TRAINING FOR AGILITY
So you want to have a go at agility, well there are a few essential things to consider first
- is your Springer fit and healthy, if you have had concerns about joints and muscle problems as your Springer developed then speak to your vet about your interest in agility and see what he says.
- Is you Springer old enough? though it may seem tempting to do something like agility to tire you young Springer out, it is not a good idea to do too much exercise while young bones are growing, and jumping is a definite no. Most clubs will want your dog to be over 1 year old, some clubs say 18 months so check with them when you enquire about joining
- Has your Springer got good general obedience? Agility is not a short cut, you must have your basic obedience sorted before attempting agility, especially your recall and your stays. Most clubs train outdoors in the good weather so you need to be able to keep you Springer beside you and concentrating even if there are much more exciting things going on. You will only feel totally embarrassed if the first time you take your lead off your Springer runs off and won't come back.
- Are you fit and healthy, agility involves a bit of running with your dog so are you healthy enough to keep up, if you have problems don't worry, there are articles involving training an agility dog from a wheelchair, but bear your health and fitness in mind before starting.
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whoooppeee, this agility is fun |
Finding a club
Agility is one of the fastest growing sports and clubs are popping up all over the country, some are kennel club registered so a good place to start looking is the kennel club website, but many are just for fun, run by local dog training clubs so ask in your local vets, pet shop etc. You may find a choice of clubs in your area so ring them up and go and have a look, all clubs will welcome spectators and are usually friendly and welcoming to new members. Find out what level they train to, do they just meet up for fun and don't compete, or do they compete alot and only take new members on for short training courses - find what suits you and of course your Springer, remember you are taking your Springer to have some fun so anywhere that appears harsh with their training methods may not suit you.
There is a good website called agilitynet which lists a large number of clubs all over the country, it also has lots of advice on training etc.
Getting Started
Before you start it is very easy to work on some simple exercises that will make your introduction into the world of agility alot easier, and these are things you can do while your Springer is still young.
Heelwork on both sides - If you watch any serious agility, Crufts etc, you will see the handlers working the dog on both the left and the right. The only way to really be able to compete seriously is to be able to work your dog on both sides as it make for a quicker round and less running for you which can only be good. Try teaching your dog to do its heelwork on the right and on the left, using a different command for working on the right, this will make you agility training alot easier.
Directional training - this may sound complicated but if you remember that gundog trainers always teach directional commands to their Springer's then you will realise its not that hard. Start off doing your turns and giving the dog the command left or right so they start to associate the commands with a change of direction, then you can throw a toy and give the left or right command. You are not looking for perfect directional control but simply getting them used to the commands so that when it comes to giving them a command to go left or right when they jump they will be able to understand it a bit better than if they had never heard that command in their lives.
Wait - getting your dog used to waiting on command from a sit or a stand is essential, if you normally return to your dog after a stay exercise, wait can be a good command which means you are calling him from a stay.
Contact training - this one may sound odd but is another one to get your dog used to a new command so that you are not bombarding them with new signals on the first night or agility training. Basically an agility course has jumps and then it has obstacles like the A-frame and dog walk which involve walking your dog over and obstacle and touching the painted areas at the end (so they don't jump off the obstacle early, they walk to the very end), you will see what I mean when you get started but a good idea is to get your dog used to walking slowly down your stairs and waiting at the bottom with 2 feet on the floor and the back feet still on the bottom step, giving a command like "on" to let them realise you are asking them to do something new. Don't worry if this bit doesn't make much sense as your new instructor will give you plenty of guidance.
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It's an addictive
sport once you get started, so why not give it a go? This is Cody who competes at agility. |
Hopefully these few ideas will make you consider agility training and I do hope that if you do give it a go you will e-mail the site and tell us how your Springer gets on.
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If you compete at agility with your Springer then why not consider joining the Gundog Agility League where you compete using a points system against other gundog breeds throughout the country - points are gained when you are placed at a show. Click on the image to be taken to the Gundog Agility Homepage for details |