Laurelin Posted April 17, 2008 Report Share Posted April 17, 2008 How do you go about it? I haven't done anything like this since I was really young and I'm wanting to get Summer involved in it. She's almost four years old, good health, had her joints checked and everything this year before she was bred, she's been bred twice (once earlier this year) but has miscarried both times so she's scheduled for a spay in May.... I've had her a month and a half now. She's done with basic obedience and is therapy dog certified already. She's incredibly fast and can JUMP like no other 5 lb dog can, I swear. She's very driven and very eager to please and easy to train. I think it'd be fun. So my questions are what do I need to do to get her ready? And how do you go about telling if an agility place is good or not? We're mainly wanting to do this for fun/basics. I wouldn't mind competing sometime in the future, though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ace Posted April 17, 2008 Report Share Posted April 17, 2008 Just look into clubs in your area. Not a whole lot of thought needs to go into finding an agility instructor unless you really want to compete and do really well. Then you might need to find someone who is competing with their dogs and doing well. Agility is all about fun, so you should maybe sit in on a couple of training sessions, to see if they maybe me that criteria. Basically you want to find what you would like to accomplish. If the basics and fun is all you are looking for, then you shouldnt have a hard time finding that. Good luck! Agility is a lot of run, and an amazing way to bond with your dog. Diane Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tassie Posted April 18, 2008 Report Share Posted April 18, 2008 Check out this thread. There is a neat post there about what to look for in a class, and some advice on foundations. Most important thing - the class must be fun - at least for the dog Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3dogslater Posted April 20, 2008 Report Share Posted April 20, 2008 Not a whole lot of thought needs to go into finding an agility instructor unless you really want to compete and do really well. I disagree with this comment. I've seen dogs scared by "just for fun" trainers who don't take the safety of the dogs into consideration. Crowded classes, sub-standard equipment, trainers who have a "one method fits all dogs" style of training, pushing for speed before understanding, having fat, out of shape pet dogs jumping full height. You will never regret training with a good trainer and having a strong foundation, whether you decide to compete or not. A good introduction to the sport will go a long way to help you and your dog enjoy agility! As a plus, if you do decide to compete, you won't have a bunch of bad habits to retrain! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skittledoo Posted April 21, 2008 Report Share Posted April 21, 2008 *waves to Laurelin* Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pat W. Posted April 21, 2008 Report Share Posted April 21, 2008 I totally agree with Skittledoo, a great way to either injure yourself or your dog is to train under someone who hasnt a clue, or is of the "my way is the only way" mind set. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ms.DaisyDuke Posted April 21, 2008 Report Share Posted April 21, 2008 I would highly reccomend going to classes and watching the instructor(s). It helped me a lot. We are not doing agility yet, we are doing a reactivity class first, but I have narrowed it down to 2 trainers for agility based on their teaching style and their own personal accomplishments. I've gone to a couple of places and witnessed complete caos, which is not where I would like my dog to learn. Going to watch to know that I was confident in the instructor has saved me time and money knowing that I will not have to re-train my already nervous dog!! j Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laurelin Posted April 22, 2008 Author Report Share Posted April 22, 2008 *waves to Laurelin* *waves back* Thanks for all the tips! I think I'm going to start going to trials to see who's around here. I don't even know what venue I want to try yet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.