Dog Agility - How To Start Training A Dog For Agility

Dog Agility A-Frame - Training Your Dog To Use A Dog Agility A-Frame

2008-04-06T16:23:00.000-07:00

Have you ever seen a dog agility show? It's quite an experience to watch one beautiful dog after another run through their paces on an obstacle course.

A staple at every dog agility show is a dog agility a-frame. This is a peaked ramp, shaped like an "A." In competition, the dog runs up one side of the ramp and down the other. The dog has to touch the contact point on the back side of the ramp before going on to the next obstacle.

The a-frame in competition goes against a dog's natural inclination to avoid steep, slick surfaces. A typical ramp is 7 feet long on each side and 30 inches wide.

Training The Dog On The Agility A-Frame

When training your dog on the dog agility a-frame, choose a time when your dog is a little bit hungry, and be sure to have some treats on hand as rewards.

Start your dog out on the down slope of the dog agility a-frame, just a bit above ground level. Encourage the dog to run down the ramp, and reward the dog at the bottom. Repeat this exercise many times, until your dog feels perfectly comfortable running down the low end of the dog agility a-frame. By the time you finish this phase of the exercise, your dog should think of the dog agility a-frame as a toy, and the dog should enjoy working with it.

Next, place the dog near the top of the downhill side of the a-frame, and start the encouragement process again. Reward the dog only when it walks down the a-frame, not when it leaps off the top of the frame.

Next, place the dog at the peak of the a-frame. Continue the routine of encouragement, and reward your dog whenever it runs down the downhill side of the a-frame.

When your dog is comfortable running down the downhill side of the dog agility a-frame, you are ready to move to the uphill side of the frame and begin training from that end. This time, start the dog close to the top of the a-frame on the upside, within sight of the peak.

Encourage the dog up and over the peak, then down the downside, which the dog is by now extremely accustomed to traversing. Continue to place the dog closer and closer to the bottom of the upside of the dog agility a-frame, encouraging the dog to climb up to the peak and walk down the downside of the a-frame.

Dog Agility – Dog Agility Obstacle Courses

2008-03-08T18:59:00.000-08:00

Dog agility is basically a contest which involves the dogs maneuvering through an obstacle course. Speed and not making mistakes are the two major factors in determining the winner. The dogs are not on a leash and the owners of the dogs are not allowed to entice the dogs through the course with snacks. They are not allowed to provide any other types of incentives in order speed their dog through the course in a fast time. The owners of the dogs are allowed to talk to the dogs and yell out commands and make different type of body signals.

The dog agility obstacle courses are filled with various obstacles such as tunnels and ladders. The dog agility courses are typically about one hundred by one hundred feet and the obstacles are provided with numbers to display the order that the dogs have to complete the various obstacles.

Complicated Courses

The dog agility obstacle courses are typically designed to be complicated and are usually too difficult to be completed by the dogs without the coaching provided by their handlers. The owners can make it easier for the dogs to complete the course by spending some time to analyze the dog agility course and develop a strategy that will make it easier for their dog to rapidly run through the course without making mistakes. The dog handlers are allowed to use a map of the course in order to help them develop their strategy for the dog agility competition.

The Score

Typically the dog only has one opportunity to complete the course during the competition. While the dog is rapidly running through the course the owner of the dog is usually running behind their dog giving out commands. The score the dog receives is based on the number of faults he made during his run through the dog agility course.

Dogs will be penalized for such infractions as knocking down a bar or failing to run through a tunnel and the dogs will be penalized with time faults which are basically the number of seconds over the amount of time that has been allowed to complete the course. The amount of time that is allocated to complete the course is determined by the difficulty of the dog agility course, the level of competition at the dog agility contest as well as other factors.

The dog agility obstacle courses are filled with obstacles such as an A-frame, a dog walk, teeter-totter, a crossover, tunnels, jumps and other types of obstacles to challenge the dogs while they are running through the course. The owners of the dogs spend a lot of time training their dogs to run through a course. A dog agility competition can provide the audience with some exciting entertainment.

The Crufts Dog Show: The Best of the British Dog Shows

2008-03-08T18:32:00.000-08:00

While the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show and the American Kennel Club are prominent organizations in American dog show culture, they are not the only dog show associations in the world. In fact, while the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show is one of the oldest canine sporting events in the world, it is not the largest. The Crufts Dog Show holds the record for the largest annual dog show in the world, as declared by the Guinness Book of Records. Lasting four days, it is held in Birmingham, England, and is organized and hosted by the Kennel Club.

