What dog agility can do for you and your dog

Dog agility gives your dog a job.  Many dogs will become destructive if their minds and bodies are not worked on a regular basis.  If your dog is chewing up your furniture or tearing up his toys, chances are he has built up energy inside him, and that is how he is releasing that built up energy.  Dog agility offers your dog a way to release that pent up energy in a non-destructive way.

Dog agility keeps you and your dog in better shape.  Not only will your dog lose those few extra pounds, but you will too.  This sport takes a lot of endurance and conditioning.  By getting into the dog agility world, you will have to spend time conditioning your dog so that his endurance and physical strength will begin to build up.  In the meantime, without you probably noticing it, the same will be happening to you.  Your one mile walk will build up to two miles and so on.

Dog agility will create a bond between you and your dog that is unbreakable.  When you spend an enormous amount of time with your dog doing training and conditioning drills, he will be able to read what you want before you even say it, and vice versa.  You’ll also begin to expect what your dog is going to do before he even does it.  The new involvement in your dog’s life will make you his leader and he will follow you anywhere.

Dog agility training is a great way for you to exercise with your dog and have fun while doing it.  Competing in competitions will also lead you to meet new people and have new experiences.  Get started in the fun today and see what else dog agility has to offer you.

The Collar and Leash

When you are training a puppy, you will need a good collar and leash. In fact, these are essential dog training tools. You want the collar to be snug, but you do not want it to be too tight. If you can easily slide a finger or two under the dog’s collar, then it is probably fine. However, you do not want it to be so loose that the dog can slip the collar off over its head.

A leash is another important tool, especially when you are just starting dog training. Generally, for most types of training, you will want a six foot leash. Anything shorter or longer can be hard to work with while doing basic obedience. You will want a sturdy leash that is made of nylon or leather.

You might also want to invest in a longer leash (20 feet or more) for some more advanced, long distance training. This is one of the most useful dog training tools if you do not have a fenced yard or if you are working in the park, for example.

A Clicker

A clicker is one of the most important dog accessories. Some trainers do not use it, but it is one of the easier ways to train your dog. A clicker simply makes a clicking noise when you push it. By training the dog to associate that noise with praise (and treats), it becomes a quick and easy way to let the dog know it has done the right thing. These items are very inexpensive, and you can purchase a couple of them for only a few dollars.

Treats

Treats are very important dog training tools because you want to praise your dog when it has done something right. For example, if you are training a puppy, and you tell it to sit, which it does, you click your clicker (if you are using one), and you quickly reward the puppy with a treat. Eventually, you will be able to simply say the command without the treat, but treats are very important for training purposes. You will want to use a variety of soft treats, like training treats, cheese, and hotdogs, so that your dog does not become bored with them.

While there are other dog training tools that you can purchase, these are the most basic, and often the most important.

When you first try and dress your dog an a cute little outfit, he’ll likely immediately try and squirm his way out of it.  Some dogs will simply paw at it and some will really freak out.  If you want your dog to wear a sweater or costume without it stressing him out too much, you need to take the time to prepare him for his big debut.

The first thing you should do is make sure your dog is accustomed to wearing simple things like sweaters.  If he won’t even let you dress him in a sweater, there’s no chance he’s going to wear a tuxedo and top hat.  After he’s comfortable with a sweater, you can prepare him for more elaborate dog clothing like a special costume. The way I start to teach my dogs to accept this may surprise you. I use something that most people wouldn’t consider when they are thinking of dog training equipment; simple hair bands.  That’s right, if you want your dog to be comfortable wearing a costume, starting with something as simple as hair bands can really do the trick.

I use several varieties and here’s how I start.  I take a large hair band.  One that is large enough to loosely fit over different parts of my dog’s body. I like to use scruchies for this. Sometimes I have to loop several together for big dogs but they still work just as well when fashioned this way. 

