I think the bugs are starting to bite...

[JaderBug]

Well, to open a ridiculously wide subject (I'm sure), how do I get started in agility??

 

I went to an agility trial to watch a couple of weeks ago- first agility trial I'd ever seen. Everyone there told me that 'I HAVE to do it, that once I do I'll be addicted.' Which I guess is what I was afraid of happening to begin with!

 

Anywho, what is my first step? Do I find someone that's already doing it? do I find a local class? do I buy a book? What is the process? What goes into it?

 

Also, how will agility affect herding? Honestly I'm more interested in herding, but agility looks like fun too

 

Any suggestions are well-appreciated!!

[Laurae]

Where in IA are you?

[Root Beer]

Check into local training centers and see if any of them offer beginning Agility classes. Once you find one, or a couple, that offer it, ask if you can go and watch a couple of the classes as an observer. If you like what you see at the classes, then find out what is required to get started.

 

Often, you need to take a basic obedience or manners class as a prerequisite. Sometimes there is a foundation or pre-Agility class that is required. It will differ from place to place.

 

To get started with Maddie where she trains, I needed to take Advanced Basic Obedience with her and she had to pass the CGC test. Then we had to take a Rally/Agility class. From there we moved into Agility. At the place where Dean trains, we just had to take Basic Manners and then we were able to start right into Agiliity. Waaaaaay back when Speedy took it, we had to do Basic Obedience, Advanced Basic Obedience, Pre-Agility, and then we were able to take Agility. Three different training centers, three different sets of pre-requisites.

 

There are also different options that you can look into - group classes, private lessons, training within a club setting . . .

 

If it is possible to start with a class or private trainer, I highly recommend that. I found that after studying with a trainer, the books and videos became much more useful to me than beforehand. Also, one needs Agility equipment to work with and usually it's not practical to build one's own Agility field!

[Ninso]

What happened to disc??

 

Your first step in agility is to find a good trainer and take their classes. But don't find a trainer like the one who scared the p*** out of my dog each week by dragging him up the contact obstacles at nearly full height right away. From my extremely limited agility experience, I would look for the following in a trainer:

 

1) One who spends a lot of time on foundational work--there is a lot of theory in agility, I know that, but unfortunately, I don't know what any of it is because my trainer wasn't so much for teaching as for forcing dogs over all the obstacles at full height in a 9-week period. We quit after 8 weeks. Should've quit sooner!

2) One who respects dogs as individuals and trains with the individual dog's needs in mind, e.g., you're scared of the A-frame, ok, then lets work slowly to make the A-frame less scary.

 

Its a good idea to observe a class before signing up. Although, if you're like me, it's tough to know what exactly you're supposed to be looking for when you're not even sure how the whole agility-thing works.

 

(I just re-read through this post, and it sounds a little bitter. My dog actually really ended up loving doing tunnels and jumps, and we will probably get back into it at some point--just with a different trainer)

[JaderBug]

Where in IA are you?

 

Ames, pretty much right in the middle

[JaderBug]

What happened to disc??

 

Nothing happened to disc... just trying to explore different aspects of border colliedom. I need to research both agility and disc dog stuff, I'd like to dabble in both, though I do admit that disc looks like more fun than agility, not that I've done either so I guess I can't really say for sure.

 

How old should the dog be before it starts these sorts of activities? Jade loves Frisbee already, although she's never really caught one, just chases after it. Don't know how to get her to take off for it before I throw it though.

 

My herding trainer's girlfriend does agility and teaches dog classes, maybe I could get a two-fer there

[Laurae]

Oh, I know one agility instructor in all of Iowa and was going to recommend her if you were near Council Bluffs, but it sounds like you're not only nowhere near her but you have an instructor in mind anyway!

[Ninso]

How old should the dog be before it starts these sorts of activities? Jade loves Frisbee already, although she's never really caught one, just chases after it. Don't know how to get her to take off for it before I throw it though.

