5. Agility is a Detour Problem

Amanda and Fanny continue from a discussion on the community forum, where Fanny has been analyzing why some bars were dropped. In this episode, we give advice on what to do to avoid unnecessary bar drops and how you can improve as a handler and dog trainer by changing some simple things on the agility course.

The Agility Connection podcast is back! This time Fanny is joined by new co-host Amanda Dahlberg. We discuss overreliance on verbal cues and the importance of handling and showing the line.  

Fanny Gott and Thomas Stokke discuss training their puppies and how training becomes much more efficient when the dog learns to see it as a mental or physical detour problem.

Watching agility, many teams are in constant conflict. Agility training and competition is like a fight between dog and handler. Are you on the same team as your dog, or are you pulling in different directions? Thomas and Fanny discuss why we end up with conflict, and what we can do to avoid it. @fannyftw @ru7herford  

Thomas and Fanny talk about how to teach a reliable start line stay, and what common mistakes that makes agility start lines so hard for a lot of dogs and people.

How do we use shaping and offered behaviors in agility? What are the benefits of using shaping rather than luring or prompting?    Find more resources about shaping here: https://www.fannygott.com/category/shaping-2

This spring, Fanny and Thomas are getting two puppies that hopefully will make their way onto the agility field. One working bred border collie who also will run sheepdog trials, one working cocker spaniel who also will hunt and compete in field trials. We discuss what our priorities are for puppy training, the differences between the breeds, and how to prepare for doing multiple activities with the same dog.