• 10Jan

  Ladders to Dogwalks

  Dog Agility Equipment, Dog Agility Training No Comments

  Dogwalk planks are 12” across and require great foot dexterity to navigate safely.  If you begin teaching puppies and young dogs on the flat how to keep their paws under control (and under their bodies!) you will have a step ahead on safely navigating dogwalks and A-frames.

  Lay the ladder flat on the ground and coax or shape your dog to walk it.  When they trot along the length of the ladder confidently, flip it onto its legs and ask the dog to walk that way, raising each foot high, like a football player.

  Ladders teach the dog not only to be aware of their feet, but also to walk along a long, narrow length.  By training your dog on a ladder, you are helping them learn how to run over a dogwalk beam.

  After your dog has mastered ladders, start them on a plank on the ground, then on cinderblocks.  Soon you’ll have a brilliant dogwalker!

  

  Tags: agility safety, agility training

• 12Dec

  Slow Weaver?

  Dog Agility Equipment, Dog Agility Training 1 Comment

  How can I make my dog like running weave poles? My dog does them well, but is so slow!

  Weaves are difficult for dogs. I suggest rewarding the weaves heavily when you do them. Does your dog do them perfectly? if so, she might be bored and a week off of weave training could help. Start afresh and make the weaves a happy, fast place, not a stressful experience. Don’t overdrill them, keep the rewards changing – sometimes a ball, sometimes food, sometimes a different favorite obstacle and then rewards.

  

  Tags: agility training

• 30Nov

  Help Deciding

  Dog Agility Equipment No Comments

  How do you decide what to buy? What to borrow? What to just do in class?

  This is a hard question, and different for every agility learner.

  Here are some questions you can ask yourself to help you choose what you want to buy, borrow, or practice in class.

  Does my dog have difficulty with this? If so, why? Would more interaction with the obstacle help? If so, it might be beneficial to purchase one. If your dog has issues with wrapping jumps, it would probably benefit from at home practice. Weaves especially need to be practiced at home, in my experience.

  Do I have room? Chances are, you can’t fit an entire dogwalk in your back yard. There are ways around that, using benches or a contact trainer to help your dog learn contact behavior, and steady footing on planks.

  Is it something my dog enjoys? I think it’s a good idea to have an obstacle your dog absolutely adores on hand, to use as a reward, or just for a quick five minute practice pick me up. It’s a lot of fun to be able to go outside (or in the basement or barn or wherever) and do a five minute tunnel training day. The dogs get so excited!

  

  Tags: agility beginners, agility obstacles, agility training

• 28Nov

  Sizzling Seesaws

  Dog Agility Equipment, Dog Agility Training No Comments

  We’ve received more requests for teeter training tips this year than we ever have before!  Jen Pinder’s new 3 DVD set has an entire DVD to help with teeter problems, as well as a beginning to end seesaw training program.   We’re very happy to be able to offer this to you this holiday season!  If you’re interested in this item, check our sales – or call us at 1 800 254 9441.

  

  Tags: Affordable Agility News, agility obstacles, agility training

• 14Nov

  Don’t Like Tape?

  Dog Agility Equipment No Comments

  Some agility enthusiasts don’t like to use tape to decorate poles, citing the necessary maintenance and the possibility a dog will get their fur caught, especially in the weave poles.  However, decorating poles is still necessary!  Try using a spray paint like Krylon to color your poles.  You can create patterns with your vinyl tape, spraypaint it, and then peel the tape off off!

  Share a picture of your favorite poles here (email brittany@affordableagility.com ) or on facebook! (Or like Hershey here, your dog with tape!)

  If you want different colors of tape, go here at Affordable Agility for a wide selection of wonderful colors.

  

  Tags: agility obstacles

« Previous Entries