I start by putting one on his leg and try to distract him with something fun to take his mind of of this object that is hanging on him. Then before he has a chance to get upset about the fact that he’s wearing a scrunchie around his leg, I take it off of him. Then, after a minute put it back on him and slide it farther up his leg. Be sure and tell him that he’s a good dog when he lets you put it on him and not to make him wear it too long or he’ll start looking for a way to get it off. We don’t want that.  Be really careful not to praise him if he is trying to get it off.  This is a sure fire way to train him to undress himself just as fast as you dress him.

Only praise him as you’re putting it on and only then if he’s accepting it. If he’s fussing, distract him so that he’s not thinking about it, praise him and then take it off. You don’t want to praise him after you take it off either. This will only teach him that he will be rewarded when the clothing comes off.

Proper timing is EVERYTHING when it comes to training your dog to accept wearing articles of clothing. Keep in mind that this is not a natural thing for them. Wearing clothing seems very natural to you because you do it every day and you don’t have fur to keep you warm.  To a dog, something as simple as lightweight sweater can be really scary.

Keep in mind that at first you praise him in his favorite way just as you put the hair band on him.  Maybe your dog is crazy for affection and a happy voice or maybe your pooch will do anything for a cookie or a chance to play with a squeak toy.  It’s important to reward him with something that he’ll really appreciate.   Each time he keeps the hair band on a bit longer, praise him more and more being sure to praise him while he is wearing it and not when he’s fussing or trying to get it off. 

Be sure to keep these early training sessions short.  At first accept one second without fussing as a win.  Then two seconds, then three, and so on.  Don’t make the mistake of trying to go from five seconds to one minute all at once.  You want to be sure and take advantage of every chance to tell him he is a good boy.  I would put the hair band on him for a second or two and tell him that he is a good boy.  Then take it off and do something else with him for a minute.  Now put it back on, leave it for a few more seconds, praise him with love or a cookie, and take it off.  You want him to have as many good experiences as possible.  If you leave it on too long and he gets stressed out, he might develop a strong fear of being dressed and wearing clothing.  I’m sure you don’t want that.

After he’s comfortable wearing a scrunchie around his legs, neck, belly, chest, and tail, you’re ready to move on to some actual dog clothing. I like to use a loose fitting t-shirt that I have cut down the middle. What I do is put it on him like blanket and then take it off of him. Just like before, we’re going to slowly work up to the point that we can put it on him for longer time spans. I like to use the t-shirt tha is cut up the middle so I can take it off of my dog quickly. I want the item of clothing for this stage of the training to be really easy for me to put on and even easier for me to get off him.

When he’s accepting this without a problem, I progress to a regular doggie t-shirt. It’s important that this item fit well because if it’s too small it will be uncomfortable for him. If it’s too large, he’ll step on it while he’s walking and this might scare him. We want to avoid him becoming frightened because this will set us back in our training. Remember to praise him while you’re putting it on him and while he’s wearing it. Don’t praise as you are taking it off of him or after it has been removed or you’re teaching the wrong thing.

When he’s accepting the t-shirt, you can progress to other items. Keep in mind that just because he’s comfortable wearing a particular item of clothing this doesn’t mean that he’ll be comfortable with anything you want to put on him. If you put a waterproof rain coat on him, it’s going to have a different texture, it’s also going to rustle and make a sound which isn’t something he’ll be used to. It will also smell different to him. Always take the time to introduce a new item of clothing to him slowly so he doesn’t develop a fear of it.

When it comes to training a dog to wear a costume, you’ll want to introduce each element of the costume to him by itself instead of trying to force him into the costume minutes before a party. When you’re sure that no parts of the costume are going to scare him, you can put the entire outfit on him.

If you always remember to be patient and take things slow, your pampered pup will be proudly showing off his new costume or outfits in no time.

Here’s a video that shows another dog trainers method of getting a dog to the point that they are comfortable wearing a costume for you to watch.

Thanks for visiting my dog clothes blog. I hope you’ll come back soon and that you’ll tell your friends about my website.