12Mar
Keep an eye on local law regarding licensing and leashing your dog. Most municipalities stipulate that the dog must be on leash, and many rural areas just say ‘under your control’, which is good news for those of us whose dogs have good walking abilities and recalls. Don’t trust your dogs’ recall completely. The one time he really needs to come…
But keep agility regulations in mind, too! You don’t want to miss a Q because of not slipping the leash back on after your dog completed the course, or you left a collar on during your dogs’ run. Check the rules of the venue before your enter the ring. Better yet, get in the habit of keep your dog leashed or crated at all times during a trial. That habit can spare you a lot of grief.
Tags: agility beginners, dog safety & health
05Mar
According to EN-US Karen Machin, DVM PhD, hip dysplasia doesn’t mean you can’t partake in agility, if your vet says its’ all right for your dog. It does mean you need to keep your dog in the best shape possible, and it certainly means you need to be careful, but that does not mean you can’t get out there and run a course! Given that so many of the agility ‘breeds’ (Border Collies, Shelties, Labs) have a predisposition to the malady, it’s probably a good thing they can!
Some things to keep in mind if your agility buddy has hip problems:
- Take it a little bit easy. Compete in preferred classes when available, so your dog can have all the fun and none of the strain that can come with jumping too high (or scrabbling high a-frames).
- Keep your training sessions short. All dogs learn best with short training sessions, but dogs with dysplasia should especially not have very long practice times! Have several short sessions instead of one long one.
- Talk to your vet. See if a glucosamine or chondotrin supplement can help your dog!
- Exercise. Get a lot of non-agility exercise, too, to help strengthen your dogs’ overall health as well as the affected joint. Consider water training, since water work takes the strain off the joints and puts it in the muscles!
- Contact Obstacles It may be worth your while to consider rubber coating your obstacles to make it easier for your dog to grip the surface, thus making the climb and descent easier on all their joints, not just their hips.
Tags: dog safety & health
24Feb
If you have a large dog that jumps over 24″, here is a tip that will help teach your dog to jump at more of an “arc”. You need a plastic barrel with both ends cut off (which you of course need for an official Closed Tunnel obstacle) and a standard bar jump. Take your top jump bar and slip it through the barrel. Your dog will then jump over the width of the barrel, but between the standards of the jump. To the dog, it will look like a flat panel jump or wall, but he of course will have to leap and land at more of an “arc” shape, than a simple hop-over. This is particularly useful for large dogs that sloppily ”hop” over jumps without a strong intention for clearing them. A good take-off and landing is important to avoid disqualifications and keep you in the game.
Note: The picture above is not an accurate illustration of this idea, as it doesn’t show a plastic barrel with the ends cut off and and slipped through a jump. It is just a stock photo we currently have to simply show the longer stretch you get from a dog jumping a barrel. I don’t recommend metal barrels that rust, and also, it is important that your dog be a high jumper that is in optimum shape for this exercise).
Tags: agility training, dog safety & health
13Feb
Happy Valentines’ Day to all our readers!
Remember to not leave your sweets where your dog can get them. Chocolate is toxic to dogs. (I know, you hear it all the time, but it’s true!) If you feel your dog MUST share the love, give him his treats, or a bit of the leftovers of your valentines’ day meal. The best way to show your love for your dog, though, is to spend time with them. Go for a walk, play some agility, or teach your dog to give kisses! Nothing says ‘love’ more than ‘time’.
And for you, our lovely readers, Affordable Agility has its’ own Valentine. Check it out here!
Tags: Affordable Agility News, dog safety & health
25Jan
You want your dog to have drive, and you want him to be excited about agility. But do you want your dog to run wild, screaming “FREE AT LAST!” the instant his leash is off? No, you don’t, and not just on the course- think if he was getting out of your car in the pet store parking lot! You can prevent this bad behavior easily. Teach your dog to ‘wait’, every time you remove his leash. Sit your dog, say ‘wait’ as you remove the leash. If you need to replace the collar you can, and if you want to release him, you can. Wait gives you time to Sit your dog, and make certain you have his attention before you take his lead off and hand it to the ring steward. Practice this a lot in class, and only when he’s waiting for your command to ‘go!’ does he get a treat and to run the course.
For more information on start lines staying, go here!
Tags: dog safety & health, dog training
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