From England to the World

Charles Cruft, a dog biscuit manufacturer, founded the Crufts Dog Show in 1891. After traveling to numerous international dog shows to promote his products and establishing various contacts, he realized the need for higher dog show standards. The first show, held in Islington, invited all breeds to compete: the resulting entries numbered over 2,000. The contemporary Crufts shows boast over 10,000 dogs per competition; after Cruft’s death in 1938, his wife sold the show to the Kennel Club.

The Kennel Club has worked hard to maintain the prestige and vision of Charles Cruft, and the result is one of the most recognized dog shows in the world. Perhaps the most drastic change in the Crufts Dog Show was its move to Birmingham in 1991; prior to the relocation, the show had never been held outside of London. However, the show repeatedly outgrew the capacities of its previous venues, and only the National Exhibition Centre in Birmingham has adequate space for the growing number of participants.

The Crufts Dog Show is not an open competition; like the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show, participants must be registered pedigree dogs, and must have qualified by winning lesser championships in the year prior to their registration with Crufts. Competition in the Crufts Dog Show is organized as a hierarchy; dogs compete first in their own breeds and age groups, then move on to the group competition, and eventually even for the Best in Show and Reserve Best in Show titles. The Crufts Dog Show recognizes seven groups, from toys to utility, terriers to hounds, and classifies dogs as puppies, veterans, juniors and yearlings.

Aside from the prestigious conformation events, the Crufts Dog Show also holds agility trials and obstacle courses. Once again, show dogs must have qualified for these events in the previous years. The obedience competition is popular as well, and the event culminates in the Obedience World Cup. Dogs are tested on distance control, retrieval, scent discrimination and off-lead heelwork. Relay-style races and canine freestyle competitions are also offered at the Crufts Dog Show, adding a little fun for dogs, owners and fans alike.

The Animal Planet Dog Show: Must Love Dogs

2008-03-08T18:16:00.000-08:00

A dog is man’s best friend. Sometimes even more than a friend and more like a son or a daughter. The relationship between man and this four legged beast has a history as rich as that of any age.

It is no wonder that with man’s fascination and love for dogs that a TV show created simply for advice, tips, and generally everything about dogs. The carrier network is the animal planet. It’s the animal planet dog show.

The animal planet dog show not only promotes dog loving ways but also delves deeper and gives man the ability to care for their pets. The show has a number of researchers focused on sensitive issues as well as the usual features.

There are a lot of dog show competitions around the world. The best and most important dog show in the world is the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show held in New York. 2,500 dogs and their owners come from all over the world to attend this two day extravaganza.

The Animal Planet Dog Show’s Guide To Your Dog

According to animal planet dog show, dogs have a sort of sixth sense. Their sense of smell, hearing and vision are even better than ours. Smells for dogs are amplified at around 1000, to 10,000 times. A dog’s sense of hearing is up to 16Hz to a 100 Hz. Dogs maybe color blind but they can see 250 degrees.

Beauty Is Only Skin Deep

According to the animal planet dog show, beauty is not enough to be acclaimed as the best in show. A dog must conform to their breed standards, standards that have been set by the esteemed committee. The guidelines are very specific, the smallest spot or discoloration may be sufficient to disqualify your dog.

To win, your show dog has to beat all the other contenders in the same breed category. After winning the breed category, your dog will enter the breed level and again beat other dogs in the breed level. Categories are usually the sporting, non-sporting group, working, hound toy and terrier. After qualifying for each of these categories the dogs are then qualified to best each other for best in show.

Dog Shows Criticized

The animal planet dog show, far from merely applauding everything about people's dedication in showing off their pets also has a few choice words on people obsession in winning dog shows.

Dog shows are often criticized because owners, in wanting to keep the quality of their dogs usually resort to inbreeding. Inbreeding creates genetic problems in purebreds.

The competitions are not based on a dog’s performance, but more on how they look. What ends up happening is that dogs such as Irish setters loose their ability to hunt and instead they develop temperaments from participating in too much dog shows.

Information, such as given above is in the animal planet dog show website. You should watch the features and gain insight into making your petting skills even better. The animal planet dog show also expounds on the importance of exercise and what your dog needs as these may differ with every breed.

