Clean Run Magazine - May 2008 - 70

Decrease the Effort Most trainers of Pigs Fly dogs work very hard at increasing their dog’s desire to do agility, and that is a good thing. In my observation, however, few trainers understand how much more effort it takes for most Pigs Fly dogs to do agility, and how profoundly that amount of effort decreases their drive. The good news is that there is a lot of drive to be picked up by focusing on ways to make it easier for your dog to do agility. very least, by giving him lots of exercise you can make sure that any extra weight your dog is carrying is muscle. If your dog can’t do a 45-second wind sprint effortlessly, his lack of conditioning will drag down his drive. No matter how much you train, your dog won’t run an entire agility course at speed if he is not physically able. You can improve that physical capability with the right exercise. Taking a walk with your dog is a very nice bonding experience and good exercise, but your dog needs exercise that will more closely approximate the combination of sprinting, turning, and endurance that agility presents. Here are some ideas: • Hike up and down rough terrain to build muscle and endurance. • Go swimming. It’s one of the best ways to build fitness and endurance with relatively little stress on the body. • Throw a ball or Frisbee to improve your dog’s sprinting ability. Be your dog’s personal trainer Every pound your dog loses is one fewer that he has to drag around the course. Whatever your dog’s breed, type and structure, you can always improve your odds by having him in as good physical condition as possible. Keeping your dog thin is the easiest and most obvious thing you can do to decrease effort. Slimming down your dog can buy almost miraculous amounts of drive. This is tricky for people who show © JUDITH MESSINEO This 12' diameter x 4' high swimming pool, complete with pump and filter, came from Wal-Mart for $180. I made a platform for the inside so the dogs had something to stand on. I used a large outdoor storage trunk, filled it with ceramic tiles, drilled holes in it so it would sink, and used an electrical tie to keep it shut for safety. in breed and agility on alternate weekends, because the breed ring requires more weight on our dogs than is optimal for agility. At the Agility Obstacles for Any Flavor of Agility and competitors and manufactured by engineers with 20+ years of experience training dogs and making training equipment maintenance for trials © PHOTOGRAPHY BY LESLEY • Designed by agility instructors • Safe, strong, portable, and low • Rent full rings of equipment • All major credit cards accepted • Call or write for a free catalog or visit our website OFFICIAL EQUIPMENT SUPPLIER FOR: Clean Run Camp 2005 ESPN Great Outdoor Games 2005 All-Star Performance Dog Association 200 Obedience And Agility Tournament 2005 CSPOTWIN Camp 2005 PO Box 401, 2113 Route 31 West, Weedsport, NY 13166 (800) 446-2920 (315) 776-9588 – voice (315) 776-9603 – 24 hour fax info@max200.com 70 Clean Run | May 08

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Clean Run Magazine - May 2008

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Clean Run Magazine - May 2008