Distance for agility is one of the main areas I help students with. My book, Agility FUNdamentals for Distance, the seminars I’ve taught in person since 2005 and my online course (Agility FUNdamentals for Distance: Foundations and Independent Obstacle Performance) all revolve around helping students increase their distance on the agility course. But is distance for agility a teachable skill?

Distance in Agility is a “Side-Effect”

Before you get up in arms and decide I’ve been lying all these years, hear me out.

You know that saying that “Life is what happens when you are making other plans”? Well, distance for agility is kind of like that.

Agility distance is what happens when you have clear communication, consistent cues, independent obstacle performance skills, connection, and a confident dog. It’s a “magical” side-effect of putting a handling system and training program together that helps your dog understand exactly what you are asking for.

Clear Communication

Clear communication means using the Hierarchy of Cues to develop a system that tells your dog exactly what you want him to do. When you combine your motion, body language and position, and the other elements, you end up with a handling system that is crystal clear to your dog.

Consistency

Consistency instills confidence in your dog that says he can count on you to give him the right cues at the right time to navigate a course. He can trust that you mean what you “say” with your body and the same cue means the same thing every single time.

Connection

When you and your dog are working as a team, following the same plan through the course, that is connection. Connection is built by creating a good working relationship, being clear and consistent, trusting that each half of the team will perform their job, and enhancing your dog’s confidence through training. A connected team with the right communication and skills is a team that can work at a distance.

Confidence

Before you can work apart, your dog has to have confidence in his abilities to find the line, complete the obstacles independently, and read your cues. He has to have confidence in you so he trusts your cues and knows you won’t make him do things over if you are the one who made the mistake. As your dog gains confidence, he also naturally gains distance.

So Is Distance a Teachable Skill?

Distance as a separate skill, unrelated to the rest of your agility training is not a skill you can easily teach. Sending a dog to a baited target 30 feet away will not translate into completing weave poles at 30 feet. However…you can absolutely teach your dog to work away from you if you give him all of the tools and incorporate it into every aspect of your training for agility.

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Cover photo: Courtesy of Dog Agility Photos for Fun