At-Home Agility Training for Dogs

Hello everyone and welcome back to a brand new episode of Dog Sense.

Again, we’re joined by Lauren (yayy!!) and we'll be discussing something super fun: Agility classes!

And not ‘‘in school’ agility classes, but how to do agility at home with your dog.

Even if you have zero aspirations about representing the USA on their world agility team, it’s  still a great addition to your dog's training program.

It has so many benefits!! It’s a great form of exercise (for you BOTH!), it requires your dog to be focused and take direction from you (so it’s a great obedience/brain workout, too), and it’s FUN, which means it’s a great relationship boost for you and your best friend. 

So, how can you quickly and easily implement an agility program at home?

We share our tips and tricks today, so tune in to find out!

A How-to Guide to Agility Training at Home

Here are a few agility exercises you can do at home:

• Single jump: The jump is one of the simplest activities to incorporate at home. It’s easy for your dog to accomplish, and you won’t need much of a set-up for it. You can use a broom between two chairs, or a wooden dowel on top of two shoe boxes, or flower pots! Remember to keep the height low and make sure that the surface your dog is jumping on isn’t slippery. 

• The plank: The plank is another great exercise that teaches dogs agility and balance. It’s a great way for your dog to learn to have more control over his body. The fun thing about the plank exercise is that you can do it using any piece of wood. Start with it on the ground and when your dog is super confident, gradually raise it up (not too high!!). You can also create a stability challenge by putting it on an unstable surface (we use a few pool noodles), to create an awesome core workout.  

• The tunnel: The tunnel exercise is one of my favorites, simply because it’s so fun! If you have a long tunnel, make sure to shrink it a bit so your dog can get in and out quickly. If you don’t have a tunnel, you can use chairs and a sheet to create a makeshift tunnel, or even just a hula hoop! 

We talk about these DIY agility obstacles in more detail in the episode above, so make sure to tune in!