Teaching Obedience Behaviors On The Pause Table

If you have ever seen a dog sprinting about on an agility course, navigating weave poles, leaping over jumps and going up and down teeter totters, then you know how much fun dogs have on these courses. One component on every agility course is the pause table, and while dogs prefer the fun stuff, the pause table is an excellent tool for teaching proper behavior and obedience with your dog.

For those new to the sport of dog agility, the pause table is pretty much just what it sounds like. It is an elevated platform on an agility course where dogs must jump upon and then either sit or remain in a down position for a fixed amount of seconds. The height of these tables varies, but the goal is the same. The dog must obey the command of the trainer or owner and not leave the table to complete the course until they receive a specific signal.

Keep in mind, dogs obviously compete without a leash, obeying a variety of commands. Once you get to the point where your dog is ready to compete, they have become a very obedient animal and this is a very good thing. After all, we want them to sit and stay on command with having to use a leash or treats. This is often for their own safety, as well as the safety of others, so the skills taught on the pause table are truly some of the most important lessons your dog will learn.

In general, puppies should not use agility equipment, not only because they are simply too small, but also because they can hurt their developing bodies. However, you can use a pause box or a very low table to teach obedience skills with a puppy. Once a puppy is weaned, you can begin teaching basic obedience commands. The puppy will be easier to deal with and you will forge a stronger bond.

With some patience and perseverance, your puppy or older dog will learn to go on the table, sit and stay and go down for a set amount time, such as five seconds. Once that skill has been mastered, you can begin distance training. This means that instead of standing right next to your animal when you initiate the commands, you step back a few feet. Once a short distance has been mastered, add a few more feet and keep going until your dog has mastered the commands at a distance of perhaps 20 feet.

Not only is the pause table a great place to learn basic obedience commands, it provides animals with a small break during their agility runs. A short pause can help them regain focus, and actually you will see that your dog will do better on an agility course when the pause table is used. You can purchase pause tables, dog agility jumps, dog tunnels and chutes, agility dog walks and any other dog training equipment you need from handy online sites such as Carlson Agility.