ladybug Posted August 17, 2003 Report Share Posted August 17, 2003 I would like to get our young border collie into agility. A local trainer said that he would not recommend starting him out until after he is a year old (he is 7 mo.) What exercises can I begin doing with him now to prepare him for agility training in the future? My intentions are for him to have fun while burning off his endless energy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
diane allen Posted August 17, 2003 Report Share Posted August 17, 2003 Is the trainer you referred to an agility instructor, or other? Yes, its true, you don't want a young dog jumping full heights, descending a full-height A-frame, doing repetitive weave poles, etc. etc. But there are MANY things you can do to get your dog ready to "do" agility later. If I were you, I'd be looking for an instructor experienced in training puppies in agility. Check the usdaa.com and nadac.com web sites for "Affiliated Groups." They'd know of instructors or classes or seminars in your area. I'd also recommend going to the Clean Run web site (cleanrum.com). They have a number of publications to help you get started on your own, and most of them refer to puppy training as well. A couple of ideas: make some kind of tunnel (refrigerator box; blankets hanging from chairs; or buy a cheap kids play tunnel at ToysRUs or the like). Dogs love tunnels, and there's little danger to joints! Teach him to go through it straight, then put a "kink" in it. Teach him to go through it when you're right beside him; when you're two feet away, four feet away, twenty feet away! From both sides. etc. Teach the dog lots of "moves" just to get him used to following your direction. You can use "right" and "left," or "come" and "out" (for a distance obstacle), "front", "look back" (turn away from me) and many others. Do things to teach your dog where his feet, particularly his back feet, are. A good one for this is: lay a step ladder (preferably a long extension ladder) on the ground. Walk the dog through it, on leash, with control (you might need another person to help keep him in the "channel" of the ladder). Don't let him run! Just walk at a reasonable pace. Generally, dogs don't like to have their feet hit the steps, and will learn to pick up their feet, paying attention to where the steps behind them are. Another similar activity: layout two 2x4 or other similar long boards, about five feet apart (parallel). Put PVC pipes or other items (like broom handles) across the channel. Its helpful to have something on the 2x4s to hold these in place (agility folks use cones, like they use to number courses with). Put the cross bars at regular intervals; walk the dog through them several times (much like the ladder exercise). Then move the crossbars to irregular intervals, and walk again. Put a wide heavy board (2x12 or similar) on concrete blocks. Teach the dog to walk on the board without jumping off, or without touching the ground. Gradually raise the height (keeping in mind the dog's safety at all times). This will prepare him for dogwalk and teeter. Many many options. Find an instructor to help! Best of luck, and have fun! diane Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spike's Bitch Posted August 17, 2003 Report Share Posted August 17, 2003 Thank you very much for this Diane. I want to do agility with Spike; I've found a class/club fairly locally but as they charge by the hour I'm glad to have some ideas for stuff I can do before I start spending money there! Thanx again. Liz & Spike (Let me at the jumps, Ma!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ladybug Posted August 17, 2003 Author Report Share Posted August 17, 2003 Thanks for the information. This gives me a good start! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Northof49 Posted August 18, 2003 Report Share Posted August 18, 2003 The other thing is if you have not already done so, make sure that your dog has a good solid background of basic obedience training. This is the foundation for anyting else you may decide to do with your dog. Any dog should have a reliable recall in many distractions as possible, well focused on you, as well as good sits, downs, solid waits. All this you will need for agility or anythng else you want to train your dog for. The majority of problems people experience while training in agility have nothing to do with agility per se, they are "basic obedience" problems. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
diane allen Posted August 18, 2003 Report Share Posted August 18, 2003 Northof is right on. I thought last night that I should have added some more of that kind of thing. Another very important "command" is something to the effect of "watch me" or even "front" - not an obedience 'come sit in front of me', but rather, come from wherever you are and get nearby. Obviously, an instant "down" on the table is very useful! 'Puppy push-ups' (sit/down/sit/down) are very helpful here. You can use a low table, or even just a "box" on the ground - some folks use a square made of PVC pipe and elbows, but you could probably use flat narrow boards or even thick rope. And a good 'stay' at the start line is invaluable. My dear Lucy had an impeccable start line stay for several years - until one day, she just couldn't resist a whole field of tunnels (NADAC Tunnelers class), and broke. I was shocked! But kept running. Bad idea! Reinforced that one right quick - "nope, don't need to wait for release, just go and human will catch up eventually." Argh! Now, even though she hasn't done it again, every now and then in practice, I'll tell her to 'stay', walk out onto the field 2 or 3 obstacles out, jump around, wave my arms, then go back to the start line and have a big party - tug toys are her "thing." Wow - so easy! "I just sit here, like she said, and we get to play - for doing nothing!" This boils down to: you really need your dog focused on you, no matter what. Take the dog to parks, city sidewalks, malls, wherever there are lots of people, even other dogs, and work on "Human is the most important place I want to be." This might take toys, or the yummiest of snacks (pieces of chicken or whatever turns the dog ONTO you), and lots of practice. Have fun! diane Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ladybug Posted August 20, 2003 Author Report Share Posted August 20, 2003 Thanks for all of the advice. I can see now that I need to work more with him on basic commands anyway, but definitely if I want to start agility. Chief is not controlled on the leash, nor does he consistently do each command when we ask. We still have to lure him into some positions, especially if he's excited. I also have to keep my patience level in check with him because he is not as responsive to verbal cues as our female. Thanks everyone! -MA Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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