 

The dog can start disc and agility at any age, but jumping should be limited until at least a year of age to avoid injury to developing bones.

 

I just wrote a long disc-catching how-to but to stay on topic I PMd it to you instead. Edit: Let me know if you got it, I dont' know if it sent.

[Debbie Meier]

Kris Perisho just started another series of classes out by Pilot Mound (Sunday afternoons), she just relocated there from Ames (kinda a bummer), anyway, she is going to be up here for the Corn Roast and is planning on bringing some jumps, tunnels and other easily relocated obstacles for people to give agility a try when they are up here for the herding party, we have a quite a few members that run agility along with herding, some with the same dog some with a different dog. She owns Border Collies and Aussies.

 

BTW, I think she will still be rather close to you distance wise.

 

Deb

[Seelie Fey]

I just started agility recently, so I was in the same place you are at, dog wise.

 

Definately do classes. An instructor will be able to tell you things you don't realize you are doing (Don't sneak away from your dog, tell her to stay and leave her there; the reason your dog is curling around like that at the end of the dogwalk is that you are holding the treat to close to you - stick it in front of her nose; don't point one way and angle your shoulders the other; don't screech to a stop before a jump; etc) My agility classes are mostly about training me.

 

Also, an instructor can help spot you with the dog when it first does obsticals to avoid any panic jumping off/turning around at the top of the dog walk, etc. Seeing other dogs successfully complete the obstical seems to encourage the spookier ones. Also, having someone or something at the other end to draw the dog's focus away from "eeeek, this thing moves" at the teeter or the mystery tunnel monster or whatever.

 

But, pick an instructor that yells at you, rather than the dog. No dragging of dogs to obsticals. No "NO"s or "Bad Dog"s.

 

And, have fun!!!!!!!!

 

(PS, in exploring doggie spoilage, there is also flyball)

[ClickMeBC]

I do admit that disc looks like more fun than agility

 

Really, you think so? I do both with my BC, and though disc is a whole lot of fun, it gives you thrills to watch your dog fly and you can have a blast showing off to your friends, I must say that agility is our true love. It requires Quynn to think a great deal more, teaches him to take control of his body rather than get crazed over a frisbee and really solidifies the bond we share. Also, agility is much easier on a dogs' joints - it's unatural for a dog to land on his rear legs, like they do in disc, and can lead to a very short career. I keep my throws as streamlined as possible and as low as possible whenever I can to reduce risk of injury. I'm not saying don't do disc - I love it, Quynn absolutely adores it, and it's a blast. Just explaining why I prefer agility.

 

Classes really are essential when starting out. I'd take the advice given and find an instructor who's program is based on positive reinforcement and operant conditioning techniques, and who understands the importance of foundation work. And I love Seelie Fey's suggestion: find an instructor who yells at you rather than at the dog. That's my instructor exactly - she picks on me a lot, and I love her critiques. Because I'm the only one in the class with a BC, she singles us out a lot and seems to enjoy making us look bad, but everyone there knows that she does it because she really wants to see us excel.

[Ninso]

Really, you think so? I do both with my BC, and though disc is a whole lot of fun, it gives you thrills to watch your dog fly and you can have a blast showing off to your friends, I must say that agility is our true love. It requires Quynn to think a great deal more, teaches him to take control of his body rather than get crazed over a frisbee and really solidifies the bond we share. Also, agility is much easier on a dogs' joints - it's unatural for a dog to land on his rear legs, like they do in disc, and can lead to a very short career. I keep my throws as streamlined as possible and as low as possible whenever I can to reduce risk of injury. I'm not saying don't do disc - I love it, Quynn absolutely adores it, and it's a blast. Just explaining why I prefer agility.

