At what age did you all start training your dogs in Agility?

[TaliC2007]

And, did you just start head on, or did you expose them to the equipment before you started training? My puppy is only 6 months old so a bit too young to start any serious training, but I was thinking about getting a tunnel, and setting up some pvc weave poles, and a flat, painted, board for him to walk on, just to get him around the equipment. You know, just make a game of them. I am just wondering if this is even necessary? We will be starting our first obedience class Sept 10th so agility is a long ways off. Not to mention he has a whole year before he can compete. Just curious how you all did it.

 

thanks,

Tammy

[Rosanne]

Well, I do single jumps from about 5/6 months up - but if you've never trained a dog in agility before, I'd recommend just waiting until you go to class for the most part, so you can ask your instructor for advice.

 

Tunnels won't hurt a pup, but sometimes if you do tons of tunnels and not much else they'll fixate a bit later, like Tunnel was their first love

Makes Aframe/Tunnel traps much harder later in life!

Weaves and contacts are usually best if you wait until the growth plates are closed - I wait till at least 12-13 months to start those. But once I start something I move fast. I don't like to play "walk on the board" for six months, as I don't like to "practice" incomplete behaviors any longer than I must.

 

It's not a bad idea, however, to expose your pup to boards or better yet, wobbly boards/moving boards to build his/her confidence.

Ground/shadow handling is a great start. That Greg Derrett video mentioned in the other thread could explain that, I take it (I've never seen it, but that's what I've heard told). Single (very low!) jumps are GREAT. You can work on sending to it, recalling over it, running next to it, and most importantly STAYING in front of it! That's the hardest part!

[Guest TheRuffMuttGang]

Tunnels won't hurt a pup, but sometimes if you do tons of tunnels and not much else they'll fixate a bit later, like Tunnel was their first love

Makes Aframe/Tunnel traps much harder later in life!

 

I cannot be sure, but I think that is what happened with my newest agility dog. She was bred by and lived with an agility trainer until she was 5 months old at which point the woman decided to give her to a friend because she had too many dogs. Fast forward two years and the family placed her up for adoption due to having a baby. Enter me. Dizzy and I have been training in agility for five months now and the tunnel is her ABSOLUTE weakness. She will take a tunnel over any other obstacle and if she sees/hears another dog going through a tunnel she just CAN'T stand it. She is not fixated on other obstacles, just the tunnel, so that's why I think her first owner must have done a lot of tunnel work with her as a pup.

[Rosanne]

I cannot be sure, but I think that is what happened with my newest agility dog. She was bred by and lived with an agility trainer until she was 5 months old at which point the woman decided to give her to a friend because she had too many dogs.

 

It's possible. It's also possible that whoever did the training after that just didn't work very hard to overcome it.

 

My mom's dog actually comes out of the tunnel with her eyes dilated. Scary!!!

My dogs all come out LOOKING For me! It's great!

 

Everything I do in foundation training is going to the obstacle, then coming to me for a reward. . . and since I train running contacts (sometimes) they usually get lots of rewards on contacts so they are just as likely to choose those as tunnels. Possibly the dog you have just didn't get enough rewarding on the contacts to overcome her natural LOVE of the tunnel

 

When Drifter was young he'd go 20-30 feet out of his way to go up a dogwalk ramp :-)

He still goes 10 feet out of his way sometimes to go through weave entries

He did that at NE Regional in Team SNooker. I was so pleased, let me tell you. .. .

[clara]

Ling's first obedience class as an adult (ie, not puppy class) used agility equipment for confidence building and to make it more interesting for the dogs. That's how I got interested and eventually found an agility class/group. Ling was about a year old when she started the adult obedience class with agility mixed in. If I could go back and do it again, I wouldn't have started out just playing around with the equipment, which is basically what the obedience instructor was doing, without regard to the rules of trialing. I think finding a beginners class and introducing the equipment correctly, and doing proper foundation work would have avoided some of the problems I've been working on the past couple of years.

 

I don't know if you're interesting in trialing, but if you decide to start on your own, I'd read up on the rules of whatever organization you'd like to compete in, and also find a publication like Clean Run to start some good foundation work. I don't think six months is too young for learning a LOT of agility basics.

 

I'm not the most experienced agility person here and I'm sure you'll get some great advice on how to start out. This is just my perspective from having had to take my dog out of trialing for a year and go back to training basics. She developed some bad habits once she gained confidence out on the course, and I might have avoided that if I'd done the foundation work correctly in the first place.

