Review of Dog Agility Training Kit

About a year ago, my husband and I purchased a beautiful Labrador puppy for our son’s birthday. We named him Cooper. He was a very energetic dog and required lots of exercise. He was an inside dog and he couldn’t move through the house without bumbling over something, knocking things down and making a mess! We thought he needed more exercise in order to tire him out more, but taking him for exercise was a real chore! He wanted to run free, not listening or coming when we called. He didn’t like the leash at all, he didn’t want to listen to commands and we were at a loss.

A friend of mine suggested that we try the dog agility starter kit from Doctors Foster and Smith. She had used the same kit for her dog previously. She explained that it was a different way to train your dog and that it was fun for the dog. She said that it would help Cooper learn more obedience along with the exercise and structure. She seemed to be truly happy with her dog’s progress after using this dog agility starter kit. To be perfectly honest with you, I didn’t think I had time to try Cooper on agility equipment but she said it was much easier than spending a few hours calling for him and getting him to come back home the way we normally did!

After a bit of thought, I decided to try it. The price was great and when we received the product and set it up, I was totally shocked. The very first time we tried it with Cooper, he was successful. As a matter of fact, with one treat, Cooper successfully made it through each and every one of the weave poles! We had a bit of a time getting him to enter the open tunnel, but by the third time trying, he was doing that successfully as well. My absolute favorite was the jump! When Cooper succeeded with the jump, the look on my kids’ faces was absolutely priceless. It was so fun! All four of us were able to get out in the yard and enjoy Cooper’s exercise time.

The thing that I loved most about the dog agility starter kit was that our entire family could be a part of Cooper’s exercise and we could spend time with him, not time looking for him. I truly believe that it was the structure and the interest that trained Cooper to be calm and listen. Now, when we let him out he doesn’t run away. He waits for us to begin training! There is a huge difference between being stressed out each day when it’s time to walk Cooper and spending time with him on the agility kit. It’s so fun. Each day he learns something new and the kids and my husband and I are absolutely thrilled with the progress he’s made. I would recommend this to absolutely anyone and I am still in debt to my friend for recommending it to me! I love it.

Dog Agility Training Tips

One of the very most fun ways for a dog owner to spend quality time with the dog is to take an agility course.  These courses foster trust and closeness between dog and owner.  Both human and animal benefit from tackling a challenge and accomplishing goals.  Plus, taking an agility course is good exercise.  Agility courses are not for puppies only.  Any age dog can take and benefit from agility training as long as the following tips are kept in mind.

Remember that a pet dog isn’t that different from a child.  Most dogs are eager to please, as are most children.  Dogs need plenty of praise when they’ve done the right thing, and gentle remonstration when they’ve done the wrong thing.  Dogs need to be well rested, exercised, and fed in order to perform at their best.   The dog will benefit from expectations that are well set out and consistent.  Changing the rules in mid-stream is unfair to the animal, just as it’s unfair to a child to say one thing and then change to another.   Remember that your dog will do whatever it takes to please you, as long as he can figure it out.  That’s where these tips come in:  they’ll help you to communicate with your dog in a way that he can understand.

Make sure your dog is in good physical shape before putting him under too much stress.  Agility training in itself is good exercise, so don’t jump in to too much all at once.  If the dog has been sedentary, allow him to start slow and have plenty of time to recover between sessions.

Know your goals.  Is the main reason for training to compete, or is the emphasis on teamwork, fitness, and fun?  If you do plan to compete, work up to it slowly.  Accept that one full season may pass before the dog is ready for competition.

Don’t scold.  There’s no reason to begin an activity for the purpose of enriching your relationship with your dog if it’s going to lead you to be disappointed or cross with the dog.  Keep it light.

Praise.  Dogs always learn better when good behavior is praised and undesirable behavior is gently corrected.

Practice.  Don’t be hit-and-miss with the sessions.  Attend all sessions that are scheduled.  Practice is key to learning and developing.

Keep it short and fun.  Know your dog well enough to recognize when he is frustrated or plain old tired.  Stop sessions while the dog is still having fun so that he’ll want to return.

Agility courses can be greatly beneficial in many ways.  Just take it easy on yourself and the dog, and remember you’re doing it for fun.

Kyjen Dog Agility Starter Kit Review

Everyone who has a pet wants them to be the best they can be.  Like people, dogs need to learn and even train in order to reach their full potential.  One area that dogs can improve in, is their agility.  For any animal, agility is important in day to day survival.

There is a great starter kit available that provides many fun exercises for your dog as well as you while you help train them.  The Kyjen Dog Agility Starter kit will show you how training you dog’s agility is both productive and useful.  With better agility, your pet will be able to react faster to dangerous situations they may encounter.  This kit lets you train your dog in the area of agility both quickly and easily.

The kit contains six poles that you will want to place twenty inches away from each other.  These are the weaving poles for weaving in and out of.  The high poles are thirty-two inches wide but can be adjusted down to thirty-four inches.  Also included in the kit is a long tunnel for the dog to pass through. The kit also comes with a thirty-four inch square box, ribbons that serve as awards, a stopwatch and a start/finish line.

