How to Start With Dog Sports Training
So you have a new fur baby and it’s time to train him. Unless trained, puppies may injure themselves when competing in agility. Agility training involves a series of obstacles that your pooch must follow upon your directions. Once the veterinarian gives your pooch the green signal to attempt jumps, he is ready for dog competitions. You can start with training to prepare them for dog events where there are several sporting dogs to compete with.
How To Prepare Pooch For Dog Sports
It all begins with basic obedience training. Start with teaching him simple commands that will become a part of his life’s training. Once he is familiar with these commands, he is ready for training classes where he will get used to working around other dogs.
However, before that, it’s important to understand your fur baby’s temperament. How does he behave with other dogs? You should enroll them in pet sports only if they love to run. Does he always look up to you for guidance? Or is he willing to find his own path without directions? Agility is a fast-paced sport that involves running and jumping, you want to ensure he is ready for participation in top dog sports that can be hard on joints.
As soon as a pup shows signs of exploring his world, this is an indication that he is prepared for agility. Start with walking on different types of surfaces. This involves wood plans and rugs. When he gets a little stronger, he is ready to jump over a bar set on the ground. Remember, you do not want to stress tiny bones and muscles too much in the beginning of dog training.
If your fur baby plays with dogs, then he is ready for agility sports or action dog sports. But if he does not like being around dogs, agility may not be the right dog sport. The reason is that it is a team sport between both of you.
Since dog competitions take place among several dogs and their handlers, it is important that your pooch is comfortable with meeting strangers. When he is ready for agility training, find a class in your area, where he will be introduced to different obstacles.
He will learn dog high jump and all cool dog games. Having a private trainer for your pooch is a good idea if you want your four-legged buddy to be a serious agility contender. Look for experts who have trained a list of dogs and their handlers the subtleties of agility, guiding him through the whole process of approaching each piece of equipment.
Go patiently
Your dog loves appreciation and it would help to shower him with lots of encouragement and praise as soon as he successfully obeys your command. Initially, your home training sessions should be fun and short – 5-10 minutes. The idea is to keep your dog interested in the training. So short sessions will help. Else you could take him to private training classes to prepare him for games in canine sports zone.
Improve attention
Agility is a team sport. That means your fur pal needs guidance from you (handler). A dog catching ball is a pleasant sight. But he learns this trait from you because unless trained he is unsure about what to do and which obstacle to cross. It is important to focus on improving his attention so he can learn to move ahead despite distractions. Train him to make eye contact with you. It is possible only if he focuses on you alone, so it would help to ensure that you are the most interesting thing around him. Gradually introduce distractions.
Introduce obstacles
When you begin, move the obstacles to the lowest position. Start with putting him on a leash and give him a command to cross the obstacle. You need to act quickly here as you approach the hurdle and lead your pooch over it. The dog needs special treats in order to be tempted to cross the obstacles.
However, some dogs may refuse to get on. So in order to get them on the training schedule, you may start with obstacles in reverse and place him at the end of the hurdle with you on the other. When the dog does not have anywhere else to go, they will be inclined to put a step forward to jump. It is typical of dogs to take a step or two to get comfortable. However, once comfortable, move him further up and he will learn to take more steps. Now he is ready for all dog games.
Continue to encourage him with treats and positive reinforcement. Soon you will start to see him as a confident jumper. Yours would soon become an athletic dog.
Dog Running Games
When you run, the game requires your dog to chase you. It is a labor of love to grab your fur baby’s attention and then make him run. You may clap or make a sound. This should attract his attention. When he does start to look at you, run away from him. Just a few feet away from him, try to reinforce him with a reward or start another chase.
Use fartlek to play with your dog. It starts with surging ahead of him. Chances are he will happily follow your lead.
It is important to grab his attention as you run away. So you could wave a toy, squeak, or clap. However, one aspect of dog training is not to keep away from him for too long. You do not want to frustrate him without a reward. It is a good idea to keep him excited with rewards.
Proof training
You want to make sure that you proof the dog’s training in different locations. This is important to prepare him for distractions. It would help to invite good friends to cheer on your fur baby. This should help him get used to a crowd, ensuring he doesn’t get nervous during dog events.
Training is the right way to prepare your pooch for competitions and pet sports. However, make the training fun and rewarding for your furry pal so he readily accepts it and is willing to give it a go.
One of the right ways to get your pooch to behave better as well as stay fit is to start with dog agility training. No doubt, this takes some training but it is nevertheless rewarding. In fact, it is one of the best ways to strengthen your bond with your best friend. Can anything else be more rewarding?
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