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Dog Agility Training Through Basic Obedience

Dog Training Elite Lowell / Chelmsford

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A dog sitting at a park - discover how DTE can help you start dog agility training in Lowell, MA with our obedience program!

Obedience Training from DTE

The First Step Toward Dog Agility Training in Lowell, MA

Agility is a fast-paced sport that involves guiding dogs through different obstacle courses. The best candidates for this type of training are energetic, athletic dogs with a strong drive to work and learn, such as Border Collies, Australian Shepherds, Shetland Sheepdogs, Jack Russell Terriers, and Belgian Malinois. However, any dog with enthusiasm, focus, and basic obedience training can benefit from agility exercises.

Many owners choose DTE for basic obedience before starting dog agility training in Lowell, MA. While we don’t offer competition-level training, our obedience programs help build key skills like focus, impulse control, and responsiveness.

Our trainers will work closely with you throughout the obedience program, ensuring your dog masters fundamental commands and you feel confident to continue agility training on your own.

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Why Start Obedience Training Before Agility Training?

Dog Training Elite

Agility training demands focus, discipline, and responsiveness. Before tackling obstacle courses, dogs need a solid foundation in obedience to ensure they can follow commands, stay engaged, and work as a team with their handler.

Here’s how obedience training with Dog Training Elite sets dogs up for success in agility:

Agility courses can be full of distractions, including large crowds, other dogs, and loud noises. Obedience training teaches your dog to stay focused on you and respond to commands, even in high-energy environments.

Agility courses require dogs to pause and wait at key thresholds, such as the start line, and only move when directed. Obedience training reinforces patience and discipline through commands like “sit,” “heel,” and “down,” ensuring your dog stays focused and follows the rules of the sport.

Obedience training deepens trust and communication between dog and handler, making teamwork in agility training much more effective. A confident dog is more likely to take on new challenges with enthusiasm.

Before dogs can learn agility-specific commands, they must first master basic obedience. Training in focus, recall, and impulse control lays the groundwork for advanced commands like “jump,” “tunnel,” “weave,” and “climb.”

At Dog Training Elite, we don’t teach advanced agility commands, but our training makes it easier for your dog to learn and respond to agility training in the future.

A dog sitting on park equipment - start obedience training with Dog Training Elite if you want to start dog agility training in Lowell, MA.

Skills, Obstacles, and Owner Training Techniques

Learn About Dog Agility

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If your dog has mastered basic obedience and you're interested in starting agility training on your own, understanding what obstacles to train for is the first place to start.

Here are some common agility challenges and training tips:

Jumps

Dogs must leap over hurdles at varying heights without knocking the bar down. In competitions, jumps can include single bars, double jumps, and tire jumps.

  • Training Tip: Start with low jumps and use treats or toys to guide your dog over. Gradually increase height as their confidence and ability grows.

Weave Poles

Dogs weave through a series of upright poles in a precise pattern. This is one of the most challenging agility obstacles, requiring speed, flexibility, and precise footwork.

  • Training Tip: Use a lure-and-reward method or guide your dog through the poles with a leash. Begin with wider pole spacing and narrow the gaps as your dog improves.

Tunnels

Dogs run through enclosed tunnels, which can be straight or curved. Some dogs may hesitate at first, especially if they are unfamiliar with dark or enclosed spaces.

  • Training Tip: Start with a short, straight tunnel and use treats or a favorite toy to encourage your dog through. Gradually introduce curved tunnels to increase difficulty.

A-Frame & Dog Walk

These obstacles require dogs to climb, balance, and descend elevated surfaces. The A-frame is a tall, triangular ramp, while the dog walk is a narrow, elevated plank with ramps on both ends. Both require precise foot placement and body control.

  • Training Tip: Use a leash or hand signals to guide your dog slowly up and down. Reward calm, controlled movements to prevent them from rushing or jumping off too soon.

Additional Obedience Training Info

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A pup walking through a tunnel - find Lowell dog agility trainers.

Obedience Training From DTE: A Great Start for Lowell Dog Agility Trainers


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If you’re looking to hire a agility trainer or want to start agility exercises on your own, consider obedience training from Dog Training Elite first.

While some professional agility trainers and classes may introduce basic obedience, Dog Training Elite’s personalized, in-person obedience program ensures your dog masters focus, impulse control, and responsiveness. These key skills make agility training safer, more enjoyable, and more effective for you and your pup.

Get started today and contact Dog Training Elite Lowell / Chelmsford for expert obedience training!

Get Your Free Assessment

You and your canine companion really can have it all. See how easy it can be to become a member of the elite pup society by requesting a free consultation today!

