Dog Agility Training for Handlers

A dog and handler running an agility course are almost like a dance team. They must run toward the same goal, using a similar pattern and, when they are not in unison, the handler directs and complements the dog's motions. However, the handler must learn a great deal to achieve this 40-second period of near perfection.

  1. Footwork for the Handler

    • For many exercises, the handler must learn how to place his feet before adding the dog into the mix. This process may include determining the length of the handler's normal walking stride and running stride, learning the proper arm motions for leading and sending the dog over or through obstacles and the proper way to move his body to minimize the time between obstacles on the course.

    Footwork with the Dog

    • After the handler has practiced the footwork and bodywork that is used in agility, the dog must be added into the mix. It involves guiding the dog to circle toward the handler or away from the handler using both hand and voice signals. Unlike obedience exercises, in which the dog must become accustomed to performing strictly at the handler's left, the dog must be able to work effectively on both sides of the handler. The handler must also learn to cross in front of the dog and behind the dog without colliding with it or with the agility obstacles in the ring.

    Handling from Both Sides of the Obstacle

    • At the same time that the dog is learning to perform the behaviors on, over or through the obstacles, the handler must also remember to ask the dog to perform these behaviors from both sides of the obstacle. Trainer Margaret Bonham states that the correct side from which to handle the dog is "the side that allows (the handler) to travel minimally or the inside line of the course or obstacle." However, if the dog only learns to run the weave poles if the handler is on its right side--on the same side that it enters the weave poles--then when the dog is forced to contend with the handler on the opposite side of the poles, it may not perform correctly. Practice on both sides will enable the team to run any course relatively smoothly.

    Team Building

    • Two skills are involved in team building. First, the handler must learn to always have his eyes on the dog on the course. According to dog trainer Susan Garrett, maintaining constant eye contact is the "Golden Rule" of agility handling, in that it helps prevent potentially serious accidents. Second, the handler must learn to permit the dog to have some degree of independence on the course. Although these tasks seem contradictory, in truth, they act in unison. While the dog must be able to make split-second decisions about which obstacle it must take next, it is up to the handler to know what the dog is planning to do and be prepared to make corrections as needed.

    Refining Skills

    • Even when dogs and handlers are working effectively as a team, it is necessary to continue practicing to improve their skills. As the level of course difficulty increases over time, the pair must be able to adapt to tighter turns, longer sets of weave poles and a greater number of obstacles facing them in the ring. Dog agility training is never complete, neither for the dog nor the handler, because of the constant changes they might encounter over their competitive career.