Reward-Based Training for Dog Agility: A Beginner's Guide

If you're new to dog agility and wondering how to train your dog to jump, tunnel and weave, you've probably heard about reward-based training. Let's figure out why it works and how to use it properly.

Reward-based training is a method that focuses on rewarding your dog for doing the right thing rather than punishing them for mistakes.

When your dog jumps over a fence correctly, you hand over a treat, their favourite toy or tell them they're brilliant. The principle is dead simple: dogs repeat behaviours that pay off. If touching a target earns them chicken, they'll touch that target again.

First, figure out what your dog responds to. Don't assume it's always treats. Some dogs would rather play tug than eat snacks. Test different rewards and use whatever makes your dog's eyes light up.

Food treats work for most dogs. Use small, soft pieces that they can gulp down quickly. Chicken, cheese or good quality treats like cocktail sausages beat boring biscuits. Keep the pieces tiny – you’ll be giving lots of treats during training, and you don’t want a fat dog!

Some dogs are more motivated by play than food. A quick game of tug can be an excellent reward.

Enthusiastic verbal praise or petting can be rewarding, though these are often most effective when combined with other rewards.

Timing is everything. Reward within three seconds of the right behaviour. If you miss this window, your dog won't connect the reward to what they just did. You might accidentally reward sitting when you meant to reward jumping.

Start small and work up. Tunnels are a good place to start. Begin with a short, straight tunnel, fully extended and straight, making it less intimidating and easier for the dog to see the other side. As the dog becomes comfortable, increase the length of the tunnel.

Once your dog is confident with a straight tunnel, you can introduce gentle curves, gradually increasing the difficulty. These incremental steps, with praise along the way, will prevent your dog from getting confused or giving up.

Use a marker word to mark the exact moment your dog gets it right. Say "Yes!", then give the reward. This tells your dog precisely what earned them the good stuff and speeds up learning.
Keep your training sessions short. Five to ten minutes, tops. Dogs' brains get tired, so end while your dog still wants more, not after they've switched off.

To back up your work on the training ground, you need to make sure everyone at home uses the same words and rewards the same things. Mixed messages slow learning down.

Photo by Juan Pablo Mascanfroni on Unsplash