AKC Dog Show - The AKC and the AKC Dog Show

2008-03-08T17:54:00.000-08:00

Most people know that the abbreviation AKC stands for the American Kennel Club. The American Kennel Club is an organization created for the sole purpose of promoting purebred dog breeds. One of the most successful things that the American Kennel Club does to promote the breeds of dogs recognized by the organization is to sanction AKC dog shows. Two well knows AKC dog Shows are the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show and the AKC/Eukanuba National Championship.

The Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show

The Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show has been a part of AKC dog show history since 1877. The AKC dog show is currently held at Madison Square Garden and covers two days of competition. Dogs that compete at the Westminster Kennel Club Dog are judge on their conformation; judges at the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show are looking for the dog that conformation that personifies the entire breed. At the end of the show dogs who have won in earlier classes are all brought together to compete for the title best in show.

AKC/Eukanuba National Championship

The AKC dog show known as the AKC/Eukanuba National Championship is called by some dog lovers the best dog show on the planet. One of the things that makes the AKC/Eukanuba National Championship such a prestigious AKC dog show is because only the top twenty-five dogs in each breed are invited to compete. Every single dog at the AKC/Eukanuba National Championship has been formally invited to the show. The AKC/Eukanuba National Championship welcomes international dog’s who have excelled at dog shows. Young dog owners are encouraged to come to the AKC/Eukanuba National Championship to compete for $2000 scholarships. Adult dog owners hope that competing in the AKC/Eukanuba National Championship will qualify their dog for the Crufts Kennel Club dog show in England.

Making Your Dog A Champion

People who own a show dog registered dog dream about competing with them at the one of the prestigious AKC dog shows. Before they can even think about bringing their dog to Madison Square Garden or the AKC/Eukanuba National Championship, they have to prove that their dog is a champion. They do this by competing with their dog at smaller AKC dog shows. When a dog wins at a smaller AKC dog show they earn points. After a dog earns enough points it will be invited to compete in shows such as the Westminster Dog Show and the AKC/Eukanuba National Championship. It is important that the dog owner makes sure that the dog show is sanctioned by the AKC in order for the dog to earn any points.

Dog Agility Training Equipment - Must Have Agility Training Equipment

2008-03-08T16:41:00.000-08:00

Agility is as important for man as well as for man’s best friend. Exercise is important for your dog. Much like a human being a lack of exercise for you pets may cause the onset of disease.

Dog agility training equipments are available in pet stores. Agility training facilities also have complete equipments; they offer lessons as well as helping you train your dogs. It can be expensive though so you can build your own instead.

If you want to try agility on a laid-back basis, you don’t have to invest on expensive dog agility training equipment you can just build your own. Building your own dog agility training equipment requires total dedication, a thorough and realistic knowledge of your dog’s capabilities and limitations. The Internet provides wonderful instructions on how to build your own dog agility training equipment.

You don’t have to have an extensive collection of dog agility training equipment. Target basic agility exercises for your dog like, jumps, tunnels, and weaving.

Jump Doggie Jump!

Let’s start with jumps as its one of the easiest and most basic agility exercise. The most basic dog agility training equipment is a tire jump. If you plan on competing on agility courses or simply to exercise your dog, then the first one to invest on is a tire jump.

A tire jump can be built using PVC pipes to hold a 19 inch or 24 inch diameter tire. As long as you conform the height to your dog’s height then it won’t be problem starting your dog with this type of exercise.

Another type of jump equipment is called the bar jump. It is the most cost friendly equipment as all you need are PVC pipes to build this dog agility training equipment. A bar jump is also easy to transport since you can buy collapsible bar jumps or you can make your bar jumps collapsible.

Weave Poles

Weave poles is a staple dog agility training equipment. They are a delight to watch and yet probably the most challenging agility exercises for your dogs. It is however the simplest one to build. All you have to do is buy black fiber glass poles, wrap them in the color you would like, bury them in the ground in a crisscross manner and voila! You have your own weave poles.

Tunnel Vision

Tunnels are nice to watch. This agility training equipment teaches your dog how to focus, especially ones who are challenged. You can buy tunnels in toy stores or if you want you can look for the nylon ones in specialty dog stores.

Hopefully this article has given you an insight on the basic dog agility training equipment you may need for your dog. You can find complete guides in building your own agility equipments on the internet and in your favorite pet store.