Melissa Buhmeyer

I've owned many dogs, throughout my life, but have never known
exactly how to train them properly. I based my training on
punishment and just couldn't figure out why that didn't work
that well. But, almost two years ago, I started training my
Papillon for agility competition. She was extremely high-drive
and I knew she'd really love it. So, I found a good agility
training school and off we went. We've been competing, very
successfully, for almost a year now and, looking back, I learned
so many important things about dog training!



First of all, most trainers require that dogs have completed at
least a basic obedience class before proceeding to agility
training. This is critical to agility training and, in my
opinion, every dog and handler could benefit from a basic
obedience class. I learned that I have a food-motivated dog and
that she will work her heart out for highly prized treats, not
for punishment! There are skills you and your dog will learn,
through an obedience class, such as recalls, sit/stays,
down/stays, and walking nicely on a leash. Each of these skills
is something you will need every time you compete, not to
mention day-to-day life with your dog.



The pace of your training will always be set by your dog. Each
dog learns at a different speed and, what comes easily for one
dog, may not come easily for another. So, be very patient while
training your dog any skill. Make it a game. Let your dog take
as much time as it needs, without getting impatient or
frustrated, to figure out what behavior you want from it.



All tasks must be broken down into small pieces, whether the
task is a simple sit, the beginnings of obstacle training, or
more complex tricks or agility sequences. If you break the task
down to something small, then mark/reward and repeat, several
times before making the task larger, you will have success
without stressing the dog out. For example, when training an
agility tunnel, you scrunch it up to its smallest form. Have
someone place your dog at the entrance while you sit on the
ground at the exit, with a treat, and call your dog. As soon as
the dog comes through that little piece of a tunnel, you
mark/reward. Slowly begin expanding the tunnel using the same
technique. In just a few minutes, you'll have your dog going
through however long a tunnel you need.



For agility training, once the dog begins obstacle training,
there is never a wrong answer. Dogs get confused, and may shut
down, if they start being told they're doing the wrong thing, so
keep the training light and never scold for doing the incorrect
thing. If the dog doesn't do what you want it to, you simply do
not mark/reward for that action. You just ask again and, the
minute you get the correct response, mark/reward and make a huge
deal of it. That will make your dog more anxious to give you
that same answer again. As you start competing, you might want
to use a particular word to indicate the incorrect response,
such as "uh oh," or "oops," but not with a scolding tone. This
will indicate that the dog will be asked to try again but
everything is fine between the two of you.



Lastly, always keep the training fun for both you and your dog.
Even when you start competing, or have been competing for a long
time, this is critical. If you start getting caught up in the
competition and title-winning, you might forget why you started
agility to begin with: because it's fun! When the game stops
being fun, your dog won't enjoy it anymore and neither will you.
Agility is a wonderful sport and will forever secure the
relationship between you and your dog. Run fast, run clean, and,
above all, have fun!



About the author:


Melissa Buhmeyer has been involved in dog agility training for
two years and is co-founder of href="http://www.dogtraining-school.com/">http://www.dogtraining-
school.com/, a href="http://www.dogtraining-school.com/">dog training
school resource site for aspiring and professional dog
trainers.





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