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Hear From Our Customers

Learn Why Dog owners choose Dog Training Elite

  • Raoul Binette
    Feb. 11, 2025
    Great experience with Matt. Very informative and answered all our questions . Looking forward to working with Elite Training!!!!
  • Sue Connaughton
    Feb. 7, 2025
    Matt was very helpful during our 1st training session. We look forward to next weeks’ session.
  • Viviana Senat
    Jan. 29, 2025
    Had great information on dog behavior and listened to my concerns very well.
  • Ronna Northrup
    Jan. 27, 2025
    Tiffany was superb!! She really knew her stuff and was very patient with us (especially me) trying to figure out the e collar. We loved her!!
  • Yazz Evicci
    Jan. 27, 2025
    Immediately we felt so comfortable with Matt. Brutus immediately obeyed when he came in and he put the lease on him. We look forward working with Matt so that our Brutus gets the training he needs! Thanks Matt
  • Robin Wolkiewicz
    Jan. 25, 2025
    Can't believe the progress we have made. Matt is great and always so fun to work with.
  • Camillo Giangrande
    Jan. 17, 2025
    Matt was awesome...as always. He took a great amount of time working Jax and included his own dog in the training which is very appreciated.
  • Foo Bar
    Jan. 14, 2025
    Great! Matt F is awesome.
  • Tony Roma
    Jan. 13, 2025
    I had a really good experience and felt very reassured with Matt. He was great! It’s nice to finally meet a professional and knowledgeable dog trainer.
  • Steven G Cronis
    Jan. 6, 2025
    Tiffany was great! I signed up for the elite platinum. It’s an excellent investment for our puppy. Thank you so much!
  • Ilene Holman
    Dec. 20, 2024
    Matt’s guidance was great. Chester responded well with him, he is in the right hands. So happy I signed him up.
  • Kadi Jenike
    Dec. 19, 2024
    Matt is amazing! He helped me to change my dogs behaviors within the first session and it’s only getting better with every session. I highly recommend.
  • Sarah Bazinet
    Jun. 3, 2024
    My rescue dog Dylan, who I adopted at two years old, began showing significant behavioral issues, particularly being reactive and aggressive. Seeking help, I reached out to Dog Training Elite and Matt F provided a complimentary evaluation at my home. With his expertise and his wonderful dog by his side, Matt reassured me that Dylan, despite his age and behavior, could be trained. Over 9 weeks of working with Matt F, I learned valuable insights about my actions that were contributing to Dylan’s behavior. Matt not only guided me on how to establish a strong bond with my dog Dylan but also revealed the positive changes that were possible. After completing the training, he has emerged as a completely transformed dog. His overall demeanor has undergone a remarkable shift, and we frequently receive compliments on what a well-behaved dog he has become. I am extremely grateful to Matt F for his guidance and for helping me transform my dog's life for the better.
  • Mirna Osman
    Sep. 29, 2023
    Kara was so sweet and walked me through the whole process on what I could expect training to be like. Wanted to add an update to my review as Ryker and I have completed all of our personal sessions! Woohoo! Throughout the process I got to meet many lovely trainers but primarily worked with Barbara and Mariah. They were both absolutely amazing! They were both extremely friendly and happily answered all of the many questions I had. My friends and family have seen such a massive difference in my dog Ryker who we all thought was untrainable since he’s already 5 years old, this goes to show you can definitely teach an old dog new tricks! We’re now going to be starting the group sessions and I can’t wait to keep seeing Ryker’s progress!
  • Douglas Lambert
    Oct. 20, 2023
    They came to my house and from start I loved the energy. Gave me some tips, and showed me how well his puppy is trained. I will definitely recommend
  • Matthew Tie
    Oct. 11, 2023
    Matt is awesome and really great with both dogs and handler's
  • Jeremiah Banish
    Oct. 16, 2023
    We had a great experience with Dog Training Elite! We would highly recommend it. We had Moriah as our trainer, and she worked great with our puppy.
  • John Collins
    Sep. 23, 2023
    These guys are awesome! I would truly recommend this service to any level of dog. Our dog Gunnar has shown a growing aggression to people who are not his family and it has completely turned around. The difference between week 1 and week 2 behavior was unbelievable for him. Our trainer was Matt, he is the man, we were lucky to get him. He had a remarkable skill in training our dog but was even better at teaching us the tools we needed to improve Gunnar. You definitely get what you paid for with this service, thanks elite team!
  • Marina Gil-Santamaria
    Sep. 5, 2023
    They did such an amazing job working with us to train our Bruno as a service dog to support our family through grief and loss ❤️ they were caring, patient, came to our house every week and Bruno was as excited to see them as we were. I never thought we would complete the program but with their help we did. Thank you Marcus and the entire team at Dog Training Elite!
  • Stephen Arnold
    Aug. 10, 2023
    It is amazing to see the progress our dogs have made in just 3 weeks. Marcus is a wonderful experienced trainer. I highly recommend this service
