Author: Frankie Joiris
Length: 62 pages, 8.5" x 11"
Release Date: 2023

Some agility handlers, already overwhelmed by the seemingly endless list of skills their dog needs to know to compete in the sport, may feel that trick training is beside the point—it might be fun to do but doesn’t really serve any purpose. 

But before you can teach obstacles, sequencing, and handling to your dog, you need to establish a relationship with them, and a system of communication. Trick training offers a fun way to hone many skills, from strength and flexibility to trust and communication. Trick training is the perfect low-stress way to start young dogs on their training journey and keep dogs in mental and physical shape when the weather doesn't allow outdoor training. Trick training is also a real asset in developing a handler's timing and observation skills. As a bonus, it's a fun way to show off to friends and family.

While the process of learning any trick is good for your dog's brain, there are specific tricks that can help with different agility obstacles and performance issues.

• Weave Poles: These tricks will help develop the coordination, strength, and flexibility needed for weaving.

• Jumping & Turning: These tricks help with the muscles and skills needed for jumping smoothly.

• Contact Performance: These tricks help strengthen the understanding of stopped contact performance and build the strength needed to navigate inclines smoothly.

• Focus & Impulse Control: These tricks help the dog focus in the face of things coming at them and keep their attention on what is important when multiple things in the environment are competing for their attention.

Any dog that knows how to sit and lie down and enjoys treats can learn these tricks in short order.

Note: This book is a compilation of articles that were originally published in Clean Run magazine over a four-year period under the title "Tricks for Agility" (2009-10) and "Fit to be Tricked" (2011-12).

About the Author
Frankie Joiris has been teaching dog training since 1976, teaching pet and competition obedience classes in NYC for 25 years before switching to agility training in 2001. For 30 years her "day job" was training and handling animals for theater, television and film, which has given her experience training pretty much anything that breathes and moves, from turtles to tigers (although mostly specializing in smaller mammals, birds and farm animals). She is has been a regular writer for Clean Run magazine since 2004, writing articles on foundation, fitness, focus, and training.      

E-Book Format: This E-Book in only available as a PDF file. A PDF file can be read with Adobe Reader on your computer or laptop, and can also be transferred to various reading devices from your computer. 

Please note that you must have an account in the Clean Run store to purchase and access the download. If you do not have an account, you will be prompted to create one when you check out. Once you have completed checkout, you can get your E-Book by going to your account download page, https://www.cleanrun.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=access.download. For instructions on how to download the file to your personal computer and then transfer it to your reading device, please go to How Do I Load My E-Book to My Reading Device?