[clara]

She will take a tunnel over any other obstacle

 

Ling went though a phase like this, but we've started to pull out of it and she now recognizes the status of other obstacles as almost equal to a tunnel. Debbie, you need a t-shirt I saw at a trial one time (been looking for one for myself ever since) that had the words "Tunnels Suck" with a suprised looking cartoon dog being sucked into a tunnel by a whirwind while the cartoon handler stood there yelling !@(*!@%$!.

[TaliC2007]

Thank you for your replies. I am glad I asked now. It seems that playing on the equipment causes more bad than good. I will take your advice and wait until my first class so an instructor can help me. I will also get just a wobbly board for confidence building.

 

I would love to train in herding trails, but I'm pretty sure the city would frown on my keeping a flock of sheep in my backyard, not to mention my neighbors! One of my neighbors is an avid hunter so I could come home to half a flock one day.

Are there people who do herding trials who don't actaully own sheep? Are there places you can go to to train and practice? If so, how would I go about finding one, and how old do you start a puppy on that? I am assuming you have to get them tested to see if they even have the ability first? I know someone on here does that for people but I can't remember who it was. Do any of you know?

 

The shirt you mentioned is great. If you ever find it, please post the URL on here. I wouldn't mind getting one for myself just becasue it is funny.

 

Thanks again. As usual, you have been very helpful.

Tammy

[Kat's Dogs]

First I did obedience games at a very very young age (just attention, and things like "come"). But once she had some basics down I would set up some puppy equipment and do obedience around the equipment (still just obedience games, but all the same - obedience). At like 4-5 months is when we started with a tunnel, jump standards, wobble board, and touch board stuff. Still no major equipment training until like 7 months or more - and even then just really low equipment foundation skills.

[Pat W.]

Lets see Ashe started agility at age 3 and retired at age 13, Riley started at about 1.5 yrs and is still competing but at a reduced capacity due to some vision problems at age 8, Meg started at about 1 yrs and is doing great at agee 6, Whim started foundation things from 12-14 wks of age and is doing wonderfully, he will be starting official training in the fall when he will be 1 yr old

[TaliC2007]

Lets see Ashe started agility at age 3 and retired at age 13, Riley started at about 1.5 yrs and is still competing but at a reduced capacity due to some vision problems at age 8, Meg started at about 1 yrs and is doing great at agee 6, Whim started foundation things from 12-14 wks of age and is doing wonderfully, he will be starting official training in the fall when he will be 1 yr old

 

So are you saying that it really doesn't matter when they start? It sounds like all of your dogs have done well and all started at different ages. Wow, you must be really busy with 3 dogs doing agility! You must be in some great shape too running around that ring all day with them!

 

Thanks for the reply,

Tammy

[TaliC2007]

First I did obedience games at a very very young age (just attention, and things like "come"). But once she had some basics down I would set up some puppy equipment and do obedience around the equipment (still just obedience games, but all the same - obedience). At like 4-5 months is when we started with a tunnel, jump standards, wobble board, and touch board stuff. Still no major equipment training until like 7 months or more - and even then just really low equipment foundation skills.

 

Thanks Kat's dogs. I really love Dazzle. Such a pretty and talented girl! I have watched all of her video's, and I also enjoyed your documentary video on agility.

 

I like the idea of doing obedience games around the equipment. I do obedience games with him at least twice a day, so I could just move them outside. I am assuming this teaches them to focus on what you are telling them when they are around the equipment? Where did you get your puppy equipment? I wouldnt' mind doing that a bit just to have fun before I can go to an instructor led class.

 

thanks,

Tammy

[dognutmom]

So are you saying that it really doesn't matter when they start? It sounds like all of your dogs have done well and all started at different ages. Wow, you must be really busy with 3 dogs doing agility! You must be in some great shape too running around that ring all day with them!

 

Thanks for the reply,

Tammy

 

My first agility dog was 7-1/2 years old when we started agility classes ... we got our first title when she was 8-1/2 and she did agility up until about 12-1/2 years old.

