PET ARTICLES BLOG

One of the biggest difficulties dog trainers have when they begin a dog agility training course is getting their dog to stay. The command ‘stay’ is simple but is not necessarily easy to implement. Neither show dogs, nor ordinary dogs, obey the command easily, mainly because it is not in a dog’s nature to remain still. So, how does one teach their dog to stay exactly where we want them to stay?

Dogs and children are pretty much the same; they will explore their boundaries. People do get disarmed by the charm of the cute eyes of a dog, but you have to put your foot down and be stern to make the dog obey. The dog has to be corrected if it tries to move after the stay command has been given. Having a dog that does not stay when told to is seen as a major embarrassment in the dog show world.

As was mentioned above, Dogs just do not like to stay still, this fact is both a negative and a positive at the same time. It is a negative because it makes it difficult to teach your dog to stay still, but it is a positive because it can be harness as a reward. Your dog can be rewarded with treats for not moving after the order and it can be permitted to run as a bonus.

Agility traing for dogs has major benefits for both dogs and their owners, whether it is a show dog or a beloved family pet. Insufficient exercise is one of the main reasons for a dog misbehaving. Agility training ensures that the dog gets all the exercise it must rightly have, and taking the dog out for the walk gives its owner also sufficient exercise. This is not to say that one must run with the dogs to be one with the dogs, in fact, agility training is ideal for those who are incapable of extraneous exercise since it is the dog that will be doing the running.

Being a dog owner myself, I know that the regular old walk isn’t very exciting, but taking your dog to the park to engage in some agility training can be an excellent motivator. Agility training is a very pleasant way of connecting with your dog, by watching it jumping and frolicking in the natural way, rather than being dragged around the town by its excited master who lacks sufficient exercise.

All in all, whether you are a professional dog trainer or just a dog lover, dog agility training is definitely the best starting line.