Fancy Footing

Dogs need to keep track of their paws in agility!  Sliding off the side of a narrow dogwalk or tumbling down an A-frame is a very real possibility.  Just think about how fast your dog flies through a course – then imagine what could happen with a mis-step.

Agility ladders are wonderful training tools to keep your dog on the straight and narrow, so to speak!  To use your ladder, lay it flat on the ground at first and shape your dog to walk through it.  (It’s especially nice to have one of our Affordable Agility ladders at this point – you can start them off with a few steps and build them up to the full length.)  Once they’re trotting along with it flat, flip it up onto its legs (or put your regular ladder on bricks).  In addition to teaching paw dexterity and hind end awareness, ladders build up  dog’s shoulder muscles.  Conditioning with a ladder can help prevent injuries on the course and off it.