Learning Agility Handling Skills

These photos were pulled from the video footage below. Scroll down to see Rocco in action!

For today's edition of FitDog Friday we thought we'd bring you some rare footage of Rocco running agility! It's rare because at 12 months old, he's just started to put together sequences and this is one of the first agility videos we've shot of Rocco.

In this video, we are practicing handling skills using jump and tunnels.  The idea is for Rocco to stay focused, watch my cues for twists and turns and most of all have lots of fun!  Take a look!

To prepare for these types of handling challenges we've:

• Practiced with Rocco running on both my left and my right
• Approached jumps from different directions and angles
• Practiced front crosses -- where the handler crosses in front of the dog to change direction -- and started working on rear crosses
• Worked on motion and timing -- so that Rocco can read my cues and know when to turn
• Trained at various agility fields, to help Rocco work through all the distractions

We've still got some rough edges to work out but we've only just begun! Learn more about how to get started in agility here.

The fun and games continue every Friday with FitDog Friday, the weekly Blog Hop brought to you by To Dog With Love, SlimDoggy and Peggy's Pet Place to promote a healthy active lifestyle for pets (and their people, too!) and to help combat pet obesity. Join in every Friday by linking up your FitDog story or visiting the blogs in the Hop.