Just started agility and bored already!

[Ronda Roby]

I just started agility with my 18 month old border collie last week. She was the only bc in this group so of course she had the tunnel and shoot down with one try. It took the other dogs the whole evening and they wouldn't let us advance on to other things this week. Anya got terribly bored and begin pacing and when I would just let her run loose in the fenced in yard she would try to do the ladder and see saw on her own so I had to put her back on a leash.

 

Anya is very hyper but I believe will be very successful in agility, but how do I keep us both from going nuts until we can advance on?

 

If anyone has any suggestions it would be appreciated. Thanks, Ronda

[JEL]

Hi Ronda!

I just had a thought to share, based on the agility classes taught at our training center.

Often the dog that "gets it" too quickly that is the one that gets hurt falling off a piece of equip later on, because he fooled everyone into thinking he was ready to "handle it." In our classes, we go on the assumption that no one has expensive agility equip in their backyard, and therefore their dog is only being exposed to equip 1x/wk at class. At that rate, no matter how anxious the dog is to progress, we require that they stick with the program, at least while they're at our school, for safety sake. I'm pleased to report that to date we have not had any accidents or injuries, and when our students are a little more advanced, and perhaps have an "oops" out on a wet course - it does not set the dog back in training at all, because they are seasoned enough not to fear the equipment as the source of their accident.

If you have some good, sturdy equip at home to practice on between lessons, it might behoove you to inquire about a few private lessons. When the instructor can focus just on you, they can give you some tips to help break up what you might perceive is "boring," but what is actually very necessary "time in" to allow your dog to gain experience.

(one of my old obedience instructors said I would have to walk 1000 miles before I nice heeling dog...I believe what she meant is that there is no substitute for putting in the time. For safety's sake, this is even more true in agility)

Oh, and for at home, or those "boring" moments, we often start our beginners in target training and directions, which will come in immensely down the road, and since you can teach them w/o equipment handy (or maybe one little jump) almost anyone who is sincerely interested in agility training can start practicing anytime!

I hope that you enjoy your classes, and wish you and your dog much luck in your agility career!

[puppysiuk]

Seems a bit of a strange place if they have you practice on one piece of equipment the whole time.

 

I've been going to agility for about 5 weeks now. First week we did low jumps, tire and tunnel - but the "baby" stuff with a tiny tunnel. Next week contacts etc. We do something different about every 20 minutes, and change completely about half way through the session so that the dogs don't become bored (2 hour session).

[Ronda Roby]

Thanks for your replys. What they are doing is starting 2 new events a week. We started the weave poles and down jumps this week. This seemed to help haveing a little more variety for Anya. I think the problem is Anya is very hyper and very driven, and like you said JEL she is probably a dog that could get hurt easily. She is not afraid of anything and if I don't watch her very close she is always climbing something and jumping off from the top. At agility she will get under the ladder and try to jump to the top instead of climbing it.

 

We are allowed to go to the agility course on our own time and practice with our dogs so I took Anya out this week and it went pretty good, it was just hard keeping her off the things she shouldn't be on yet.

 

Thanks again, Ronda

[heath]

Rhonda, When I read the post's title saying "bored already", I could only think Of my Monty.(but I guess in the wrong context-he finds Agility Boring, unless he happens to be going for a stick) We have been doing agility for 1 1/2 year's now. Sometimes he's on, sometimes he's off. I am also teaching the beginning classes at our club and all the dogs get trained on 'all' the equipment each week. We usually set up 3 or 4 stations with at least 2 or 3 obstcles in each, so the dog gets a 'taste' of all the equipment. By the last class (#8), we usually set up an entire course, which utilizes all the agility equipment. The dogs may or might not be slow, but usually they can complete each piece. This is for every breed/dog in the class,(some of which are BC's) As a side note; don't be discouraged if your BC does well at first, then loses interest. Monty knows what to do,(and can do each piece of equipment well) it's all a matter of how much he want's to do it that is the problem. That is called the Motivation thing. I am still working on it. good luck and haave fun- Heather