Show Notes

Lower Your Training Criteria When Teaching New Skills for Dog Agility

In this episode of the Maximum Fun Agility podcast, Lorrie Reynolds explains why lowering training criteria can dramatically improve how quickly your dog learns new agility skills.

Many agility handlers try to train new skills under full competition conditions. While this approach might seem logical, it can actually slow learning and create unnecessary frustration for both handler and dog.

By temporarily lowering criteria on skills your dog already knows, you can increase reward opportunities, improve confidence, and help your dog understand new concepts more quickly.

Topics Covered

dog agility training tips, lowering training criteria in dog agility, teaching distance in agility, improving reward rate in dog training, agility training session design

In This Episode You’ll Learn

• Why training new agility skills under full competition conditions can slow learning
• How lowering criteria increases your dog’s opportunity to earn rewards
• Why high reward rates improve motivation and confidence in agility training
• How to adjust obstacles to focus on the specific skill you are teaching
• Practical ways to simplify agility exercises while building new skills

Episode Overview

When teaching new skills in dog agility, many handlers set up their training exercises exactly the way they would appear in competition. While the intention is to “train like you trial,” this approach can unintentionally make learning harder for the dog.

In this episode, Lorrie shares a conversation with a seminar student who had been working hard to build distance with her dog. After many attempts, the dog successfully completed a sequence 25 feet away, but knocked a bar in the process. Because of the bar down, the handler felt she couldn’t reward the effort.

The solution turned out to be surprisingly simple: lower the jump bars while working on distance skills.

When teaching a new skill, lowering the difficulty of unrelated elements helps your dog focus on the specific concept you are trying to teach. For example, lowering jump heights, using fewer weave poles, or simplifying obstacle sequences allows the dog to succeed more often and earn rewards more frequently.

Higher reward rates reduce frustration, build confidence, and accelerate learning. Once the new skill is understood, the normal performance criteria can gradually be restored.

Key Training Concepts Mentioned

• lowering criteria during skill acquisition
• increasing reward rate in agility training
• simplifying training exercises for faster learning
• building confidence through successful repetitions
• separating obstacle performance from handling skills

Key Takeaway

When teaching a new agility skill, temporarily lowering the criteria for other elements can help your dog learn faster. By increasing reward opportunities and reducing frustration, you create a clearer learning environment that leads to stronger, more confident performance.

Resources Mentioned

Maximum Fun Dog Sports
https://www.maximumfundogs.com 

Host a Dog Agility Seminar

If your agility group would like to learn more about distance handling, communication, and obstacle independence, Lorrie offers seminars designed to help teams improve their training and handling skills.

To discuss available seminar dates, contact:
[email protected] 

Related Episodes

Episode 004 – Six Cs for Distance Handling
Episode 005 – Five Mistakes You’re Making with Your Dog Agility Training
Episode 009 – Dog Agility Distance Handling: What is CLAWS?

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