Clean Run - September 2013 - 66

You know your dog better than anyone else and finding
solutions that work for your dog is a vital part of the game.
„General preparation (4 weeks):
This phase consists of overall
physical conditioning, which should
include plenty of cross-training
activities such as hiking, trotting
(alongside a bike), swimming, trick
training, and balance ball work.
Restrained recalls and retrieves
(add a hill for additional effort) can
be used for more intense workouts.
Competition should be avoided
during this phase.
„Specific preparation (8 weeks):
This phase consists of specific
physical conditioning and technical
skill training with agility in mind,
along with ongoing cross-training.
Jump grids, contact proofing, drills
and short training sequences, new
skill training, handling tune-ups, and
flatwork are all appropriate. You
should avoid repeating the same
strenuous activity on consecutive
days. The goal should be to let the
dog’s muscles have some recovery
time and work on a different activity
in the meantime. This phase is
the perfect time to pursue new
goals. You will probably enter a few
competitions toward the end of this
phase. These competitions are the
ideal time to experiment with new
skills you have trained or try new
handling options.
„Competition (8 weeks): During
this phase the specificity of your
training should be increased and
closely geared toward your major
competition. You should focus on
running longer sequences or full
courses whenever possible. If you
have been experimenting with
different handling options or you
have trained new skills, then now
is the time to lock down which of
these you are feeling confident
to use in competition. In terms
of competitions, it would be best
to favor those that offer a similar

running surface to the major
competition you are preparing for.
You should also select competitions
from the same agility organization
as the major competition, since the
style of courses will be more similar.
During this phase you should be
consistent with your dog’s jump
height, especially if he competes
at different heights in different
organizations.
„Peak competition (4 weeks):
In the peak competition phase,
training should be high tempo.
Where possible you should run
courses similar to the ones you
expect at the major competition.
You could attend one competition
in addition to the main competition.
You can use it as a dress-rehearsal
for the main event.
„Rest or transition (2+ weeks):
This is a time to tune out from
agility—don’t be tempted to wander
out onto the agility field. Just let
your dog be a dog, or pursue a
totally different activity with him. You
can go hiking together and maintain
baseline fitness. It’s also a good
time to recharge your own batteries!
Your weekly schedule will vary as
you progress through the phases
described above. It will also depend
on your personal circumstances
and the time you can allocate to
training. Regardless of which phase
you are in, some general rules
can be applied. It is beneficial to
have one rest day each week, this
should either precede a competition
day to ensure your dog is fresh or
follow a day of intense physical exercise to maximize recovery. Rest
days are important to give the muscles time to recover from physical
stress. It is also best to mix up your
activity so that you are working different muscle groups each day. If

you do jump training one day, then
you could do flatwork the next. You
should always try to do agility when
your dog is fresh.

What if You Will
not attend anY major
comPetitions?

Even if you have no intention of attending any major competitions, you
can still plan a training and competition schedule as outlined above.
You will reap the benefits of improved performance and you will ensure your dog stays fit and healthy.
You can base the overall schedule
around times when you want to take
a break from agility. You simply need
to remove the peak competition
phase from the schedule. The additional time can then be allocated
to the competition phase if your dog
is relatively experienced or it can be
allocated to the specific preparation
phase if you have a younger dog
that has just started competing.

factoring in
the age of Your dog

For a young dog that is not competing yet, the first season will be limited to the specific preparation phase.
Competitions here are largely to test
out your training and let your dog
grow accustomed to the competition
environment and routine. It may be
best to leave time between trials to
fine-tune your training before another competition. Older dogs, on
the other hand, will generally require
less specific preparation and the
majority of your training time will be
focused on keeping them fit (general
preparation) and also letting them
get plenty of rest. D�

Ashley Deacon lives in California, where he works as a scientist at Stanford University. Ashley has been involved in agility for almost 10 years. He competes with his two
Pyrenean Shepherds, Luka and Dash. Luka has won multiple national championships in both AKC and USDAA agility and was the 2011 FCI Agility World Champion.
Dash recently made it to the finals at the 2013 AKC National Agility Championships in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Ashley can be contacted by email at adeacon@slac.stanford.edu.
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Clean Run | September 13

Clean Run - September 2013

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