Agility Dog Training - Keeping Your Animal Fit And Healthy

When was the last time you ran an obstacle course. Unless you are in the army, it might have been when you were a kid. Do you remember how difficult it was ? Moreover, if you only stared at the course without actually attempting it then you are aware of how difficult it might have appeared.

Thus if we understand how difficult an obstacle course is or appears to be, why do we think our dogs will be able to complete something like it. The animal is not only being tested for agility but also stamina and conditioning. Dogs are generally energetic and willing to run and jump but can they slalom poles, jump fences or run through a tunnel ? No, they need guidance and formalized training.

Agility dog training programs are devised so that an animal can develop the physical stamina to deal with an obstacle course. It will aid your dog in becoming fit and strong. It will also train the dog to listen and respond to it's owners commands as the animal is under the owners control during the running of the obstacle course. This is great for two reasons, the dog learns simple obedience training and the relationship between owner and animal is cemented. Dog agility training programs can boost your dogs ability to think for itself and deal with unstructured or unpredictable situations. In fact, your dog does not understand how or why to slalom through poles or run over a seesaw. This has to be learned by the animal so that it can apply these techniques to the variety of courses it will run in different locations or situations.

In fact, this is a difficult job for a trainer to get this across to a dog that has never done something like this before. You can expect a few days of training by a dog agility trainer until your dog will be ready to run a typical obstacle course. With this basic training completed, it is up to you as the owner to hone the dogs skills and take over the training regime. The end result is that you have a strong bond with your pet. On completion of this process, you will be responsible for keeping the dog fit and current with new obstacles and courses. Whilst this might be difficult at the start, you will find that it is all worthwhile as you develop a stronger bond with your dog and help to make it run the course faster.

And the aim of all this agility dog training is to put your pet into a obstacle course competition. No doubt you have seen one or two of these events at live dog shows or on the television. It is a common view that these types of competitions are cruel because the dog is forced to do something against it's will but in reality the animal loves to do things like this. However, in my opinion, competitions like these are the best parts of the dog show and are a real antidote to all the stuff judging events that go on in the main show. And most of the dogs absolutely love the event if their wagging tails and noisy barking is anything to go by. Perhaps the dog is responding to the applause of the crowd but it is good to see the animal having such a good time.

However, to be successful in completing any obstacle course the animal will need strong agility dog training to ensure it has the skills but stays safe at the same time. This is a part of agility dog training that many people don't take into consideration. The goal of agility dog training is twofold, develop the skills and techniques of the animal but also ensure that it doesn't get injured.

And the real motive behind this type of training is to keep a dog fit and active, which ultimately translates to a healthier and well adjusted dog. It's also great fun for you too.