 

Totally not saying you shouldn't prefer agility or anything, but just to correct a few things here . . . when disc is done other than informally, it requires TONS of thought on the part of the dog. In order to put together a well-flowing freestyle routine, both you and the dog have to be 100% on top of every second and 100% in tune with each other. It's not easy at all! The dog has to read your changes in posture and other signals to figure out where the next disc will be and certain maneuvers and patterns demand quite a bit of calculus on the dog's part in order to get to the disc and make the catch. Disc can also be a very creative process and the dog can be a part of this. You may be trying to teach one move and the dog gives you something entirely different and you can run with it! Part of teaching disc is teaching the dog to control his body (disc involves just as much control and athleticism as agility) and also to think while in "drive". As for landing on the hind legs--this is not supposed to happen. Lots of BCs (including mine) have poor jumping style compared with ACD or Aussies who have more natural spring and tend to land better. A four-leg landing is ideal and certain exercises which teach rear-end awareness can help with the jumping style. Oh, and regarding the bonding issue, I think any activity you do together with your dog that you both really enjoy helps to build that bond. Chasing plastic is mine and my dog's favorite thing to do together!

 

Again, not saying anyone should prefer one or the other, but the "disc dogging doesn't involve any real training, its just getting crazed over a disc" and "disc dogging is more dangerous than other dog sports" are very common misconceptions about disc and I just wanted to set the record straight.

[ClickMeBC]

Totally not saying you shouldn't prefer agility or anything, but just to correct a few things here . . . when disc is done other than informally, it requires TONS of thought on the part of the dog. In order to put together a well-flowing freestyle routine, both you and the dog have to be 100% on top of every second and 100% in tune with each other. It's not easy at all! The dog has to read your changes in posture and other signals to figure out where the next disc will be and certain maneuvers and patterns demand quite a bit of calculus on the dog's part in order to get to the disc and make the catch. Disc can also be a very creative process and the dog can be a part of this. You may be trying to teach one move and the dog gives you something entirely different and you can run with it! Part of teaching disc is teaching the dog to control his body (disc involves just as much control and athleticism as agility) and also to think while in "drive".

 

As for landing on the hind legs--this is not supposed to happen. Lots of BCs (including mine) have poor jumping style compared with ACD or Aussies who have more natural spring and tend to land better. A four-leg landing is ideal and certain exercises which teach rear-end awareness can help with the jumping style. Oh, and regarding the bonding issue, I think any activity you do together with your dog that you both really enjoy helps to build that bond. Chasing plastic is mine and my dog's favorite thing to do together!

 

Again, not saying anyone should prefer one or the other, but the "disc dogging doesn't involve any real training, its just getting crazed over a disc" and "disc dogging is more dangerous than other dog sports" are very common misconceptions about disc and I just wanted to set the record straight.

 

I understand what you're saying. I was referring, more specifically and because I have no further experience, to MY dog. I was comparing OUR experience in disc to OUR experience in agility. I'm sure that, if we were to get formal with it, I'd have to convert his intense drive into controlled movements. I shouldn't have made it sound as though the reason I prefer agility to disc is this, meaning Quynn's tendency to assume what I want when I have a frisbee in my hand. It's different in Agility with us - because of the way I've trained him, it's virtually impossible for him to do agility without him watching every subtle move I make. It forces him to think a great deal. When we - I stress the we - play disc, I'm throwing behind, in front, backhanded, under my legs, and asking him to perform tricks to gain a throw, but he seems so much more tuned into the disc than me. Maybe it's him - we still have a long way to go. Maybe it's me - maybe it's all in my head.

 

And I didn't mean to imply that ONLY agility will form that bond. I love disc, and I love to play it with my dogs. It's incredible to watch, and obviously requires amazing amounts of teamwork. I don't mean, either, to say that one sport is better than another. We all have our addictions, for our own reasons. A lot of it depends on what our dogs love...they have their preferences, too.

[Ninso]

No, I know you were speaking to your experience. Some of your comments just sounded like more general comments about disc, and (disc enthusiast that I am) I just wanted to set the record straight so others don't get the wrong idea.