What kind of training can I do in the winter?
— Laura ScottWith winter fast approaching, I’m sure most people have packed up their practice equipment and are looking for ways to keep their agility skills sharp without venturing out into the cold. Here are a few indoor training activities that take minimal equipment and space but provide maximum benefit!
Stay proofing – Keep your start line stays sharp by practicing faking out your dog. Set your dog up in their stay and lead out like you would on a course. Now see if you can fake out your dog...try using a word that isn’t your release word or a command and see if your dog breaks. He should only release from his stay when you give your release word (okay, break, free, or whatever you use). If he gets it right
(i.e. he stays) go back to him and give him a cookie, if he breaks, gently take him by the collar and put him back. You can try using the names of fruits and vegetables as your fake out words.
Contacts – Practice your contacts with your dog on the stairs. Start out near the bottom and have your dog stop with his two front paws on the floor and two back paws on the stairs. Give him a treat on a target (such as a margarine lid) on the ground. Once he’s good at one step, see if you can get him to stop after two steps. Slowly work your way up to having your dog race down 5-6 steps and stop and wait at the bottom.
Table – While you may not have a table in the house that your dog is allowed on, a mat or towel is a great substitute. Teach your dog to lay down on the mat, and then see if you can send them there from a distance or have them stay on the mat for a longer period of time.
Distance – Work on improving your dog’s distance skills either indoors or out. Using a chair, tree, post or other large object, teach your dog to go around it. Then see if you can send them from a little further back. Gradually increase your distance (over a few training sessions), making sure to reward your dog each time they get it right.
Weaves – You only need two weave poles to practice with. You can use plungers, or dowels secured in a small bucket as posts. Set your poles up 24 inches apart and work on your weave entrances. Make sure you only work in one direction per session (no back weaving!) and you should be tossing the treat on the floor as he exits from the weaves. Again, once your dog is doing really well at this, you can start to add some distance.
Fitness – We sometimes slack off on our dogs exercise in the winter when the weather turns bad. To help prevent injuries it’s important to keep your dog in good shape. Make sure they are getting appropriate exercise. If the weather is bad, try some strength training. Teach your dog to bow, or sit pretty (beg), these tricks use muscles that your dog doesn’t normally use when walking or lying around.
Have a great winter and have fun training!
