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 shy dog can only learn when it is inside its comfort zone. So all training must start where it feels safe, and all learning must be done in small increments. The best place for training and learning is probably the home.

But how do you train your dog at home? You need two things: guidelines and equipment. You can find multiple websites with information on agility training. Other options are books and videos with details, visual aids and lesson plans for both beginners and experts.

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?

The equipment has to be safe and sturdy when training a timid dog. A good place to start your agility training is a pause table. A 12″ high pause table (preferable with adjustable legs) is a great starting point for dogs in all sizes. Setup the table in an area that the dog is familiar with. If your dog is the type that barks at everything new, you can leave in the house or yard for a couple of days before using it. Then the dog can inspect and smell it. Remember you need to use baby steps with an 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.

Eventually, you want your dog to be able to jump on the table with your cue word like Table (or whatever word you use), Stay to have it stay on the table as you back away and then Come when you call. Build your distance slowly so that your dog is not pushed too soon.

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.

Martin Elmer is the editor of Hundefan – a website about ting til hunde. Here you can also read about hundegitter.

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We are often asked, “How many jumps should I start with?” You can never have too many single jumps to practice agility. A good starting place is four jumps. This is the absolute minimum number of jumps that we recommend.

It is possible to teach your dog a wide range of exercises, skills and drills with four jumps. The four jumps will make it possible to work on short jump chute or jump grid. You can also setup a “box” with the jumps and teach collection, handling and 270 degree jumps.

You can learn your dog to jump left and right. You can handle it from the inside the box or you can be outside and send your dog. Or you can setup the jumps in a horizontal line to practice treadles and serpentines.

The next step in the training is eight jumps. Here you can setup two boxes and one opening jump. Now you have multiplied the maneuvers that you can train with your dog. The jump grids can be of suggested size and number of jumps.

Another option is to setup the jumps in circles with jump bars at a 90 degree angle to the circle or on the bounds of the circle. With this pattern you can train a lot of various skills.

Your next consideration is a double jump and a triple jump. You could set two or three single jumps together to make your expanded jump, but having double and triple jump in your course work is really valuable to practice. We’ve seen many dogs run a clean course and the last obstacle is a triple and the dog is not prepared for it, and bang, down comes the bar.

If you really want to be ahead of the pack, you should have two sets up eight jumps. Because you can keep the jump grip at all times, it is the ultimate in training. The jumps can be separated from the course work. And when you then includes your double and triple jumps, it is possible the practice all the jumping drills and skills to get the “Qs”.

Martin Elmer is the editor of Hundefan – a website about hundetilbehoer. Here you can also read about hundesnacks.

categories: dogs,agility,dog agility,dog training,training,practice,equipment,agility equipment,dog agility equipment,jumps,pets