Agility
Agility With Your Westie
by Beth Bowling

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Let's Play
If you want a fast, happy Westie, Agility has to be a game you play with your dog. Is your dog toy motivated? Can you engage your dog to play with you instead of exploring for treats or something more interesting? I play a lot with my dogs outside of Agility so when I add Agility obstacles the game may change, but we are still just playing. I also like throwing their favorite toy during a sequence of obstacles to get them excited, and, of course, they never know when that toy will appear.

Confidence is Everything
Your dog must be confident in you, the obstacles, and his surroundings to have a fast performance. Be prepared to give 100% to your teammate and remember the dog is always right. If you blame your dog or even if you show disappointment in yourself, the dog will interpret that as something he must have done wrong. Do you have a slow, cautious dog? Maybe you are rewarding for that perfect performance instead of the fast, happy one. Get silly with your dog and have fun. It does not matter if she does all the obstacles. If she is running with enthusiasm and having fun that is what you reward; the precision can be built in later. I believe Agility forges a stronger relationship with your dog as well. Since everything is done off lead, Agility forces you to trust and believe in your dog. What I have experienced as the confidence and trust grows between me and my partner is a pretty remarkable feeling.

Consistency
Use a consistent marker to show your dog precisely when she has offered the right behavior. I use "yes" but you can use a clicker or whatever you choose; just make sure the delivery is positive and timed correctly or you will be reinforcing the wrong behavior. How do you reward your dog? Do you, for example, give him a treat at the end of the run? Does this reward the performance or reward the dog for coming to you after the run? Consistently reward for moments of brilliance at anytime and that will be the behavior you will get again. When I was training Max, my first Agility dog, I noticed he always went into the weave poles slowly, then sped up. It was pretty apparent he was not quite confident in his performance, but when I marked the perfect entrance with a very excited "yes" he started running from the start to finish. Also be fair to your partner and give him treats worth working for. Leave the dry dog food at home and bring out the good stuff.

Things to Try
Not everyone would agree, but I never put my dogs on a stay at the start line. Yes, we have NQ'd a couple of times because the complexity of the start meant an off-course, but those have been pretty rare. Instead, I play the "on your mark, get set, go" game while restraining them at the start. Both of them bolt from the line running with me, and most of the time I get excited barks or growls, as they eagerly wait to be released. I taught them this game while chasing their favorite toys in the backyard. Believe me, they know what the words mean! Of course, you can use the same kind of restraint with a helper for faster performance on almost anything. The best compliments I have ever received come when I'm told my dogs look as if they are having fun out there. After all, Agility is just a game you play with your dog.

LINK TO AGILITY ANNUAL AWARDS

Other Performance Events:

• Earthdog Tests
• Obedience
• Tracking
• Rally1

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