Dog Agility Training New Haven CT

If you were asked how much time you spent teaching your dog the weave poles, you probably would be able to come up with a number framed in hours, weeks, and months. When asked a similar question about the teeter-totter, you might come up with a pretty realistic number for that, too.

If, however, you were asked how much time you spent teaching your dog how to run in between the obstacles, you just might be stumped. That’s because many agility handlers focus almost exclusively on training the obstacles. Yet, it’s “on the flat” that most problems such as off courses, knocked bars, and wide, loopy turns occur. And frequently, it is a dog’s misunderstanding of our body language, as well as our poorly timed turning signals, that cause these problems.

Foundation training that focuses on a dog’s understanding of our body language is called “flat work,” “shadow handling,” or “circle work.” It requires nothing more than the handler, the dog, and some rewards. Not only is no equipment required, it is important to practice your circle work without equipment nearby. You do not want your dog to inadvertently take an obstacle when you do not cue him to do so with specific positional cues. But that’s for another lesson entirely.

Why do it?
Circle work has many benefits. Your dog will learn to:
• Enjoy running with you and responding to your physical cues.
• Run along both your left and right sides, not forging ahead or drifting wide.
• Turn tightly to your body (and later, around ...

Author: Terry Long

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