If your dog is timid around people or other dogs, then agility training can to build confidence in your dog. An agility class is a great place to learn about the sport and how to train your dog. But it may take some time before it is ready from your lap or under the chair.
A timid dog is only ready to learn from inside its comfort zone. So the best place for training is probably the home, where it feels safe and the learning can be done in small increments.
If you want to train your dog at home, you need equipment and guidelines. There are multiple websites to be found with information about agility training. You can also study books and videos to get information, visual aids and lessons plans for both experts and beginners.
You can find a lot of equipment that is helpful and useful to have at home for dog training. All the equipment recommendations are based on location of training and the available space. Do you e.g. have a large yard with room for 10 obstacles? Or do you only have a small yard, so you have to tear down the equipment before you can setup something else up? Will the training be in the basement or garage; or maybe in the living room?
For the timid dogs make sure your equipment is safe and sturdy. The pause table is a good place to begin your agility training. A 12" high pause table, with adjustable legs for later use, is a good starting place for all size dogs. Remember with your shy dog, setup your table in an area that is very familiar to your dog. If your dog barks at anything new, just leave your pause table in your house or yard for several days, let your dog inspect and smell it on his own or with a little coaxing, but don't push to fast, remember baby steps with the insecure dog.
To encourage it to get up on the table you can use treats or its favorite toy. And remember it may well take several lesson. If it loses interest, you should try something new like placing yourself on the table. Then you can either hold it or have it on leash, while you are sitting on the table. But remember only to treat it when it comes against you. Never reward it, when it is pulling away.
When the dog gets more experienced, you might want the dog to jump on the table using a cue word like Table, stay on the table as you back away with the word Stay and Come to you, when you call. You should extend the distance slowly, not pushing the dog to hard.
You can follow the above techniques introducing new obstacles as your dog is able to succeed. As your dog succeeds on each new piece of equipment you will see his confidence grow. - 29958
A timid dog is only ready to learn from inside its comfort zone. So the best place for training is probably the home, where it feels safe and the learning can be done in small increments.
If you want to train your dog at home, you need equipment and guidelines. There are multiple websites to be found with information about agility training. You can also study books and videos to get information, visual aids and lessons plans for both experts and beginners.
You can find a lot of equipment that is helpful and useful to have at home for dog training. All the equipment recommendations are based on location of training and the available space. Do you e.g. have a large yard with room for 10 obstacles? Or do you only have a small yard, so you have to tear down the equipment before you can setup something else up? Will the training be in the basement or garage; or maybe in the living room?
For the timid dogs make sure your equipment is safe and sturdy. The pause table is a good place to begin your agility training. A 12" high pause table, with adjustable legs for later use, is a good starting place for all size dogs. Remember with your shy dog, setup your table in an area that is very familiar to your dog. If your dog barks at anything new, just leave your pause table in your house or yard for several days, let your dog inspect and smell it on his own or with a little coaxing, but don't push to fast, remember baby steps with the insecure dog.
To encourage it to get up on the table you can use treats or its favorite toy. And remember it may well take several lesson. If it loses interest, you should try something new like placing yourself on the table. Then you can either hold it or have it on leash, while you are sitting on the table. But remember only to treat it when it comes against you. Never reward it, when it is pulling away.
When the dog gets more experienced, you might want the dog to jump on the table using a cue word like Table, stay on the table as you back away with the word Stay and Come to you, when you call. You should extend the distance slowly, not pushing the dog to hard.
You can follow the above techniques introducing new obstacles as your dog is able to succeed. As your dog succeeds on each new piece of equipment you will see his confidence grow. - 29958
About the Author:
Martin Elmer is the editor of Hundefan - a website about hundeartikler. Here you can also read about toej til hunde.
