Agility is a fun and exciting sport. The affen is an intelligent little dog and inclined to think independently. They love to run, jump and climb making agility the perfect sport to show off your affens talents.
Training an affen in agility takes a little creativity on your part. Affen's tend to get bored with repetition so making it new and fun will be helpful. Affens are a breed that is eager to learn and please their owner. The training sessions should be short and positive. The use of food, toys, and praise along with a positive and enthusiastic attitude from the trainer will motivate your affen to learn. The key to success is to have fun and enjoy being with your affen!
You can be successful with a few training commands; a solid come, sit, down, and stay. You can teach these at home or take a basic obedience class. When these have been accomplished, the next step is to attend an agility training class. There are several methods of training in agility. Checking out the training school to find an instructor that best fits your style of training and learning will be important for success. If possible observe a few classes to find the best fit for you.
If you are interested in competing, you will find many organizations to choose from: AKC (American Kennel Club), USDAA (United States Dog Agility Assc.), NADAC (North American Dog Agility Council), UKC (United Kennel Club), ASCA (Australian Shepard Club of American) and CPE ( Canine Performance Events). Affens earn titles depending on which organization is sponsoring the trial. They all will have a "standard" course and a "jumpers" course. In addition to these, each organization will have their own version of games. Such as Gamblers or FAST (distance work), Time 2 Beat or Steeplechase (speed), Tunnelers (tunnels only), and many more.
Agility is fun, whether you plan to compete or not. Proper training for you and your affen is very important. If this sounds appealing, I encourage everyone to go out and give this fun and exciting sport a try! It is so rewarding to watch your affen learn all these skills and doing their best to please you. When it all comes together it will bring a smile to your face.