Dog agility is a sport in which a handler directs a dog through an obstacle course in a race for both time and accuracy.  The handler can’t touch the dog or obstacles.  Only voice and hand commands are allowed.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9izfMEP8Gqs[/youtube]

A basic agility course is run on an area of apporoximately 100 by 100 feet and has numbered obstacles (tire, jumps, weave poles, a-frame, tunnels), laid out by an agility judge in a design of their own choosing.  The numbers represent the order in which the obstacles are to be completed.

Agility courses are made difficult enough that a dog could not complete them correctly without human direction.

In this video the dog Louie clearly loves training and doing tricks with his owner. This video shows what can be accomplished when dedicated owners and their pets work diligently together.  Louie is an amazing dog, but he didn’t learn all of these tricks over night.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yxlMcDy30rg[/youtube]

Doing agility and high jumps can be fun, but don’t start your pooch too young.  High jumps can be extremely tough on a young dogs skeletal structure.  Let your pal finish growing before you start any jumps. Excessive jumping can cause problems for your dog in his adult years, so be careful not to over do it.

When starting your pet training sessions, you may want to limit training sessions to around 15 minutes.  Keeping your training sessions short and fun will keep your dog excited and wanting more.  It’s not training to your pet, just some outside fun with mom and dad. 

With love and a lot of patience you and your dog will be able to accomplish amazing things together.

The dog in this video was trained by www.unleashedunlimited.com.  You can contact them online or by phone 512-518-8062.

Obedience Training doesn’t have to be a difficult task. In fact it can and should be a lot of fun for you and your furry friend. Learning and applying the latest dog training principles, you and your dog will be welcomed anywhere. You have many training options as you begin your journey for a rewarding and lasting friendship.  The key is to find a program or style of training that is best for you.

• Join a dog obedience/behavior training class.
• Enlist a professional dog trainer to come to your home for private training.
• You can even self train and do all of the training on your own.

Dog training classes are usually held in a group setting. This can be a great way to get your puppy socialized, but may not be the best choice for an adult dog that has issues with other dogs.

Private training will be more expensive than group training; however it allows more one on one time. This allows you and your dog to expedite your training and learn more in a shorter period of time. Your dog will also benefit from less distraction, familiar surroundings, in a low stress environment. There’s no place like home for your dog to do his or her best.

Self training is very rewarding, and allows you to work with your dog on specific behaviors that you feel to be important. You may want to work mainly on having your dog heel when walking on a leash or harness, curb aggressive behavior or not to jump on your guests. Training on your own gives you the flexibility to work on what is best for your family. With loving patience and the help of a few training manuals you and your canine will be well on the way to a beautiful friendship.

Types of Classes you can take with your dog are limitless.  There are agility classes, clicker training, basic obedience, advanced competition, flyball, dancing, and even doga (yoga with your dog). If you have an interest in any activity, you can bet there is a class out there for you and your companion.