Wanting a dog to get into agility? Or wondering if your dog would make a good agility dog?
Let’s take a look at the top 3 things you need to consider before getting started.
What are the best dogs for agility?
You might have heard that only certain breeds can compete and train at agility but all breeds and crossbreeds are accepted on the KC activity register so can train and compete. However, there are still some breeds you’re going to want to avoid.
Giant breeds tend to struggle as they are too heavy to jump the height required for their size. And toy breeds can also struggle with the jump height if they are particularly small for their breed.
Breeds with long backs and short legs, although they can do agility, often have a higher risk of injury to their backs and therefore are not the best choice if you want your dog to have an injury-free career.
So what should we look for in an agility dog?
High drive
Willingness to learn
Confident
Fit and healthy
Is my dog fit enough for agility?
So how do we know if our dogs are fit and healthy?
Regular conditioning and core training is a great way to keep on top of your dog’s training and fitness and gives you an easy way to measure your dogs progress.
Start out with 3-5 exercises a day and see how you get on.
I like to start with weight shifting, sit to stands and cavaletti. If you need more inspiration check out our core conditioning blog here: https://www.fitpetphysio.com/post/coreexercisesdoghorse
How do I get started?
Well, that’s an easy one. Find yourself a good trainer and get started with the foundations and check out our agility beginners blog: https://www.fitpetphysio.com/post/how-do-i-start-training-my-puppy-or-dog-for-agility
Want to take an in-depth look at how you know if you’re ready to check out my free webinar Are you ready for agility here: https://mailchi.mp/9e42df63117f/ready-for-agility-webinar
留言