While we didn't set the world on fire, we did alright ... she finished almost all of her Elite titles in NADAC and was working on her PD2 title in USDAA. Durned table in USDAA .... Princess was a greyhound/lab/pit mix but had very little hair on her chest. So the table was either too rough, too cold, too hot, too wet ... combine that with slow weave poles, makes it hard to Q in USDAA She came from the shelter with the name "Princess" and in some ways, it was very fitting While she loved doing agility in rain and mud, she wouldn't pee if it was raining. Plant that Princess butt in the wet grass?? Horrors!! She once went 18 hours without peeing because it was pouring out

 

So, yes, you can teach an old dog new tricks. And it doesn't really matter when they start. Spend the time and put a good foundation on the dog, you won't regret it. Besides, a lot of agility isn't about the obstacles, it is what goes on between the obstacles and the relationship you and your dog have together.

[TaliC2007]

My first agility dog was 7-1/2 years old when we started agility classes ... we got our first title when she was 8-1/2 and she did agility up until about 12-1/2 years old.

While we didn't set the world on fire, we did alright ... she finished almost all of her Elite titles in NADAC and was working on her PD2 title in USDAA. Durned table in USDAA .... Princess was a greyhound/lab/pit mix but had very little hair on her chest. So the table was either too rough, too cold, too hot, too wet ... combine that with slow weave poles, makes it hard to Q in USDAA She came from the shelter with the name "Princess" and in some ways, it was very fitting While she loved doing agility in rain and mud, she wouldn't pee if it was raining. Plant that Princess butt in the wet grass?? Horrors!! She once went 18 hours without peeing because it was pouring out

 

So, yes, you can teach an old dog new tricks. And it doesn't really matter when they start. Spend the time and put a good foundation on the dog, you won't regret it. Besides, a lot of agility isn't about the obstacles, it is what goes on between the obstacles and the relationship you and your dog have together.

 

That is really awesome that you started your dog at 7 1/2 and she competed until 12 1/2! That's funny that she would do agility in the rain but not go out to pee. Do you still have her? I have two old girls and always thought they were too old for agility. Maybe not.

 

I love anything Greyhound or part Greyhound! They are one of the best dogs. My neighbor does Greyhound rescue. Unfortuantley, we have a dog racing track here and the people who own the race dogs are not very nice to them when they get too old, or don't make the cut. Thus, there are a lot of Greyhounds who need rescued in my area. She has different dogs all the time, plus her two, and they are all so gentle, and so sweet.

[Kat's Dogs]

Thank you.

 

I made my equipment. It was actually just mini equipment I made for my Shih-Tzu and then used for Dazzle while she was a pup.

[Tassie]

Such good advice here - especially the stories of the older dogs who have started and gone on to have long careers.

 

I especially echo what dognutmom says

..... Besides, a lot of agility isn't about the obstacles, it is what goes on between the obstacles and the relationship you and your dog have together.

 

IMHO, that relationship can be built up by 'doing stuff' with your pup, and learning together = doesn't really matter what - although there's an advantage in any games which teach your pup to follow your body movements - like the circle work, shadow handling and foundation training referred to in another recent thread. Freestyle moves which help the dog with rear-end awareness are also good.

[Pat W.]

Thats exactly what I am saying and am in total agreement with Dognutmom its not how you do on course - fast - slow -Q -non Q, doesn't matter its what you are doing with your dog and that both of you are having a blast. Agility was started firmly rooted in the basis of having FUN with your dog. It has over time become very competitve, but in the long run the question is: Are YOU having fun? Is your DOG having fun? If the answer is yes, the why worry?

[dognutmom]

That is really awesome that you started your dog at 7 1/2 and she competed until 12 1/2! That's funny that she would do agility in the rain but not go out to pee. Do you still have her? I have two old girls and always thought they were too old for agility. Maybe not.

 

I love anything Greyhound or part Greyhound! They are one of the best dogs. My neighbor does Greyhound rescue. Unfortuantley, we have a dog racing track here and the people who own the race dogs are not very nice to them when they get too old, or don't make the cut. Thus, there are a lot of Greyhounds who need rescued in my area. She has different dogs all the time, plus her two, and they are all so gentle, and so sweet.

