Hi, I am wanting to teach my dog to do agility, but I don't really know much about it. I know they have to know how to weave through poles, how to jump over things and to go on like a teeter totter like thing and a ramp like thing, but other then that I have no idea. What else does the dog need to know? How do I teach it to do the things it needs to know? I have never really done anything as far as training since this is my first dog and my cousin who works with dogs is having to train him the basics because he has been abused. Are there any books that could answer my questions? Now I am not sure if this is possible or not but is there a way to make your own Agility things? Like for example the poles or the things the dog is supposed to walk on or jump over? Before you teach a dog agility is there anything the dog should know how to do before learning agility besides the basics? Thank you for any answers.
Hi Kaytelyn, You can certainly buy agility equipment online, but that isn't necessarily going to help you learn to use it. It sounds as though you would benefit from joining a local agility club. Agility skills are built on a foundation of good basic obedience so learning how to train your dog yourself is going to be a big part of that. If you are getting someone to help with training, make sure they teach you alongside the dog so that you can learn how to build new behaviors yourself.
I would start with the basic training first. You really need at dog that focuses their attention on you as they are looking for instructions as to where you want them to go next. Also if you are doing heel work practise having them on either side as when you are running round an agility course they could be on either side of you. It’s great fun but something to do in a group rather than on your own as they need to do it with distractions all around them. You can always buy things like weave poles to practise at home but get the basics from an instructor first.
Hi, Thank you for the answers. I am only wanting to teach it to do agility because it is something he would enjoy doing. I probably would not be entering into any contests with agility. My cousin is teaching him the basics, what certain commands mean when pulling something as well as training him to be a service dog for me. I am not going to be teaching him any basics, or anything that my cousin is teaching him. If you don't teach the dog to heel on both sides does that mean he will only be willing to be on one side of you? My cousin is teaching my dog and then will be helping me learn how to tell him what to do, and what each command means. I am not going to be taught along with the dog, but after he has learned the basics, the commands for pulling things and learning how to be a service dog then after he knows those things I will be taught how to do the commands as well as how to get him to listen to me. I can't enter a local agility club, so I was just wondering if there are any books that teach how to train agility to your dog. There will be a lot of distractions here so when training my dog there will never really be a lack for distractions. I have to find an area where I can train him new things here with out distractions since I have read in a lot of places that when training a new thing you should start in an area with no distractions and then slowly start adding distractions. I can't get agility things either so that is why I asked if there are ways to make your own.
