BOWLING GREEN, Ky. (WBKO) – The RuFF Agility program offers obstacle course trials for dogs at any level of training. Whether the dog is there to compete or to have fun, all dogs are welcome to join the nonprofit.
RuFF Agility has four levels based on a dog’s course training experience. The levels are Intro, Novice, Open, and Elite, keeping each course fair and appropriate for a dog’s experience.
Club secretary and participant Sonya Austin-Maxwell has three dogs of her own in the program.
Not carrying too much about the competition, Austin-Maxwell enjoys watching her pups have fun in the courses.
“It’s not always about ribbons and titles, but the biggest thing [is] having fun and confidence in their dogs,” Austin-Maxwell said. ”They get confidence and they’re not stressing.”
A big part of training your dog requires using cue words. Austin-Maxwell says it doesn’t matter what the word is; what matters is how it’s understood.
“If you want to use spaghetti for a cue word, that works too. As long as the dog understands what the cue means and that’s taught in small increments and foundations,” said Austin-Maxwell.
10-year-old participant Olivia Johnson recently started working with her dog Bubbles in agility training. She says it’s important to be consistent so that training becomes routine. Johnson describes how often she trains Bubbles.
“About five times a day. Maybe more, maybe less, it kind of depends on the day,” said Johnson.
Now a part of the agility club, Johnson reflects on how she started the training process with Bubbles at her home.
“I used to line up in the front yard a dog walk, a hoop, and a jump,” Johnson said. “I just told her to do it, and then later she learned the verbal commands too.”
The teamwork and dedication that participants work toward create a loyal bond that cannot be broken.
For more information or to sign up your best friend, visit ruffagility.com.
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