Hello everyone!
With agility trial day approaching quickly, I decided to head out to where I take classes and do some pre-agility trial practice with my two dogs. Even though you may not be at the competition level just yet, this video and these tips can still be helpful for any level dog trainer.
I have been competing with my two dogs for about 6 months now and before every trial I go through the same practice routine to ensure that my dogs are totally and completely confident with any obstacle thrown their way.
I usually am sure to practice the three major contact obstacle: the A-frame, dog walk, and teeter. These three obstacles can give any handler the most problems when competing in the Standard AKC ring. As you will see in the video, I do not practice any specific sequence with these obstacles, I just make sure my dog has no doubts or fears on how to properly perform the obstacle.
Moving on, the broad jump is another obstacle that has caused a few issues over the past few months, so I am always sure to get a good, successful practice out of it. To make sure my dog properly performs the broad jump, I run fast past it, creating momentum and increasing my dog's drive over the jump.
Another frustrating obstacle in the Standard AKC ring is the chute (aka collapsed tunnel/closed tunnel). My very first trial with Goliath, he REFUSED to go through the chute so ever since then, I have made sure to practice it before a trial. Now you can see in the video, he flies through the chute with ease and is totally confident with it! A little practice can really go a long way!
Along with all the other obstacles, I make sure to practice these obstacles to give the best performance I can while out in the ring with my dogs. Even if you aren't at competition level yet, this video can come in handy when just teaching these obstacles. Anyways, I hope you enjoyed the video and I hope you found this helpful!
Happy Training!
Strider perfecting his two-on two-off on the dog walk.
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