In this first video, you can tell she is very hesitant to go down the ramp.
I use:
Treats at every hop on the paws tables and on the bridge
Happy pitch tones
Treats to lure
Gestures with my hands
I never:
Touch her to force her down the ramp
Use any harsh sounds
No fear
No intimidation
No pressure whatsoever
Now, I am working towards getting away from using treats, luring, and gesturing. On this jump she hesitates and jumps off the paws table onto the ground, I do not give any cues I am displeased. I simply do not make a big deal. On her second go around she offers on her own to jump both paws tables! As you can see I was unprepared and the paws table tipped! I reward her with being overly enthusiastic! The rest of her reps she does a beautiful job and she gets lots of pets and high praise as her reward.
In this video you can see my arms wide open, she gets so excited! She knows a lot of praise and petting is coming! I will continue to work with her to encourage her to not hesitate and go faster down the ramp and to not jump off the ramp too early.
Agility is great for many reasons!
Improved physical and mental health: Agility training helps to keep your dog physically fit by providing regular exercise and mental stimulation.
Builds confidence: Agility training can help to build your dog’s confidence by reinforcing positive behaviors and rewarding successes.
Strengthens the bond between you and your dog: As you work together to master the obstacles, your bond with your dog will grow stronger.
Fun activity: Agility training is a great way to have fun with your dog while also working on obedience, coordination, and problem solving skills.
Socialization: Agility courses are great places to socialize your dog with other dogs and people.
I also offer custom designed agility sets to match your dog's size or to AKC standards if you wish to continue to train and compete in agility!
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