. You probably think that dog agility is something only certain breeds of dogs or personalities of dogs can enjoy, but this is not true at all.
The owner of a very shy dog probably would think that their animal companion would never enjoy taking on these obstacles, but agility training can be a fantastic tool to help your dog gain confidence. Even a dog that is very shy around people or other animals or fearful in general can gain a lot from this type of training. You simply need to account for your dog's personality. While a dog that loves to mix it up with other dogs and seems fearless might enjoy the world of an agility dog club, your timid dog probably would be much better off learning the skills at home from you, their trusted person.
One easy way to start training is by using a pause table. If your dog tends to be nervous around anything new, simple leave the pause table out in the yard or even in your living room for a couple of days. Let your dog sniff it and walk around it, and when he or she begins to seem comfortable with the table, place a treat or favorite toy on top and gently coax your dog to climb on the table. You can purchase an adjustable pause table and simply start out low to the ground and when your dog becomes more comfortable, you can add height. For a shy or timid dog, it could take a few days before they are confident enough to climb on the pause table, so just be patient.
After your dog is comfortable jumping on the table and has learned how to sit down and stay on the pause table for many seconds with you standing away from the table, you should consider adding some more equipment. A contact trainer, such as those sold by Carlson Agility, can be a great addition. This has a pause table in the middle and is flanked on one side by a mini A-frame and on the other by a mini dog walk. In general, miniature-sized agility equipment is an excellent training tool for shy dogs as well as for puppies and smaller breeds of dogs. In addition to the contact training, you can find agility dog jumps, dog tunnels, tire jumps, weaves and much more at Carlson Agility. So once your dog has mastered a new obstacle, simply add something new.
Just by mastering the pause table and contact trainer, you should notice an improvement in your dog's level of confidence. As you add obstacles, their level of confidence will continue to gain momentum. Mini versions of just about all of the equipment are available, so you can continue with the smaller sizes, which can be less scary and also have the added advantage of fitting into your yard more easily. You can even take them into your house on a rainy day or at night for some fun extra training. Once the mini obstacles seem pretty well mastered, you could try introducing your dog to other dogs at a local agility group or club. However, some dogs will always be more comfortable enjoying agility training only at home.
Agility training is also great exercise for your dog and helps the two of you create a stronger bond. While this bond is important to build with any dog, a shy or timid dog really needs this extra encouragement, and dog agility can be a fantastic way to boost confidence.
The owner of a very shy dog probably would think that their animal companion would never enjoy taking on these obstacles, but agility training can be a fantastic tool to help your dog gain confidence. Even a dog that is very shy around people or other animals or fearful in general can gain a lot from this type of training. You simply need to account for your dog's personality. While a dog that loves to mix it up with other dogs and seems fearless might enjoy the world of an agility dog club, your timid dog probably would be much better off learning the skills at home from you, their trusted person.
One easy way to start training is by using a pause table. If your dog tends to be nervous around anything new, simple leave the pause table out in the yard or even in your living room for a couple of days. Let your dog sniff it and walk around it, and when he or she begins to seem comfortable with the table, place a treat or favorite toy on top and gently coax your dog to climb on the table. You can purchase an adjustable pause table and simply start out low to the ground and when your dog becomes more comfortable, you can add height. For a shy or timid dog, it could take a few days before they are confident enough to climb on the pause table, so just be patient.
After your dog is comfortable jumping on the table and has learned how to sit down and stay on the pause table for many seconds with you standing away from the table, you should consider adding some more equipment. A contact trainer, such as those sold by Carlson Agility, can be a great addition. This has a pause table in the middle and is flanked on one side by a mini A-frame and on the other by a mini dog walk. In general, miniature-sized agility equipment is an excellent training tool for shy dogs as well as for puppies and smaller breeds of dogs. In addition to the contact training, you can find agility dog jumps, dog tunnels, tire jumps, weaves and much more at Carlson Agility. So once your dog has mastered a new obstacle, simply add something new.
Just by mastering the pause table and contact trainer, you should notice an improvement in your dog's level of confidence. As you add obstacles, their level of confidence will continue to gain momentum. Mini versions of just about all of the equipment are available, so you can continue with the smaller sizes, which can be less scary and also have the added advantage of fitting into your yard more easily. You can even take them into your house on a rainy day or at night for some fun extra training. Once the mini obstacles seem pretty well mastered, you could try introducing your dog to other dogs at a local agility group or club. However, some dogs will always be more comfortable enjoying agility training only at home.
Agility training is also great exercise for your dog and helps the two of you create a stronger bond. While this bond is important to build with any dog, a shy or timid dog really needs this extra encouragement, and dog agility can be a fantastic way to boost confidence.
About the Author:
Cheng Bernhardt loves blogging about dog agility training. To discover a dog agility course, or to find further about training equipment for agility for dogs, please check out the Carlson Agility site now.
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