You’ll want to carefully read the instructions before you start training.  Training will need to be done outdoors in a nice grassy area.  The Kyjen Dog Agility Starter Kit will give you all the information you need to start training your dog to have better agility.

All the supplies and instructions come with the kit.  Some of the test your dog will learn to pass are weaving through the poles, pause box, running through the open tunnel, high jump and of course the agility tests.  It won’t be long until you notice a change in your dog’s behavior.  His senses will be sharper and his complete body condition will show signs of improvement.  The testing will also help him to keep his mind focused.  The relationship that you and your pet have will be strengthened as the connection between the two of you grows.  Your pet will enjoy the rewards he receives from pleasing you each time he passes a new test.

Another reason why the Kyjen Dog Agility Starter kit is such a good product to use is the fact that it can easily be stored away when not in use.  It is compact and easier to use than many of the other agility kits on the market.  After you have read the instructions, you’ll discover just how easy it is to setup.  The kit is sure to bring you and your dog great fun and enjoyment.

Dogs that have been given agility training learn to listen to their owners, even without the leash. They learn to go through tunnels, weave through mazes, and much more. Agility training teaches your dog to follow commands.

With praise, patience and a good kit each dog can learn to be more agile.  The kit provides rewards and instructs on how to give praise so that the dog will want to keep training.  Many dogs have a natural ability to learn with the help of the agility training kit. Other dogs may take a little more time but that’s okay, all dogs like children, learn at different speeds.

Dog Agility: A Competitive but Fun Sport

In the past few years, dog agility has gained ground in becoming one the best-loved animal sports in America and Europe. While performing dog agility, the handler will guide the dog in progressing through the course in the shortest amount of time possible while racing the clock.

During a competition, the dog has to complete many obstacles, such as going through pipes and jumps, as time ticks away and spectators watch from the stands.

Dog agility sports is a cousin to equestrian stadium jumping, however it now has its own rules and scoring outlines, as well as its own obstacles. Today there are many organizations that accommodate the participants of dog agility competitions.

These organizations stick to unyielding international rules of agility performance in dogs. You should be able to locate an organization that holds trials through local U.S. dog training clubs.

For the duration of a dog agility competition, the contestants are judged on physical performance during the obstacle course, as well as on their speed while completing the course. Every country has its own set of domestic rules that are used in determining the winner, such a scoring performance based rather than handler based and vice versa.

When at all possible, the handling organization of the trial competition will ensure that the agility obstacle course is not only safe but well designed as well. For instance, all surfaces are roughened up to insure that the dogs will not slide or slip during the agility competition. Also, the jump bars are detachable so that if a dog miscalculates the wrong distance it will not be in danger of injury.

The handlers and dogs will take part in several obstacle courses that present various levels of challenges based on the dog’s level of ability during an agility competition. The handler must maneuver the dog through the designated course with no reward or leash, when the trials begin to beat the complicated course in the smallest amount of time.

Typically, as the handler and its dog take part in more agility trials, they will move up to the higher levels of competition.

There are standard time calculations and, if a dog experiences difficulty during the competition, it is called a fault. All faults carry a calculated penalty, as well. Dogs of equal size are in competition with one another in divisions. Once the tally is totaled, the animal that participates in the agility training and acquires the shortest time and least number of faults wins, along with its handler who helped guide him through the course.

Winning a dog agility competition offers the dog and its handler a fun and exciting experience while raising the self-esteem of the dog.

How to Find the Right Dog Behavioral Training

If your puppy or dog has some behavior problems, he could probably benefit from dog behavioral training. However, before signing your dog up for any program, it’s important to check things out. This way, you can be sure that your dog is going to the right trainer and his best interests will be of the utmost importance.

Inspecting the Trainer

There is absolutely nothing wrong with taking a long, close look at the trainer who will be working with your dog. Find out who he or she is, how long they’ve been training dogs, what kind of certifications they have, and what their clientele is like. Many trainers will have you sit in on the sessions, but if you have to leave your dog, make sure the trainer is trustworthy and good with animals.

Testimonials

Ask for references or testimonials from past clients of the trainer. This way, you can discuss with previous clients how well the trainer did with their dogs, and what exactly the dogs learned from the trainer. Most trainers won’t hesitate to give you references, so if they do, you should probably be a little wary.

Dog Behavioral Training Methods

Find out exactly what the methods are for the behavioral dog training. Does the trainer place a lot of importance on rewards and praise? Do they use any tools that you find offensive or dangerous? Exactly what will they be doing to teach your dog to behave? Have a frank discussion with the trainer to find out his or her methods before agreeing to anything.

Don’t be afraid to ask a lot of questions and to gather information about several trainers before deciding on which one is right for you. By going through these steps, you can find the right kind of behavioral dog training for your four-legged friend.