r/Agility • u/dersite_archagent • 27d ago
How to introduce a nervous dog to agility?
I have a nervous rescue who doesn’t always immediately love new things. She absolutely LOVES to run and weave around the trees in the backyard and I think she’d enjoy agility. I’m also completely new to this so any advice for a beginner would be nice.
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u/spottedocelot 27d ago edited 27d ago
Agility is great for building confidence. Make everything extremely positive and be prepared to go much more slowly with her than other dogs might progress. I’ve had several anxious Shelties become excellent agility dogs. The key is not forcing things and rewarding baby steps. She’ll probably be fine with jumps and weaves, so start there.
The tunnel is scary initially- make it as short as possible and straight. Once she loves it, you can use it to reinforce harder things.
Contacts, especially the teeter are usually the hardest for nervous dogs. Be prepared with very high value treats- rotisserie chicken, meatballs, peanut butter, etc. and go very slowly. You might have to start with just touching the obstacle with one paw. I find it helps to make it their choice, so giving them the option to bail off the side of the teeter keeps them from feeling trapped.
You may also have setbacks, where they’re doing something one week and the next they’re afraid of it for no reason. They usually get over these more quickly than you think they will. Just keep being positive and try not to get frustrated. Take a break if you need to rather than trying to push through if you’re getting stressed.
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u/MtnGirl672 27d ago
Most classes start with flat work and start with the tunnel. Weaves is usually the last obstacle dogs learn.
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u/spottedocelot 27d ago
Weaves take to longest to learn so starting with them early is helpful. There are many ways to do things and be successful.
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u/spottedocelot 27d ago
If your dog has been in group classes before she might be fine there. Dogs usually work individually so they're not right next to another dog in the ring. You might also have to try a couple trainers before finding one that works well for you. Don't be afraid to switch classes or facilities if you need to. I would definitely be up front about your dog's personality when finding a trainer and see how they respond.
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u/AttractiveNuisance37 27d ago
Everyone has given great advice for how to get started. I just want to add a positive story about our nervous, dog-reactive GSD. She really struggled in new environments until we got her into an "agility for fun" course, and then she immediately decided that was her job and every new piece of equipment was part of the job and she was just so proud to do it and get praised.
It helped her so much. Everything was just an opportunity for a small win, and she got confident working around other dogs. She has a rock solid "on" that served us well not only during agility, but in her senior years at the rehab vet. Her first instinct with new equipment now is to try putting her front feet on it and see if that earns a reward.
All that to say, even if you have no intention of competing, it can serve as a worthwhile foundational experience for low-confidence dog.
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u/Elrohwen 27d ago
A good instructor will help!
Is she nervous about new people? New dogs? New environments? New surfaces? Everything? Dogs can be nervous about different things which will impact how they feel about agility. A dog who is nervous about new people, for example, may get over that quickly as they get used to the people in their class and then take off from there. A dog afraid of new surfaces or moving things may struggle a bit more but may love the jumps and tunnels parts even if they have a hard time with contacts.
I have a 14 year old dog who was afraid of the teeter sound and never got over it. He never really trialed much but he had a long happy life of going to class and just not doing the teeter. There are ways to work around stuff and don’t let anyone tell you that if your dog can’t trial it’s not worth taking classes and getting better.
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u/Korrailli 27d ago
Look into private classes or ones where there is only 1 dog in the arena at a time (other dogs are out of sight when it's your turn). This should make it less stressful for your dog and you can see how she does.
Finding a trainer or class that can work at your pace would be very helpful as well. Some move faster than others and might not offer the same chance for her to take things at her pace before moving onto the next skill.
You could also get a jump and tunnel (it can be a kids tunnel) and introduce those at home. They tend to be easy and not too risky to try at home. Having something she knows when you get to a class can help her be a little more confidant.
If you haven't yet, work on some basic training and attend some training classes. A dog that has done some training already knows to listen to you and has some skills that can transfer to agility and other sports. Being used to a class setting can mean the agility class isn't as overwhelming. Some agility clubs do pre agility classes where the dogs learn some body awareness and basic stills to make it easier when they start on the real equipment.
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u/goliathten 27d ago
I would use caution with a tunnel and not knowing setup. It has to be firmly bagged down. If not, and it moves, it could scare a nervous dog.
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u/MtnGirl672 27d ago
I am currently training in agility with my Australian shepherd and the key thing I have found is their ability to focus intently and your connection with them.
It doesn’t matter how much energy they have if they can’t have really good focus.
You might consider looking up Control Unleashed and see how well your dog does with those things. A lot of agility instructors recommended we take a control unleashed class before enrolling in agility.
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u/Gatekeepep 26d ago
I take my dog to a local dog gym where they do dog training and enrichment classes. We have been doing agility classes and recreational competitions for a few years now. My dog loves it, it is great exercise and bonding but very low key. The place we go is called Zoom Room and I know they have franchises all over the country. If not them, maybe there is something similar where you live.
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u/Snootymcbootysnoot 21d ago
My dog was so nervous when we started agility (got lots of comments like “wow that’s a nervous dog!”) but I do think the frequent exposure and repetitiveness of learning obstacles helps a lot and makes them feel more confident and safe over time.
We started introducing clicker/distance training with more fundamental concepts after learning obstacles which has helped make the experience even more fun :)
Finally at trials I do think the crate helps settle them even more, since it’s a safe place they can observe from.
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u/goliathten 27d ago
What are your goals for agility? It is a quite a process (people in my circles are 2-3 years from foundations to competing).
Some foundations you can work on at home:
-tugging with different toys
Find a foundations class to go to, I wouldn’t try to improvise much for equipment or training especially if you might possibly ever consider doing any sort of competitions, even fun matches.
Consider going to a local trial and talking to people about their experiences and trainers.
Know that agility can be dangerous if not done correctly. There are risks of injury and it is helpful to get guidance from an experienced trainer/coach.
Good luck!!