 

 

We don't have Princess anymore. We had to put her down Thanksgiving 2005 at age 15-1/2 due to lymphoma and just plain old age. She was a good Princess girl ... put in a shelter at 7 years old because her owners were divorcing and no one wanted the dog

 

And it was funny with Princess ... we finished several agility titles in the pouring rain and one with mud so deep I thought I was going to lose my boot while running along side the dogwalk. But, no, no peeing in the rain. And walking in the rain or snow storm? Practically had to drag Princess on the walk away from home because she would keep looking back to go home. Then she would drag me home when we turned around. Yet, she would go into any creek, river, stream, lake or pond I think it had to be on HER terms.

 

I also had a retired racing greyhound, Roulette ... wonderful dog too And smart in his own way ... if it had to do with food, watch out! He figured out how to open a child-proof latch to get at the garbage under the kitchen sink And greyhounds are very ergonomic dogs ... you don't have to bend down to pet them

[TaliC2007]

IMHO, that relationship can be built up by 'doing stuff' with your pup, and learning together = doesn't really matter what

 

its not how you do on course - fast - slow -Q -non Q, doesn't matter its what you are doing with your dog and that both of you are having a blast. Agility was started firmly rooted in the basis of having FUN with your dog. It has over time become very competitve, but in the long run the question is: Are YOU having fun? Is your DOG having fun? If the answer is yes, the why worry?

 

I only want to do it for fun. I go to local agility competitions every couple of months and most of the dogs there are far from superstars, but they are having so much fun, and they are so excited to do it. I am always impressed how much the dogs love it. And no one there is ever putting any pressure on their dogs, they are all just having fun as well. That is the only reason I want to do it, to have fun and to give my boy something to do.

 

I was mostly interested when you started because my Hammie Monster is insanely crazy about his frisbee. We play frisbee ALL the time. He is intently focused on the flying orb and carries it around with him even when we are not playing. I just thought if he wasn't too young, and since he will be going into agility training in a few months, I could get him interested in some other things like agility obstacles. I do teach him his basics a couple of times a day and he is pretty fantastic at those now. I also take him (and my other 2) everywhere with me except to work, and we go for walks in the woods, and we do a lot of other stuff, it's just when we are at home, it's frisbee all the way. That is not all bad, because I have actually been able to teach him a lot of stuff using the frisbee, like to anticipate which way I am going to throw it, his recall is wonderful and I give the frisbee some credit for that, and he has taught me how he focuses, on the frisbee for a minute, then on me to see what I am going to do. So it has been good, I am just ready to add some new things.

 

Thanks so much for your advice,

Tammy

[TaliC2007]

She was a good Princess girl ... put in a shelter at 7 years old because her owners were divorcing and no one wanted the dog

 

How can you take a dog to a shelter after you have had her for 7 years! I just don't understand how people can be so heartless. Of course, she did get you in exchange so it wasn't all bad. I just can't imagine taking any dog to a shelter.

 

She sounds like she was a very fun and special dog. I am sorry you had to let her go, but it sounds like she had a fantastic last half of her life.

 

And it was funny with Princess ... we finished several agility titles in the pouring rain and one with mud so deep I thought I was going to lose my boot while running along side the dogwalk. But, no, no peeing in the rain.

 

That is so funny. Like a dog who loves to stick it's head out of the car window, but won't sit in front of a fan.

 

And greyhounds are very ergonomic dogs ... you don't have to bend down to pet them

 

LOL. That is true, but I think they are couch potatoe's so one must have a very big couch in order to have one.

[Pia]

I only want to do it for fun. I go to local agility competitions every couple of months and most of the dogs there are far from superstars, but they are having so much fun, and they are so excited to do it. I am always impressed how much the dogs love it. And no one there is ever putting any pressure on their dogs, they are all just having fun as well. That is the only reason I want to do it, to have fun and to give my boy something to do.

 

I was mostly interested when you started because my Hammie Monster is insanely crazy about his frisbee. We play frisbee ALL the time. He is intently focused on the flying orb and carries it around with him even when we are not playing. I just thought if he wasn't too young, and since he will be going into agility training in a few months, I could get him interested in some other things like agility obstacles. I do teach him his basics a couple of times a day and he is pretty fantastic at those now. I also take him (and my other 2) everywhere with me except to work, and we go for walks in the woods, and we do a lot of other stuff, it's just when we are at home, it's frisbee all the way. That is not all bad, because I have actually been able to teach him a lot of stuff using the frisbee, like to anticipate which way I am going to throw it, his recall is wonderful and I give the frisbee some credit for that, and he has taught me how he focuses, on the frisbee for a minute, then on me to see what I am going to do. So it has been good, I am just ready to add some new things.

