Shaped by Dog with Susan Garrett Training Tips From Susan: Mini Q&A With Susan: When To Start Contacts, Build Foundations, And Stop Zoomies In Dog Agility
Oct 3, 2025
Dive into essential training strategies for dog agility! Discover when to start contact training and the importance of laying solid foundations for puppies. Learn about the natural traits that make dogs excel in agility, plus tips on entering the agility world. Struggling with zoomies? Susan uncovers how to identify the cause and stop them with clear handling and path-training. Tune in for actionable insights that will enhance your dog’s performance and your training experience!
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Prioritize Pet Foundations First
- Teach puppies strong pet-home foundations before serious agility training starts.
- Delay building full contact behaviors until around one year, and let the dog guide progression.
Start Contacts On Mats, Not Full Obstacles
- Use flat mat targeting and light grids for young dogs rather than heavy contact work.
- Only grow contact behaviour near a year old and progress based on each individual dog.
Great Agility Dogs Are Made, Not Only Born
- Any physically sound dog can enjoy and succeed in agility with proper training.
- Top dogs often combine playfulness, balanced food/toy drive, structure, and thoughtful drive.