Dog Tricks and Agility For Dummies

371 Pages·2·8.039 MB·English

by  Sarah Hodgson

Spine=.72”
Pets/Dogs/Training
Making Everything Easier!™ 2nd Edition
Your hands-on guide to 2nd Edition
having fun with your dog!
Open the book and find: D
Wguaindte t uos teesa cpho syiotiuvre d roeign tfohrec ceomoelenstt ttori chkesl?p T yhoisu s eteapsi-lby yt-rsatienp (cid:129) A review of basic commands og D o g Tri c k s & Ag i l i t y
(cid:129) Hints for clicker and target training
your four-legged friend. From simple to more complex
T
tricks, you’ll learn to think like a dog for a more positive (cid:129) Advanced tricks your dog will love
r
relationship. Plus, you’ll discover how to infuse the thrill of
(cid:129) An introduction to agility i
agility — for fun or competition — into your dog’s life. obstacles c
k
(cid:129) Teach simple tricks the positive way — from rolling over to (cid:129) Ways to troubleshoot agility
s
retrieving, discover the encouraging approaches to training moves

that work best for you and your dog &
(cid:129) National agility competitive
(cid:129) Take it to the next level — teach tricks that will excite your dog groups and organizations

such as singing on cue, balancing treats, and playing “action A
(cid:129) B reed hobbies and events such
hero”
as tracking, flyball, sledding, and g
(cid:129) Leap into agility training — teach your dog to make the jumps, more
i
go through tunnels, weave around poles, and more l
(cid:129) Tips for keeping your dog fit and i
healthy t
y
Learn to:
(cid:129) Teach your dog clever tricks and tasks
Go to Dummies.com
®
for videos, step-by-step photos, (cid:129) Determine your dog’s abilities and tailor
how-to articles, or to shop! activities accordingly
(cid:129) Make training fun for you and your dog
(cid:129) Work in tandem with your dog to
master agility commands and courses
$19.99 US / $19.99 CN
Sarah Hodgson is a respected dog columnist as well as the author ISBN 978-0-470-53959-0
of many popular books on dogs. She has coached many other dog
Sarah Hodgson
professionals and is frequently featured as a dog training specialist
Dog trainer and author of Puppies For
on network television, radio, and print media, including NBC’s Today
Dummies, 2nd Edition and Understanding
show, Animal Planet, CNBC, and CNN.
Hodgson Your Dog For Dummies
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Cheat Sheets include
(cid:129) Checklists
(cid:129) Charts
(cid:129) Common Instructions
(cid:129) And Other Good Stuff!
To access the Cheat Sheet created specifically for this book, go to
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Dog Tricks & Agility
FOR
DUMmIES
‰
2
ND EDITION
by Sarah Hodgson
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Dog Tricks & Agility For Dummies®, 2nd Edition
Published by
Wiley Publishing, Inc.
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Hoboken, NJ 07030-5774
www.wiley.com
Copyright © 2010 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Indianapolis, Indiana
Published simultaneously in Canada
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Library of Congress Control Number: 2010924561
ISBN: 978-0-470-53959-0
Manufactured in the United States of America
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About the Author
Sarah Hodgson is the author of nine books on dog training, including
Puppies For Dummies, Dog Tricks For Dummies, DogPerfect, and Miss Sarah’s
Guide to Etiquette for Dogs and Their People. In addition, she has coauthored
Understanding Your Dog For Dummies with world renowned dog behaviorist
Stanley Coren. Her books have been translated into nine languages.
At an age when most kids were baby-sitting or mowing lawns, Sarah Hodgson
was starting her career. At 10, she taught her own dog to jump through a
tire swing and pull her on skis. At 12, she was showing her neighbors how to
do it, and a dog trainer was born. In 1988, one year before graduating with a
degree in biology, Sarah opened her professional practice in Bedford, New
York, where she continues to help families demystify dog behavior. Through
positive reinforcement, family conditioning, and her signature “loving touch,”
Sarah achieves profound results for people and their dogs.
With theories that link good behavior to having a solid foundation of fun in
any relationship, Sarah believes that training must be simple and enjoyable
for dogs and people. Blending traditional, time-tested techniques with bond-
enhancing tricks and interactive activities, such as agility, fl yball, and joring,
Sarah shows people how to take charge of their dog in a humane, upbeat, and
positive way. Sarah says: “Life is short — have fun!”
Sarah also works with shelters to temperament-test and recondition lost and
abandoned dogs to improve their odds of fi nding permanent homes. Over the
years, she has fostered many hard-to-place shelter dogs in her home, using
her gentle, humane techniques to rebuild their trust and confi dence.
Sarah has appeared as a guest expert on NBC, CNN, CNBC, ABC, FOX, CBS,
Animal Planet, and the DIY Network. As a press escort for the Westminster
Dog Show, Sarah worked alongside many news personalities, including Al
Roker, David Fry, and Storm Phillips, creating segments for their networks.
Sarah appeared on Animal Planet’s Dogs 101 series in December 2009.
A regular contributor to a variety of print publications, Sarah’s columns have
appeared in Parenthood, Prevention, and Country Living magazines as well as
The New York Times and The Record Review.
A graduate of SUNY at Purchase with a Bachelor of Science degree in biology
with an emphasis on human psychology and animal behavior, Sarah is also the
