Is your agility career just beginning? Are you struggling with the smooth departures and perhaps your dog is running away prematurely? Don't worry, these are the things you can train with little things.
This training challenge by Satu Halkola, our Team AgiNotes member is a great way to practice the starts.
Starting exercises are always easier with a friend, but you can do it alone. You can keep a bucket on top of the toy, and you can keep the treats in a box out of the dog's reach. You can also keep your toy in hand, as I have done in the example in the video.
The exercise can be done without obstacles or with as many obstacles as you want. In the beginning, however, it is worth starting without and gradually increasing the interference to strengthen the starts. It is always a good idea to start training with an easy task and quickly complicate it within the framework of success.
Each dog has its own kind of start, and when it comes to competitions, the routine brings confidence and peace to the work. Try different ways and feel what works for you.
Exercise
Go with your dog to the starting position and take the equipment off the dog.
Leave the dog and walk away, release and praise.
If the dog steals on its own, the intention is not to deny and scold. Instead, calmly return the dog to start line and repeat.
When you can take steps away from the dog, add changes to the tempo. Jump, run, spurt, or even make an unexpected fall. Vary your workout and make it harder and easier as needed. A friend can be taking running spurts as well as swinging a toy. Always take into account environmental disturbance as well. In severe environmental disturbances, it is advisable to keep the training itself easier and monitor the dog's tolerance.