Here at Tip Top Dogs we love dog agility and want to share the fun with as many people and dogs as we can. Whether you're young or old, have a teeny dog or large dog we are here for you. Our teaching is based on you both getting as much fun and knowledge out of classes as possible.
If you are worried that dog agility may not be right for you, then I'm here to help you fulfil that dream. We are here for you whether you are athletic or a couch potato or somewhere in between. We welcome all breeds of dogs (although some breeds will need to do things slightly differently such as dachshunds), including border collies lol. In classes we currently have chihuahuas, border terrier, labradors, golden retrievers, bearded collies, spaniels, dachshund, Romanian rescues, crossbreeds and so many more.
So if you think agility looks like fun (which it is) and you want to try something new (or already have done some agility and are looking to return) then give it a try. The bond agility creates between you is like no other and you wont regret it.
3 REASONS TO TRY AGILITY
AGILITY IS FUN
Dog's need mental and physical enrichment to lead happy and full lives. A lot of unwanted dog behaviours are simply because a dog is bored. Things such as chewing, mouthing, digging, barking and so much more can be as a result of boredom.
Agility does not need special equipment all the time and I will give you homework each week for you to practice ready for the next week. Many foundation agility training exercises require nothing that you wont have around the home already. Although you may get addicted and buy a few pieces of equipment for your garden.
We use many of our dog's natural instincts in agility and then pair them with our cues. This then creates a fantastic game for you and your dog. You suddenly become more interesting to your dog and you learn to read your dog's body language in a way you never did before.
A lot of agility is getting your dog to use their amazing brains in ways they haven't done before. We don't necessarily need to walk our dogs for hours every day, just 5 minutes of training exercises will tire them out also.
Using fun and force free training, means your dog will get lots of wins in their agility classes. This of course means to them, that they get lots of good stuff (toys or treats) from you. Meaning you are super fun, your dog has lots of fun and you get the pleasure of seeing your dog succeed ( and there is no better feeling of being proud of what you have both achieved together).
2. YOU AND YOUR DOG FORM A STRONG CONNECTION
Agility is all about you telling your dog where to go, your dog has to read your body for the cues and you have to watch your dog to tell them where to go next. You are literally both speaking the same language when doing agility, something that rarely happens any other time.
Some of the equipment takes time to teach our dogs and some may need more encouragement than others. But ultimately, our dogs have to trust us and we have to trust them.
Our dogs learn that play and rewards come from us and it is very much worth their while to stay with us instead of everyone else and other animals.
We also have to learn what really makes our dogs tick. What do they really want from us, is their favourite reward a toy, ball, special treats? Only you and your dog can work that out, but once you find that secret sauce your dog wants, your dog training ability and connection with your dog will sky rocket.
So many people have started dog agility with me, for a bit of fun for their dog's, but have seen transformations away from agility in ways they never imagined. Recalls were stronger, reactivity was reduced, confidence has increased and so many other benefits. This means that those struggles that were affecting you and your dog's relationship have now gone and you can do more things than you ever thought you could.
3. AGILITY IS SOCIABLE FOR YOU AND YOUR DOG
In todays world, meeting like minded people can be difficult. Everyone is always so busy and we don't take time to ensure we meet our own needs, including human interaction. Dog's also need some socialisation and quite often they become great friends with the other dogs in their classes. They also learn to focus on you, even with the biggest distraction of all, their doggy friends.
Agility is a very social sport for us humans. From meeting our friends in our weekly classes, to going to shows and training events, there are so many like minded people to meet. Everyone loves to talk about their dogs and so there's always plenty of conversation to be had. If you really get into agility, then people often buy caravans and attend shows for the weekend (or longer) and spend time with fellow club members or other agility friends.
Here at Tip Top Dogs we also hold social events for club members to attend, so they can meet people who train at the different venues and days and also we hold a very fun and friendly agility show with classes for everyone. So if you think you can't do dog agility with your dog, then think again and come and join us here at Tip Top Dogs and have some fun.
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