Canine Agility Training - PRESTO DOG - ...about our BEST friend the dog

If you're new to the sport of canine agility, you may wonder how the heck you get your dog to contort its body through weave poles, jump over hurdles, fly across an A-frame or successfully navigate its way through the many obstacles it encounters during an agility competition. One sure-fire answer is train your dog with a clicker.

Briefly, a dog is trained using a clicker. When it performs a task correctly, it receives a treat. If you have a job, this is sort of like you receiving a paycheck (or a "treat") for the duties you perform. Eventually, the dog performs the task by itself with out the use of the clicker..and voila, you've got the behavior you wanted.

But, please note the first word in the paragraph immediately above...briefly. There are many approximations that may need to be mande before your dog connects the click with the exact task you want it to perform. The rest of this article will deal with getting your dog to perform the behavior you want using a clicker as the preferred method of training.

First, get a clicker. After all, how can you possibly start clicker training unless you have a clicker? Click here to see where to get a clicker and a coiled wrist strap you can attach to the clicker for fast retrieval. You can also "Google" the word clicker to find alternative sources for the clicker.

You'll also need a supply of treats. These should be small enough so you can hold 'em in your hand but not too small. You might want to consider putting them in a small container or your readily accessible pocket. You'll soon see that you must click your clicker and reward (reinforce his/her behavior) your pup within a second or two after it performs the task you desire so a connection is made between the click & treat. Get it?