Winter is upon us with many people already in feet of snow and it’s not even Thanksgiving yet. If you have an active dog, this can be the worst time of the year. Lack of exercise can lead to destructive behaviors such as chewing, shredding, and getting into the garbage. In addition, if you play sports or practice regular obedience with your dog, you may hate the fact that you cannot be outside training.
If this is you – then you must try the CanineGym® Dog Agility set. Similar to a human soccer agility set or horse cavalettis, they are perfect for indoor training. And you will be amazed at all the behaviors you can work on using them.
Why an Agility Set?
You could use a broom pole over some chairs, it’s true. But, you won’t have the versatility you have with these. Each cone has three different levels of holes, so you can adjust the bar height to easily fit your dog and the exercise you want to practice.
Bobby Lyons, Cert CF, canine conditioning instructor and owner of Pawsitive Performance, notes that you can also turn the cones on their side to make the bars even lower for tiny dog and puppies.
Since the cones stack, it is easy to store and really does not take up much space, way less then jumps would.
Exercises
You can use them for much more than just jump work. So even if you don’t typically focus on agility, it’s great for exercising your dog’s muscles!
The set comes with a four exercise cards that help you get started with your set. The workouts included are:
Cone Weaves (weave between cones) – strengthens hind limbs, front limbs, core, focus, and limb awareness
Interval Drills (dog is one end of line of cones, you call him then ask for a down or stay at first cone, call again, ask for down or stay at next cone, etc.) – strengthens front limbs, hind limbs, cardio, core, focus
Cone Crawls (crawl under poles) – strengthens hind limbs, front limbs, core, focus, and limb awareness
Trot Chute (traditional use, dog walks or trots over poles) – strengthens front limbs, hind limbs, core, focus, and limb awareness.
These exercises will help to keep your dog muscles developed as well as tire him out, even when you can’t go outside.
Behaviors
What I really like about the set is you can use them to help train behaviors too. For example, I use them to teach a nice straight back-up.
I put a pole supported by two cones just far enough apart for my dog to fit comfortably (there should be some space on either side).
Steps:
- Position your dog inside the poles, at one of the openings, facing me.
- Then, you can either lure by putting a treat down near your dog’s chest, or you can capture (if your dog is savvy, he might offer a backup based on the position (only place he can go)
It’s easier if you chose a method where you don’t move your own feet, otherwise that becomes part of the cue and your dog won’t back up unless you are moving into him. (It can also make it harder to catch your dog if you have taught him that you walking toward him is a signal to back away from you!)
Working on fronts (dog sitting directly in front of you for rally or obedience)? You can use the cones on either side of your feet to help ensure a straight sit.
How about “outs” or “away” and “come by” for herding? I use the cones in my living room to practice my dog running out and turning.
If you want to try something advanced, you can work on getting your dog to crawl backwards under the poles as well. Then, you can put it on cue and it’s a great trick bring out at parties – it’s a crowd pleaser!
And, of course, you can use them to teach your dog “over” for jumping.
Safety Precautions
As with any type of sport or exercise, make sure your dog is physically ready and able to do it. Do not push an old or young dog that may not have the muscles to do something and do not work on these types of behaviors for a long period of times. You will see that the exercise cards recommend you only work on them 3 times a week.
If you have any doubts or questions, contact a dog trainer that has experience in canine conditioning and/or ask your vet. Bobby Lyons teaches online Canine Conditioning classes, perfect for winter, and can answer questions you may have on whether your dog is ready for a certain activity or level of difficulty.
Related: Our Top 11 Picks For The Best Indoor Dog Potty
About the Author
Based in Wilsonville, Ore., animal lover Kristina N. Lotz is a Certified Professional Dog Trainer – Knowledge Assessed (CPDT-KA) and works as a full time trainer. She is the founder of A Fairytail House, a unique all-positive all-sport dog training facility that helps rescue dogs in her area and provides free seminars and training classes for the community. In her spare time, she trains and competes in herding, agility, obedience, rally, and conformation with her Shetland Sheepdogs. She smartly married a Veterinary Technician, who helps keep the fur kids happy and healthy, and provides a quick resource for articles.
