Training dogs can be a humbling experience. What worked for your last dog doesn't always work for every dog. Each dog has their own "essence". Some dogs are shy and some dogs are so excited they just can't think straight.  Sure there are all kinds of books on socialization for the shy dog that may include things like clicker training, control work, positive  and negative reinforcement.But what do you do when you have tried "everything" and still are not finding success?

Puppies are a clean slate. We hope if we do everything "right" then we will have the perfect dog. Really? Diligence and hard work may give you the end results you are looking for but there is some truth to behaviors linking to a dogs lineage. Some dogs no matter how well you do your job as a dog trainer will still have their quirks and idiosyncrasies

Take my boy Pippin for example.  As a puppy, he never ran all the way down the stairs. He always naturally wanted to leap from stair 4 or 5.  An established dog trainer told me, "Oh, that is not a good sign, dogs that leap on stairs usually want to leap contacts!"  I didn't know that but thought I would prove her wrong.

Pippin and I started out deciding to do running contacts. We started with one method and all the aids required to teach him to run down the a frame or dogwalk.  No matter what I did  Pip managed to stride right over the yellow more than in the yellow and without a visible aid, he would leap.  We spent our first year with very little contact success in the ring due to his inconsistencies. Pippin obviously must have been successful at some point since he is competing in Masters now.

Now we have goals.  Pippin and I cannot possibly attain these goals with an unreliable contact performance.  So we decide that running contacts is not a clear cut behavior to teach and we will now make Pippin stop in 2 on 2 off.  Seems clear, seems easy enough since I taught 2 other dogs how to do their 2 on 2 off position.  Well it didn't exactly work the same way!  Pippin gets  so excited in the ring that he just flies off those contacts as if he had wings!!

So we are back to the drawing board. Time to stop trialing in standard so we can clearly reward the successful performances and correct the undesired behavior.  In the agility field at home, we are increasing the pressure and excitement by whooping and hollering, running past, hanging back, throwing things and having friends over with their dogs to distract him. Once we can't make him fail at home then we will take it to the road and proof those same behaviors at new places. 

Are you a weekend warrior? Do you sit at a desk all week and then when the weekend comes you are loading and unloading your car for a show?  You are carrying X pens , tents, EZ Ups, chairs, coolers and more to be comfortable at the event? 

Is your dog a couch potato while you are working your 8 hour day and then the weekend comes and he is expected to jump and climb as fast as he possibly can all while looking to you for direction?

Agility has the word Agile in it. We must be agile and so should our dogs. Athletes have training programs. You and your dog should have a similar program.  This program should include diet, exercise, training, stretching and even scheduled rest.  You cannot expect to perform to your best ability without paying some attention to these categories.

Diet: Your dog should have the appropriate food and supplements based on their level of activity and size. You as a competitor should plan your meals to eat fresh whole foods to nurture what you are requesting of your body. Drink lots of water.
Exercise: I walk the dogs a light mile walk in the morning on leash and typical evenings include either a hilly hike, swimming  or training about 10 minutes each.
Stretching: Warming up muscles of you and your canine partner should take priority. Before running your dog you should develop a warm up routine with light stretches. It is just as important to have a post cool down routine. walk your dog around while your heart rate slows down and remember to stretch post activity too.
Preventative Measures: Me and my dogs see a chiropractor regularly as needed. You should be able to identify when you or your dog is out of alignment and needs an adjustment based on the dogs gait or your own. Are you favoring one side or another? I also like to use massage therapy as a way to keep muscles limber and flexible.

Thinking ahead while preparing you and your dog for competition will not only increase your speed and endurance but also strengthen those muscles needed when running.  These steps will also help to eliminate injury.