Our Struggles with Start Lines and How We’re Fixing It
Every team has that one piece of the puzzle that feels harder than it should. For us, it’s the start line.
If you’ve ever walked to the line with your heart racing, only to see your dog creeping forward, breaking early, or staring off into the distance instead of locking on—you know the frustration. It’s easy to feel like start lines “should” be simple. But the truth is, they’re one of the most challenging foundations in agility.
Here’s why: start lines aren’t just about a sit or a down. They’re about impulse control, clarity, and trust. Your dog has to hold all their excitement in check, wait for your cue, and then explode into action—without guessing or second-guessing. That balance takes real training.
Here’s how we’re tackling it:
Back to foundations. Instead of fighting in the ring, we’ve gone back to basics—rewarding strong positions, reinforcing stillness, and making the release crystal clear.
Clarity over conflict. No nagging, no begging. Our rule: if the dog breaks, we calmly reset. Consistency builds confidence.
Rewarding the wait. We’re making the stay valuable. Food, toys, praise—the reward happens for holding the position, not just for running the course.
Adding distractions. Because trials are noisy and full of movement, we’re practicing with staged distractions—dropped toys, handler motion, even other dogs nearby—so our start line becomes bulletproof.
And here’s the mindset shift that’s helping most: the start line isn’t wasted time. It’s the launchpad. A strong start sets the tone for the whole run. When we frame it that way, we treat start line training with the same importance as contacts, weaves, or handling.
So yes, we’ve struggled—but we’re fixing it step by step. And if you’re in the same boat, know this: every rep is progress. The payoff of a solid, confident start line is worth every ounce of patience you put in.
#TrainingThursday #AgilityTraining #DogAgilityLife #StartLineStruggles #DogTrainingTips #ImpulseControl #PerformanceDogs #AgilityJourney #HandlerGoals #EliteAgility
