How Agility Can Builds Confidence In Your Dog
Is your dog timid around people or other dogs? Is your dog sensitive to sounds? Agility training can provide the environment and structure to build confidence in your dog. Agility classes are a great place for people to learn about the sport and learn how to train, but the timid dog may take a long time before he is ready to venture from under your chair or off your lap.
A timid dog is only ready to learn from inside its comfort zone. So the best place for training is probably the home, where it feels safe and the learning can be done in small increments.
If you want to train your dog at home, you need equipment and guidelines. There are multiple websites to be found with information about agility training. You can also study books and videos to get information, visual aids and lessons plans for both experts and beginners.
You can find a lot of equipment that is helpful and useful to have at home for dog training. All the equipment recommendations are based on location of training and the available space. Do you e.g. have a large yard with room for 10 obstacles? Or do you only have a small yard, so you have to tear down the equipment before you can setup something else up? Will the training be in the basement or garage; or maybe in the living room?
The equipment has to be safe and sturdy when training a timid dog. A good place to start your agility training is a pause table. A 12″ high pause table (preferable with adjustable legs) is a great starting point for dogs in all sizes. Setup the table in an area that the dog is familiar with. If your dog is the type that barks at everything new, you can leave in the house or yard for a couple of days before using it. Then the dog can inspect and smell it. Remember you need to use baby steps with an insecure dog.
Use treats or your dog’s favorite toy to encourage it to get up on the table. Be patient because it may take more than one lesson. If the dog looses interest, try something new; e.g. place yourself on the table holding the dog. If it is not possible, have it on leash when you are sitting on the table. And only treat it when it comes to you. Never do it, if it is pulling away.
Eventually, you want your dog to be able to jump on the table with your cue word like Table (or whatever word you use), Stay to have it stay on the table as you back away and then Come when you call. Build your distance slowly so that your dog is not pushed too soon.
If you follow the above instructions, you can introduce new obstacles that can give your dog a new success. When it success a new piece of equipment, its confidence will grow.
Martin Elmer is the editor of Hundefan – a website about hundeartikler. Here you can also read about transportbur.
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