inventor of the Teaching Lead. Its ingenious, patented design allows its use as
a regular leash, a hands-free lead, or an indoor and outdoor training aid.
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Sarah’s famous clients have included TV personality Katie Couric; actors
Richard Gere, Glenn Close, Susan Sarandon and Tim Robbins, Chazz
Palminteri, Chevy Chase, and Lucie Arnez; business moguls George Soros,
Tommy Hilfi ger, Tommy Mottola, Peter and Sara Arnell, and Michael Fuchs;
and sports greats Bobby Valentine and Alan Houston.
Sarah lives in Katonah, New York, with her husband, their two children, and
their pets.
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Dedication
For Lindsay, Bobo, Whoopsie, and Daisy: Always up to their tricks . . . always
able to make their mama smile.
Author’s Acknowledgments
The book you are holding is the product of many good, hard-working, creative
people. I am so grateful for each of them! A special thanks to my personal
assistant, Moira Clune — your suggestions add life to my words, like a soft
breeze on a sunny day. You are one of a kind. Thank you to the crew of edi-
tors and readers at Wiley Publishing, Inc., who harp — but in a good way. I am
grateful to Tracy Boggier for conceiving this idea and pursuing it. And fi nally,
many thanks to my husband, my top agility performer — who regularly juggled
meals, kids, and dogs to keep things stable so I could complete this book.
Thank you all!
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Publisher’s Acknowledgments
We’re proud of this book; please send us your comments at http://dummies.custhelp.com.
For other comments, please contact our Customer Care Department within the U.S. at 877-762-2974,
outside the U.S. at 317-572-3993, or fax [phone].
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Development
Project Coordinator: Lynsey Stanford
Senior Project Editor: Christina Guthrie
Layout and Graphics: Joyce Haughey
Project Editor: Jennifer Connolly
Special Art: Interior illustrations by
Acquisitions Editor: Tracy Boggier Barbara Frake
Senior Copy Editor: Danielle Voirol Proofreaders: Lindsay Littrell,
Shannon Ramsey
Copy Editor: Christine Pingleton
Indexer: Glassman Indexing Services
Assistant Editor: Erin Calligan Mooney
Senior Editorial Assistant: David Lutton
Technical Editor: Laura VanArendonk Baugh
Editorial Manager: Christine Meloy Beck
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Rachelle Amick
Art Coordinator: Alicia B. South
Cover Photos: iStock
Cartoons: Rich Tennant
(www.the5thwave.com)
Publishing and Editorial for Consumer Dummies
Diane Graves Steele, Vice President and Publisher, Consumer Dummies
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Publishing for Technology Dummies
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Contents at a Glance
Introduction ................................................................ 1
Part I: Getting Started: The Foundations of Training ...... 7
Chapter 1: Exploring the Fun that Awaits You ...............................................................9
Chapter 2: Prepping for Training — Mentally and Physically ....................................17
Chapter 3: Understanding Your Dog’s Natural Abilities and Limitations .................33
Chapter 4: Encouraging Self-Control before You Launch into Lessons ....................47
Part II: Teaching Tricks with Positive Reinforcement .... 63
Chapter 5: Minding Manners and Trying Out Some Tricks ........................................65
Chapter 6: Engaging Favorites........................................................................................81
Chapter 7: Go Fetch! Finding and Retrieving Tricks ....................................................95
Part III: Tackling More Advanced Tricks .................... 115
Chapter 8: Jumping and Dancing for Joy ....................................................................117
Chapter 9: Barking, Counting, and Singing on Cue ....................................................131
Chapter 10: Adding Drama with Clever Tricks ...........................................................141
Part IV: Exploring the World of Agility ...................... 161
Chapter 11: Considering Agility Training....................................................................163
Chapter 12: Laying the Foundations for Agility .........................................................177
Chapter 13: Introducing Your Dog to Jumps, Tunnels, and Tables ........................191
Chapter 14: Teaching the A-Frame, Dog Walk, Teeter, and Weave Poles ...............207
Chapter 15: Sequencing and Troubleshooting Your Agility Moves ........................225
Chapter 16: Competing in Agility: Ready, Set, Go! .....................................................239
Part V: Getting Hip to Hobbies, Events,
and Earning Credentials ........................................... 253
Chapter 17: Sharing Favorite Sports and Backyard Games ......................................255
Chapter 18: Participating in More Hobbies and Breed-Specifi c Events ..................271
Chapter 19: Harness Sports: Bringing Pulling Dogs to the Starting Line ................283
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Part VI: The Part of Tens .......................................... 301
Chapter 20: Nearly Ten Agility Moves Anyone Can Try ...........................................303
Chapter 21: Top Ten Sports Injuries for Dogs ...........................................................309
Chapter 22: Ten Ways to Ensure Fido’s Fit for Tricks and Agility ...........................317
Index ...................................................................... 325
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