I got my reputation as a professional dog trainer primarily through excelling in the sport of dog agility. I’ve been teaching and competing in agility for over 30 years and have achieved over 30 National and World Championships. There are three big mistakes that I see people make when training for dog agility and these are the same three things that make it difficult or easy to train for any sport or to have the most amazing family pet possible!
In the episode you'll hear:
- Why a joyful, engaged relationship with your dog is vital for any sport.
- That Recall, Retrieve and Reinforcement Zone are what I get in place first.
- The top 3 mistakes that are common in the sport of dog agility.
- What dog agility and a wild mustang have in common.
- About the foundations you need for agility.
- How slow is smooth and smooth is fast and why not to rush to the obstacles.
- That 50% of dog agility happens between obstacles and is flatwork.
- Why it’s all about keeping dogs safe and dogs and handlers having fun.
- The reason it’s essential to listen to the feedback from your dog.
- The 15 ways your dog will communicate with you.
Resources:
- Join Our Free Dog Agility Masterclass
- Learn About Home School the Dog
- Blog with Video: RZ For Dog Sports (Don’t Leave Home Without It)
- Podcast Episode 112: Stressed Dog? How Trigger Stacking Might Be Putting Your Dog Over Threshold
- Podcast Episode 35: Pro Dog Training Tip To Improve Your Dog’s Focus
- Watch this Episode of Shaped by Dog on YouTube
Watched several of your videos – thanks. Question: My dog will play tug of war at home but when I go to class – we are in the beginnings starting with mechanics for agility, he will not lay tug of war. I have put cheese in a sock – will do at home but not at class. Any tips? At home it is just the one dog and myself. He is a mini Aussie and is 2 years old.
Is there an episode where Susan demonstrates how she trained her dogs to stay on their beds no matter what she is doing?