BODY/HAND AND VERBAL COMMANDSVerbal Commands:At this point in training, you should have chosen commands for each obstacle. They should differ according to the obstacle. Some do not vary as much as others, for example: the double bar jump is much like a standard jump. Even a spread jump can be viewed quite similar to a standard jump. For these commands you may want to use separate commands if you choose, or you may want to just add a cue for your dog to know he's jumping further than usual (command for standard jump: "hup", command for double bar or spread jump: "BIG hup"). The more an obstacle differs (jump compared to dog walk) the bigger the difference should be in command.
In case you haven't quite decided what to name the obstacles quite yet, here are some examples for you: (You'll notice some commands are repeated for different obstacles - make sure to choose one for one obstacle and a different one for something else [do not use "over" for both the cross-over and jumps]).
Dog Walk: Walk-it, Walk On
A-Frame: Climb, Scramble, Frame
Teeter/See-Saw: Teeter, Saw, Walk On
Cross Over: Over
Jumps: Hup, Jump, Over (add "big" or "way" for spread or double jumps).
Tire: tire, through, hoop, hup
Flexible Tunnel: tunnel, through, scurry
Collapsible Tunnel: chute, push, through
Weave Poles: Weave, Zig, Zag, We-We-We (repeated throughout obstacle)
Pause Table: Table, Up, Hup, Pause
Pause Box: Get In, Box, Pause
What you choose to use as a command is entirely up to you! Just remember the shorter it is the better, and don't confuse your dog by using the same command for two different obstacles! Since I sometimes have a faulty memory, especially while in a hurry, I found the easiest thing to do was to use the name of the obstacle as a command (Teeter=teeter, Dog-Walk=Walk it, A-Frame=frame, Chute=chute etc.).
There are several other commands, excluding the obstacles, that you will need to teach your dog. Basic obedience isn't extremely important in Agility, but personally I think all dogs should have their basics down flat before they enter any agility trial. These basic commands are: Sit, Stay, Down, Come and Heel. In the very least, your dog MUST know "
Stay" (or "Wait"), "
Come" (and/or "Here") and "
Down".
You will need a stay or wait command for when you set your dog up at the beginning of the course. Setting your dog up usually is done by placing the dog either on your left (in a heel) or between your legs, or even by physically placing him, in a sit or stand position at the beginning of the course. This is usually a couple paces behind the first obstacle of the course. You then tell your dog to "wait" or "stay" and walk ahead of him to give yourself a head start and advantage in directing him. This is especially important for speedy dogs!
A recall of some sort, even a basic "here" command will be used if your dog is flying off course in the wrong direction. Giving a "HERE" or "Come" will tell your dog he's going the wrong way and he needs to come back to you for further instructions. Personally, I suggest using "here" for this as quite often you aren't looking for the dog to come directly back to you (and sit automatically in front of you) like you would want with a recall (come). The dog usually comes back towards you but doesn't quite make it to you before you give him the next command.
A down will be needed while your dog is on the Pause Table or in the Pause Box. Some competitions require a sit instead of a dog, or your choice of a sit or a down. You should find this out before entering the trial, and it is best to prepare your dog for either. He will then have to stay in that position, which is where the stay command comes in handy again.
Other, non obedience commands, you may use on the course are for directions. You want to teach your dog
Left and
Right so you can direct him around the course and for him to complete crosses (see above for more information on crosses). This can be taught quite easily by throwing a toy or treat in the direction you wish your dog to go and giving the command. Repeated enough times, your dog should pick up on what to do without you having to throw a toy or treat.
Some dogs get into the bad habit of bailing off a contact obstacle before the contact zone (the yellow painted area at the bottom of the equipment). To fix this, or prevent it from happening you will want to teach your dog to target. Targeting is a simple exercise that can apply to several different types of training. Specifically for agility; a target of some type (usually a small plastic lid will suffice) is placed on whatever object you with the dog to touch. In this case, you would put it on the bottom of the yellow (or near the middle of it) with a piece of tasty treat on it. When the dog comes down the Dog-Walk, for example, he will slow to sniff and eat the tasty treat. When he does so you reward verbally; "YES! Good CONTACT! Good", or whatever command you wish to use for the contact zones. Personally I use "touch", just out of habit. You will eventually remove the plastic lid and treat once your dog understands the meaning of the command.
Another way to teach the contact zones is to teach your dog to stop on the contact zones, without a target. You would use the same command (touch, contact, target, etc.) but give the command just as the dog reaches the yellow. If he bails off you give a neutral "no" (not firm or angry, use a neutral tone) and pick up the dog and place him back onto the contact zone repeating your command. If your dog is too big to pick up you can have him redo the obstacle, once he reaches the contact zone you can hold onto his collar and make him stop that way.
How long you want your dog to wait on the contact zone is up to you, but keep in mind that at a trial your run is timed.
To Recap:The commands you dog should know and understand to excel on the agility course are the following:
- A command for each obstacle (that's roughly 12 or more commands)
- Down
- Sit
- Come/Here
- Stay/Wait
- Left
- Right
- Contact/Touch
Physical Commands:Physical commands are those you give your dog using your body language. Dogs are masters at body language, and you'd be surprised how easy you can screw your dog up on the course by moving your body slightly in the wrong direction.
The following is a video that shows such a slight in my body movement that even when I slow that frame down it's still hard to see, but I remember it clearly. Near the end of the video, you'll see Coal takes the wrong jump and I have to call him back. What happened was I got confused and lost on the course for just a moment, I glanced at that jump (the wrong one that he took) to see which number it was. It's so slight, but he picked it up right away and went over it. Handler error, not the dogs
and shows just how easy it is to get messed up on the course from the slightest movement of your body.
You'll also notice a couple of other things on the above video, such as Coal running off course (he went to go visit my parents), a jump pole is knocked down (right before my misdirection cue), and at the very end I help Coal out of the chute. These are all due to lack of practice on my part with equipment, distractions, and conditioning. (We'd actually never trained on a Chute before that day at that trial, so he did quite well for his FIRST time going through a Chute, I have to say!). However, this section is about body cues, so lets move on...
It's very important to know where you're going on a course. This may seem pretty basic common knowledge, but when you practice at home by yourself and then take your dog to a trial you realize you don't have a lot of practice running a course you didn't design and set up yourself! When you design and set up the course yourself, you know where every piece of equipment is and where to go! At a trial you get a sheet of paper with the course design on it and you get a set amount of time to walk the course and try to remember where everything is (it never seems like enough time either!). Yes, all the obstacles are numbered, but when in the middle of running a course you don't want to have to rely on that alone!
So if you practice in your backyard, see if you can get someone to help you design a course for you and set it up, give yourself five minutes to walk it, and then see how you do! This is a good way to practice memorizing where you're supposed to go, as well as finding traps in the course and ways around them. It's an extra challenge, and it will be well worth being prepared for!
A fun way to practice being more aware of your body language is to practice a couple courses in complete silence. Don't be scared, it's actually a lot of fun! When you run a course silently you realize you have to depend a lot on your dogs natural ability to communicate through body language. You learn how to emphasize your hands when necessary and keep the rest of your body still to stop yourself from giving off subtle body cues that may send your dog in the wrong direction.
Body language is extremely important, do not underestimate it!
The more you know how to communicate with your dog and vice versa, the better you will be at a trial!