Lorrie Reynolds [00:00:07]:
One of the recurring topics in our online agility membership is the importance of establishing effective pre- and post-run agility routines for your dog. Developing these rituals and consistent routines can significantly enhance your dog's focus, performance, and physical well-being during agility events. Welcome to the Maximum Fun Agility Podcast. I'm Lorrie Reynolds, owner of Maximum Fun Dog Sports. We meet your agility team where you are and help you reach new heights of success. Let's talk about mastering pre- and post-run routines for dog agility. Having a pre-run routine is one of several factors that can influence your success before you even get to the start line, as I discussed in episode 038. Creating a structured approach to both pre- and post-run routines is critical.
Lorrie Reynolds [00:00:57]:
The routines allow the dog to have clear, understandable expectations of what activity comes next, help build the handler-dog connection, and work to minimize the possibility of injury through proper physical preparation and cooldown. It's really important to create the routines based on the needs of the individual dog. Handlers need to determine the best exercises based on their dog's energy levels, whether they stress up or down at trials, their inclination toward overarousal or the need to bring them up to the right level of excitement, and their confidence. When we are looking at energy level, some higher energy dogs can benefit from a pre-run routine that's a little longer and helps them expend some of the energy. Lower energy dogs shouldn't have long pre-run routines that will expend all of their excitement or energy before the run even starts. A shorter, but still energizing routine is better for them. There are some key components to a pre-run routine, but the details and specific activities will vary depending on the team's needs. Key or core elements that are common across all pre-run routines include the opportunity to eliminate, a walk or trot to warm up the dog's muscles, stretching and flexibility exercises, focus exercises, handling warm-ups, and stationary activities while the team is waiting to go into the ring.
Lorrie Reynolds [00:02:28]:
What these core elements specifically look like depends on the team. Let's take a look at some examples of specific routines for low, moderate, and high-energy or high-arousal dogs. As you perform the routines, make sure you are rewarding frequently. For a dog who is lower energy or not as excited to do agility like Onyx was, the pre-run routine should be energizing but not so extensive that the dog is worn out before going into the ring. Onyx only did agility because I asked her to. She was methodical about agility, and while she had the ability to be fast sometimes, it didn't bring her joy. This type of dog needs some amping up before a run, and you should be treating their entire routine like a really fun game you play together. Allow the dog to eliminate and then take them for a short trot for a minute or two, keeping your energy up and fun.
Lorrie Reynolds [00:03:26]:
Run through your set of flexibility exercises so they get a good stretch. Do some amped-up hand touches, switching from side to side and letting the dog get excited. Praise heavily and with lots of energy, as long as that's something that your dog thinks is fun. Incorporate a few tricks like spins and do a bit of shadow handling, focusing on making it fun and high energy. As you wait for your turn close to the ring, keep their interest with some silly tricks. Then go into the ring, set them up, and release with enthusiasm so you can start your run. This routine includes all of the elements in a shorter format that emphasizes keeping the dog engaged and having fun before the run starts. The pre-run routine for a moderate energy dog would look a lot like what I used to do with Pixie.
Lorrie Reynolds [00:04:17]:
She loved agility and was excited to play, but had a calmer energy and was more focused than a lot of dogs. We started by going out to eliminate and having a short walk. Then I encouraged her to trot around me in a circle for a minute before having her jump up on me to stretch her back legs and bow several times to stretch her front legs and shoulders. I put her in the middle position under my legs and had her follow a treat from side to side to stretch her neck. Then we did spins and hand touches to get her focused on playing with me. I had her back up and move forward, got her going around behind me on both sides, and did some shadow handling. When we got ready to go to the line, I brought her in close to my side and did some little stationary nose touches and things while giving her treats. This routine got her warmed up and ready to go and kept her in an elevated state and having fun without trying to be too energetic with her since she appreciated more calm, quiet direction.
Lorrie Reynolds [00:05:18]:
It looks a lot different when the dog is over the top or very easily over-aroused. I joke that there can only be one half of the team that is crazy at any point in time, so the higher your dog's arousal, the more you need to keep your half of the interactions calm and focused. Revel falls into this category. He loves agility and is easily over-aroused both by playing the game and watching other dogs play in or out of the ring. His routine starts just like the others with the chance to go out and eliminate. I let him run around at the end of the leash in loose circles, trying to keep him at a trot if possible. He does more movement-based stretches including spins, weaving through my legs, and putting his paws up on objects. To start getting him to slow down and focus more, we work on some shadow handling.
Lorrie Reynolds [00:06:07]:
Then we do some position changes next, alternating between sit, down, stand, and chin rest, as well as sustained nose touches. These activities all help regulate his arousal and keep his attention on me rather than the ring or the other dogs. As we get closer to our turn, I encourage him to sit quietly next to me, giving him treats for being calm and waiting patiently. His routine is designed to let him get some energy expended in the first few minutes and then dial him in so he's paying attention to me and blocking out the other sights and sounds that can get him amped up more than he should be. I've learned with Revel that if I don't take the time to moderate his arousal before we start an exercise, a training course, or a run in competition, he has more difficulty controlling himself in the ring at the start line, and he's more likely to bark while he's working. Those are some good examples of pre-run routines for dogs that have different energy levels. Now let's talk about post-run routines. Full disclosure, I'm not always the best about sticking to a routine after I run.
Lorrie Reynolds [00:07:15]:
There are things I always do no matter what, like praise my dog, reward him, and take time to connect. But when there are only a few dogs in the class and you are turning around to run again right away, some of the other pieces occasionally get skipped. The post-run rituals are equally important though, and should be followed as much as possible. As soon as your dog completes the last obstacle, get their leash on and exit the ring while praising them for whatever went right during the run. Get to your reward as quickly as possible, whether that's food that you can feed in small pieces one right after the other, or a toy that you can both play with. Take your dog for a cool-down walk, checking for any signs of discomfort. Do some mild stretching exercises to keep him limber. All of your focus should be on your dog when you finish the run.
Lorrie Reynolds [00:08:05]:
Save the analysis of your run and your discussions with friends until after you have taken care of your teammate. Once your dog is settled and cooled down, you can return him to the crate or ex-pen and go celebrate with your friends. Ultimately, pre and post-run strategies are tailored to help our dogs be physically and mentally prepared for a run and bring their arousal to the optimal level for performance. Experiment with different approaches to find the best routine for your dog, and then practice it both in training and at trials. To recap, establishing effective pre- and post-run routines is essential for your agility dog's success. Your routine should be tailored to your dog and his needs, whether that's an energizing routine to bring his arousal level up, or a routine that helps him moderate his arousal level so it doesn't get too high. Adding stretching, fun tricks, and warm-up handling can help your team get focused and prepared and helps your dog understand what comes next. This week, think about what should go into your routines and start incorporating those items into your practice.
Lorrie Reynolds [00:09:16]:
If you're feeling motivated, video your routine and drop me a message at [email protected]. If you need help, you can find a great resource inside the Maximum Fun Dog Sports Shop that gives you a list of behaviors for the various categories and provides a coaching video where we discussed the routines inside of my membership. I'll drop the link into the show notes. Thanks for listening to this episode of the Maximum Fun Agility Podcast. If you liked this episode, you'll love our free weekly emails that are filled with training tips, articles, and resources. You can join us by signing up at www.maximumfundogs.com. Happy training.
