Teaching Left And Right To Your Agility Dog

Agility training is important as a healthy exercise for your dog. It helps your dog to be fit physically and mentally. The basic directional commands taught on dogs are “come,” “go,” and “back. In this video, three dogs learn to determine the “right” and “left” directions on a verbal cue.

The dogs in the video are given directionals for their left and right and not their trainers’. The first dog is a puppy which does pretty good with his spins. However, with the second and third dogs, the trainer decides to start with the weaker side first, which is the left direction. She uses her left hand to signal her dogs’ direction and offers a treat after using her right hand. The same procedures apply to the right direction. According to the trainer, constant repetition is important until your dog perfects the skills with verbal cues.

One segment of the video involves a dog turning 360-degrees around a cone. Another part shows the trainer on the side with the second dog and moving back and forth while giving the right and left directions. Adding verbal commands is imperative to teach your dog not to react to body language at all.

Then the trainer proceeds to do the directionals training with a third dog with the aid of an altitude jump without the bar first. At first, the dog is given verbal and physical cues to determine the right directions. After mastering this part, the dog is tested to move around the right and left sides of the altitude jump, with the dog positioned in the middle of the trainer.

The last part of the video requires the dog to hop on a bar while moving on both sides of the altitude jump. According to the trainer, it takes longer to impart these skills. For verbals alone, many sessions are required, she adds.
One commenter asks about the black toy the trainer used for the two latter dogs. According to her, it is a cow milking udder commonly used in the agility world. She mentions that dogs love these udders.

Your dog can learn the skills shown in the video though it takes time and consistency on your part. Dogs that are proficient with verbal directions are exemplified nicely by handlers running right and sending the dog left. As stressed in the video, right and left should be your dog’s right and left.

Teaching Left And Right To Your Agility Dog
images – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FBHMwky09aE

Do you want the easiest, fastest way to an obedient dog? Watch this video:

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