  • Raoul Binette
    Feb. 11, 2025
    Great experience with Matt. Very informative and answered all our questions . Looking forward to working with Elite Training!!!!
  • Sue Connaughton
    Feb. 7, 2025
    Matt was very helpful during our 1st training session. We look forward to next weeks’ session.
  • Viviana Senat
    Jan. 29, 2025
    Had great information on dog behavior and listened to my concerns very well.
  • Ronna Northrup
    Jan. 27, 2025
    Tiffany was superb!! She really knew her stuff and was very patient with us (especially me) trying to figure out the e collar. We loved her!!
  • Yazz Evicci
    Jan. 27, 2025
    Immediately we felt so comfortable with Matt. Brutus immediately obeyed when he came in and he put the lease on him. We look forward working with Matt so that our Brutus gets the training he needs! Thanks Matt
  • Robin Wolkiewicz
    Jan. 25, 2025
    Can't believe the progress we have made. Matt is great and always so fun to work with.
  • Camillo Giangrande
    Jan. 17, 2025
    Matt was awesome...as always. He took a great amount of time working Jax and included his own dog in the training which is very appreciated.
  • Foo Bar
    Jan. 14, 2025
    Great! Matt F is awesome.
  • Tony Roma
    Jan. 13, 2025
    I had a really good experience and felt very reassured with Matt. He was great! It’s nice to finally meet a professional and knowledgeable dog trainer.
  • Steven G Cronis
    Jan. 6, 2025
    Tiffany was great! I signed up for the elite platinum. It’s an excellent investment for our puppy. Thank you so much!
  • Ilene Holman
    Dec. 20, 2024
    Matt’s guidance was great. Chester responded well with him, he is in the right hands. So happy I signed him up.
  • Kadi Jenike
    Dec. 19, 2024
    Matt is amazing! He helped me to change my dogs behaviors within the first session and it’s only getting better with every session. I highly recommend.
  • Sarah Bazinet
    Jun. 3, 2024
    My rescue dog Dylan, who I adopted at two years old, began showing significant behavioral issues, particularly being reactive and aggressive. Seeking help, I reached out to Dog Training Elite and Matt F provided a complimentary evaluation at my home. With his expertise and his wonderful dog by his side, Matt reassured me that Dylan, despite his age and behavior, could be trained. Over 9 weeks of working with Matt F, I learned valuable insights about my actions that were contributing to Dylan’s behavior. Matt not only guided me on how to establish a strong bond with my dog Dylan but also revealed the positive changes that were possible. After completing the training, he has emerged as a completely transformed dog. His overall demeanor has undergone a remarkable shift, and we frequently receive compliments on what a well-behaved dog he has become. I am extremely grateful to Matt F for his guidance and for helping me transform my dog's life for the better.
  • Mirna Osman
    Sep. 29, 2023
    Kara was so sweet and walked me through the whole process on what I could expect training to be like. Wanted to add an update to my review as Ryker and I have completed all of our personal sessions! Woohoo! Throughout the process I got to meet many lovely trainers but primarily worked with Barbara and Mariah. They were both absolutely amazing! They were both extremely friendly and happily answered all of the many questions I had. My friends and family have seen such a massive difference in my dog Ryker who we all thought was untrainable since he’s already 5 years old, this goes to show you can definitely teach an old dog new tricks! We’re now going to be starting the group sessions and I can’t wait to keep seeing Ryker’s progress!
  • Douglas Lambert
    Oct. 20, 2023
    They came to my house and from start I loved the energy. Gave me some tips, and showed me how well his puppy is trained. I will definitely recommend
  • Matthew Tie
    Oct. 11, 2023
    Matt is awesome and really great with both dogs and handler's
  • Jeremiah Banish
    Oct. 16, 2023
    We had a great experience with Dog Training Elite! We would highly recommend it. We had Moriah as our trainer, and she worked great with our puppy.
  • John Collins
    Sep. 23, 2023
    These guys are awesome! I would truly recommend this service to any level of dog. Our dog Gunnar has shown a growing aggression to people who are not his family and it has completely turned around. The difference between week 1 and week 2 behavior was unbelievable for him. Our trainer was Matt, he is the man, we were lucky to get him. He had a remarkable skill in training our dog but was even better at teaching us the tools we needed to improve Gunnar. You definitely get what you paid for with this service, thanks elite team!
  • Marina Gil-Santamaria
    Sep. 5, 2023
    They did such an amazing job working with us to train our Bruno as a service dog to support our family through grief and loss ❤️ they were caring, patient, came to our house every week and Bruno was as excited to see them as we were. I never thought we would complete the program but with their help we did. Thank you Marcus and the entire team at Dog Training Elite!
  • Stephen Arnold
    Aug. 10, 2023
    It is amazing to see the progress our dogs have made in just 3 weeks. Marcus is a wonderful experienced trainer. I highly recommend this service