 

Thanks so much for your advice,

Tammy

 

 

hi

well newbee to newbee, i had my dog hooked on frisbee at about same age as yours. He still loves it he will be 1 1/2 years next week. When i signed up for our first 6 week agility class in the spring they said 18 months, and i called and said well only 13 to 14 months now and once they found out his weight (50lbs) (and he was a BC) they said bring em in. In 6 weeks he was hooked and can do everything they had, since then we are still practicing and will continue classes next year. I want to do it for fun too mostly.

we got some neat ideas from our instructor as "homework" real easy things like take two orange road cones and place apart in the yard and start to teach a figure 8. the ideas for foundation work are probably endless. I found the hardest thing with a young pup was focus. you only get the attention span for so long, so you have to work fast. now looking back, in only 4 months, and 6 weeks of instructor training, his attention span has increased dramatically.

I know it is hard to be patient, I was the same way. Remember any interaction you have with him just builds a foundation for the communication needed to move to the next level. There are tons of people on this board with so much more experience then me and I am humbled, (that is why I hang out here ) but I had to jump in on this one cause I know so well the feeling of anticipation, you will have a BLAST.

Good luck be sure to stop back after your first agility class and tell us all the good stuff!

Pia

[TaliC2007]

hi

well newbee to newbee, i had my dog hooked on frisbee at about same age as yours. He still loves it he will be 1 1/2 years next week. When i signed up for our first 6 week agility class in the spring they said 18 months, and i called and said well only 13 to 14 months now and once they found out his weight (50lbs) (and he was a BC) they said bring em in. In 6 weeks he was hooked and can do everything they had, since then we are still practicing and will continue classes next year. I want to do it for fun too mostly.

we got some neat ideas from our instructor as "homework" real easy things like take two orange road cones and place apart in the yard and start to teach a figure 8. the ideas for foundation work are probably endless. I found the hardest thing with a young pup was focus. you only get the attention span for so long, so you have to work fast. now looking back, in only 4 months, and 6 weeks of instructor training, his attention span has increased dramatically.

I know it is hard to be patient, I was the same way. Remember any interaction you have with him just builds a foundation for the communication needed to move to the next level. There are tons of people on this board with so much more experience then me and I am humbled, (that is why I hang out here ) but I had to jump in on this one cause I know so well the feeling of anticipation, you will have a BLAST.

Good luck be sure to stop back after your first agility class and tell us all the good stuff!

Pia

 

Thanks Pia! Wow, your dog weighs 50 pounds! He is a big boy. Did they tell you you had to wait until he was 18 months to start the agility class? I know they have to be 18 months to compete, didn't know they had to be to start taking classes. I can be patient. I am having so much fun with him already. Have you competed yet or are you still learning? Thanks for the encouragement and I will tell you all about my first class when it finally gets here. We are going to do an obedience class soon. I am pretty excited about that as well.

Tammy

[dognutmom]

LOL. That is true, but I think they are couch potatoe's so one must have a very big couch in order to have one.

 

Yes, greyhounds are called the 45mph couch potato

 

However they fold up very well ....

 

 

This was taken in March 2003 .... Roulette in the chair (he could actually fold up smaller than that), Luce in front of him and Princess to the right.

[Rosanne]

I always thought in the mystical future of "when I have a house with a lot of land" I would get a retired/rescue greyhound to be a nice housepet.

 

Right now I think I'd trip on one - I only have maybe 400 or so square feet in my little basement apartment! 3 BC's is plenty to trip over.

[Pia]

Did they tell you you had to wait until he was 18 months to start the agility class? I know they have to be 18 months to compete, didn't know they had to be to start taking classes.

Tammy

 

Hi Tammy

Yes he is a big boy long legs and body and solid, typical boy. I saw a female that could be his sister only she was so petite. I sometimes think his head is too small to fit his body

 

I think they set up the rule for 18 months as a general guideline but determined it on breed so when I told them what he was and how big they did not have any problem starting him at 13 months. Yes we are done with the class he graduated with honors. now we practice there so he continues to improve. For the next class I will wait till next spring. One of the reasons i picked this place first was they have the classes in a fenced in area. This is essential for Tucker to be off leash right now as he is still too much puppy and is still distracted.

Here is a better pic of him you can see his size. He is 54 lbs now!

Pia