Forward Paws Dog Training

Forward Paws helps you
get the dog you
and your family deserve!

Agility
Increase your dog's confidence and hone his focusing ability and athletic skills

Dog Agility Training

Looking for a fun way to bond with your dog and put his natural instincts to work?


Agility combines skill, training, and human-canine communication in a display that’s as fun for spectators as it is for participants. Dog agility is a popular canine sport in which a handler directs his/her  dog through a sequence of obstacles – such as tunnels, hoops, weave poles, pause tables, tyre jumps, standard jumps, seesaws, etc. – without ever touching the dog or the equipment. Using only voice and hand signals, the handler directs the dog through the course as quickly as possible with as few mistakes (or ‘faults’) as possible.  Competitions are held for dogs (and handlers) of all levels, ages, and sizes.

Introduction to Agility

For Puppies and Dogs aged 8 months or older

Learn how to engage with your dog to ensure his focus remains with you and gain the skill to direct him around the course.  

Fee: $110.00 for a 5 week course

  • Small individual classes for fun and to maximise learning.
  • Held in rural surroundings in the Silverdale area.
  • Weather dependent.

 Competitive Agility Training

Fee:  $30.00 per hour

  • Individual classes for those handlers and dogs who wish to enter, or are presently competing in Agility.
  • A customised programme is developed for each team.

     

     Cost -  $20.00 per hour
  • Individual classes  for those handlers and dogs who wish to enter or are presently competing in agility.
  • Programme developed for each team. 
     Cost -  $20.00 per hour
  • Individual classes  for those handlers and dogs who wish to enter or are presently competing in agility.
  • Programme developed for each team. 
The Major Rewards of Dog Agility Training
Two of the biggest benefits of dog agility training are the intense mental and physical workout it provides. Bolstered confidence is another major plus. As your dog masters particular jumps and moves, and the dog's focusing ability and athletic skills are honed, a more self-assured and nimble animal emerges. (You’ll notice the dog’s confidence permeating other areas of his life as well.)

   Additionally, agility training strengthens the bond between dog and human. The most wonderful aspect of the great sport of Dog Agility is the team bond that is formed. That point in a relationship where you don’t need words. As you work and play together, you’ll learn to read one another on a unique and deeply satisfying level, communicating well beyond basic cues such as ‘Sit’, ‘Stay’ and ‘Down’.

    And perhaps the biggest reward? Agility training is just plain fun!

Benefits of Agility Training

While certain breeds seem to excel at agility, the sport can be enjoyed and done well by any dog. Even if you have no intention of ever competing, the benefits for the dog are many –
  • Getting exercise to maintain health
  • Developing flexibility
  • Sharpening the mind
  • Increasing alertness
  • Increasing endurance and stamina
  • Developing communication skills
  • Developing speed and accuracy
  • Developing confidence
  • Developing obedience skills
  • Learning to think on his feet
  • Improving co-ordination
  • Establishing trust & confidence with
         owner
  • Deepening dog-owner bond
  • Developing agility (of course)

Benefits of Dog Agility training for the Handler:
  • Deepening the dog-owner bond
  • Maintaining health and fitness by
         gaining muscle and losing fat
  • Developing flexibility and agility
  • Improving concentration
  • Increasing perseverance
  • Increasing strength

(Source: www.vetinfo.com)