January 6, 2014

Achieve Your Dog Agility Goals in 2014

Welcome 2014! Bad Dog Agility is bringing in this cold and snowy New Year with a quick 3-step guide that helps you create your dog agility goals for the upcoming year.

Step 1: List what you’d like to accomplish with your dog in agility this year, and write it down as if you’ve already achieved it, including a date or time frame. Examples include:

  • I taught Fido to weave 12 poles at the end of February.
  • I had a great performance at the 2014 AKC Nationals in March.
  • I improved my front crosses and ran them well at my training club’s summer trial.

Step 2: For each accomplishment you identified in Step 1, list the key training elements needed to reach it. Examples include:

  • I taught Fido to weave 12 poles at the end of February.
    • spend several sessions building Fido’s drive to a thrown or placed toy on the ground
    • spend one or two sessions 3 days per week using Susan Garrett’s 2×2 method for teaching weaves
  • I had a great performance at the 2014 AKC Nationals in March.
    • set up and run difficult sequences from previous AKC Nationals courses.
    • review contact/tunnel discriminations
    • practice difficult weave pole entries
  • I improved my front crosses and ran them well at my training club’s summer trial.
    • watch people with great front crosses and observe their timing, footwork, motion, and position.
    • practice various front crosses with 2 jumps but without my dog
    • practice various front crosses with my dog, videotaping my sessions for later analysis by myself or my instructor

Step 3: For each accomplishment you identified in Step 1, list one easy thing that you can do in the next 24 hours, preferably today or right now, that will help you reach that goal. This step is critical because the hardest part of reaching any goal is getting started. Examples include:

  • I taught Fido to weave 12 poles at the end of February.
    • borrow 2×2 DVD and 3 sets of 2×2 weave poles from a friend
  • I had a great performance at the 2014 AKC Nationals in March.
    • visit AKC website and print out course maps from previous AKC Nationals
  • I improved my front crosses and ran them well at my training club’s summer trial.
    • watch agility videos on YouTube to find handlers who have front crosses that I admire

You will find that as you begin to train with your goals in mind, you will be more focused, more likely to practice, and less frustrated with any single bad training session because you will have a broader, goal-oriented view of your training.

Best wishes for a great year of dog agility in 2014!

Happy Training,

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