Ever

witnessed that your dog is anxious or shy when by other individuals or

hounds?  Is he tense around unknown

or unexpected sounds?  Sport

specific coaching such as herding, tracking, lure coursing, rally obedience, and

dock dogs, just to name a few, will offer the background and structure that will

build confidence in your pup. 

Agility instruction is the training example we’ll utilize in this

article.

Now having

said that, while any sport courses provide a wonderful opportunity for you as an

owner to learn the sport and how to instruct it, your canine buddy may not be up

for all the action.  He may feel

quite at ease under your chair or on your lap for a little while before he is

okay to begin.   That’s okay.  It only means that the process just has

to kick off slowly.

See, as with

many folks, canines have comfort zones and a timid or shy dog  that displays anxiety learns within that

place.  As a result, his education

should start there where he is safe. 

And the aspect of the agility sport must be taught in bite-sized

increments.  This being the case, it

is likely that the prime place for the schooling to happen will be at

home.

This brings

us to the following question.  How

do I direct my furry friend at home? 

To begin, you’ll require the instructions on the "how tos" as well as dos

and don’ts of agility.  You’ll also

need some agility equipment.  It is

fortunate there are a number of websites and dog training places that can

provide you with excellent information regarding agility teachings.  Not to mention, there are tons of TV

shows and books on the topic that furnish details, visual aids, and even lesson

plans about this matter.  And they

cover the whole gamut of experience levels from beginners to experts.

Having some

agility training equipment at your home will prove to be useful.  Ways to get this equipment are by

building it yourself, purchasing it, or even renting it at some specific locations that offer that service.

What

equipment you decide upon using depends upon the space you have available and

location where you will train.  For

example, what is the size of your backyard? 

Can it hold 6, 8, or 10 obstacles? 

Can the obstacles stay set up or do they need to be taken down after each

training session?

The

steadiness of the equipment is important since your distressed dog needs to feel

safe while working with it.  An

excellent way to implement with stable equipment is to utilize an adjustable

pause table fixed at 12" to start. 

This is a good beginning for any size of dog.

Realizing

that your pup is shy and timid set that table up in an area that is known well

by the dog.  If he barks at strange

things, start with the pause table in the home so he can get familiar with

it.  He’ll inspect it and sniff it

on his own or with a little coaxing. 

It’s important to remember not to put a great deal of pressure on your

dog buddy by forcing him into acceptance of the table.  After all, little steps work best with

an insecure kid.

The use of

treats in a bowl or by placing his most liked toy on the table will help inspire

him to get up on it.  Be patient as

this step itself may take some time and several attempts.  If through the course of time the snacks

or toy don’t do the trick, attempt to hold him while sitting on the table.  With a bigger dog that can’t be held,

sit on the table and have him on a leash. 

If he steps away, try coaxing him back to you but be sure to only award

or treat him when he comes to you. 

Treating or rewarding him when he’s backing away sends him the wrong

signal.

Given time

and the right instruction, ultimately your four-legged buddy will get up on the

table with only your cue word.  When

you announce, "table", "mesa", "box", or whatever word you’ve chosen as your

cue, he should get up on the table. 

Continued instruction should teach him to stay on the table as you back

away and then come when you call him. 

As with the other training, baby steps here means the distance between

you and him is built slowly.

A contact

trainer is a good transition from the pause table for your shy dog.  The contact trainer is made in various

designs.  However, a 3-piece contact

trainer with a mini A-frame side, a pause table, and mini dog-walk side is

highly recommended.  With this

equipment, your canine buddy can sit on the pause table and then be coaxed down

the A-frame or dog-walk side.  Once

more, training in tiny steps avoids the chance of overwhelming your four-legged

friend causing him to shut down. 

Administering

these strategies to introduce your pup to agility training and working with new

obstacles will assist him in succeeding. 

And as your dog overcomes each new piece of equipment, you’ll get excited

as you witness his self assuredness grow.