If you have ever seen a dog sprinting about on an agility course, navigating weave poles, leaping over jumps and going up and down teeter totters, then you know how much fun dogs have on these courses. One component on every agility course is the pause table, and while dogs prefer the fun stuff, the pause table is an excellent tool for teaching proper behavior and obedience with your dog.
For those new to the sport of dog agility, the pause table is pretty much just what it sounds like. It is an elevated platform on an agility course where dogs must jump upon and then either sit or remain in a down position for a fixed amount of seconds. The height of these tables varies, but the goal is the same. The dog must obey the command of the trainer or owner and not leave the table to complete the course until they receive a specific signal.
Keep in mind, dogs obviously compete without a leash, obeying a variety of commands. Once you get to the point where your dog is ready to compete, they have become a very obedient animal and this is a very good thing. After all, we want them to sit and stay on command with having to use a leash or treats. This is often for their own safety, as well as the safety of others, so the skills taught on the pause table are truly some of the most important lessons your dog will learn.
In general, puppies should not use agility equipment, not only because they are simply too small, but also because they can hurt their developing bodies. However, you can use a pause box or a very low table to teach obedience skills with a puppy. Once a puppy is weaned, you can begin teaching basic obedience commands. The puppy will be easier to deal with and you will forge a stronger bond.
Once the animal successfully can sit and stay on the pause table for five seconds, you can make it a bit more difficult by putting some distance between you and your dog. Keep in mind that treats are never allowed in competition and vocal commands often are not allowed either, so the dog needs to learn to sit and stay and go down based on signals. You can continue to increase the distance as your dog becomes more and more comfortable.
This training is not just a fantastic way to teach obedience and distance training; there is another reason why the pause table is a great agility obstacle. Without a pause during the course, dogs can lose focus easily and lose points because they have skipped something or because they are going too fast or they don't handle an obstacle with a high level of precision. By pausing and taking a quick break, they regain their focus. If you are ready to purchase a pause table or any type of dog training equipment, check out the products at Carlson Agility. They have everything from dog tunnels and chutes, all kinds of dog agility jumps, teeter-totters, agility dog walks and everything else you need to get started.
For those new to the sport of dog agility, the pause table is pretty much just what it sounds like. It is an elevated platform on an agility course where dogs must jump upon and then either sit or remain in a down position for a fixed amount of seconds. The height of these tables varies, but the goal is the same. The dog must obey the command of the trainer or owner and not leave the table to complete the course until they receive a specific signal.
Keep in mind, dogs obviously compete without a leash, obeying a variety of commands. Once you get to the point where your dog is ready to compete, they have become a very obedient animal and this is a very good thing. After all, we want them to sit and stay on command with having to use a leash or treats. This is often for their own safety, as well as the safety of others, so the skills taught on the pause table are truly some of the most important lessons your dog will learn.
In general, puppies should not use agility equipment, not only because they are simply too small, but also because they can hurt their developing bodies. However, you can use a pause box or a very low table to teach obedience skills with a puppy. Once a puppy is weaned, you can begin teaching basic obedience commands. The puppy will be easier to deal with and you will forge a stronger bond.
Once the animal successfully can sit and stay on the pause table for five seconds, you can make it a bit more difficult by putting some distance between you and your dog. Keep in mind that treats are never allowed in competition and vocal commands often are not allowed either, so the dog needs to learn to sit and stay and go down based on signals. You can continue to increase the distance as your dog becomes more and more comfortable.
This training is not just a fantastic way to teach obedience and distance training; there is another reason why the pause table is a great agility obstacle. Without a pause during the course, dogs can lose focus easily and lose points because they have skipped something or because they are going too fast or they don't handle an obstacle with a high level of precision. By pausing and taking a quick break, they regain their focus. If you are ready to purchase a pause table or any type of dog training equipment, check out the products at Carlson Agility. They have everything from dog tunnels and chutes, all kinds of dog agility jumps, teeter-totters, agility dog walks and everything else you need to get started.
About the Author:
Cheng Bernhardt loves dog agility training. To find an agility equipment for dogs, or to find more agility dog training equipment such as obedience jumps, please visit the Carlson-Agility website today.
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