INU Posted September 15, 2003 Report Share Posted September 15, 2003 My baby is 10 weeks old. How long should I wait for her first agility training? I am planning on building some starter agility training stuff in my back yard and give her a little taste but thinking about taking a couple of professional lessons when she is ready to see if she likes it. I think she is ready but I never really see puppies on agility shows. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trailrider Posted September 15, 2003 Report Share Posted September 15, 2003 WOW!!! Wait for the pup to grow up. Teach a lot of things, but not jumping or landing from platforms. The joints and bones are not really completely finished growing and forming until the dog is nearly two years old. No equipment for long long time. Try tunnels for fun, but no jumping. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
INU Posted September 15, 2003 Author Report Share Posted September 15, 2003 Okay I am just so excited to have her. I've always had cats all my life and since I am living in a house for the very first time, I could finally get a dog It is so refreshing and amazing to see how different dogs are from cats. (I know it sounds so silly for people who owned dogs all their lives, but to me it is just amazing how much responses you can get from them!) I might build some tunnel thing you suggested Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tassie Posted September 15, 2003 Report Share Posted September 15, 2003 Please slow down!!! Concentrate on general training first, building up the bond and respect between you and your pup. Get her reliable on basic obedience, especially recall. Practise getting her to watch you really closely, and gradually build up her concentration span. (This will probably be a slow and gradual process.) Having a dog who is really attentive and obedient even in very exciting and distracting circumstances is a really good foundation for agility. Check the Net for puppy agility and you?ll get some ideas of what is safe to do (but probably only once you?ve consolidated general obedience.) Be very careful to do nothing which could lead to injury or breakdown of your dog later, and shorten her working life. Most trainers advise NEVER jumping a dog before about 12 months, and leaving the weavers till after that too ? this is because the dog?s skeleton is still growing and developing. There is no rush ? at least in Australia. Dogs cannot compete in agility until they are 18 months old. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iowan bcs Posted September 17, 2003 Report Share Posted September 17, 2003 INU, Check out the thread on this topic about new to agility. I posted a topic about my bc pup and agility under my other login name. I got some great advice about exercises to try at home to prepare for agility in the future. Right now we are working on basic commands, among other things. Good luck and have fun! -MA, AKA Ladybug (I have two loging names because I tried signing in on my husband's laptop and coudln't get it to work, so I registered a second time...ooops!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
INU Posted September 18, 2003 Author Report Share Posted September 18, 2003 Yes that was helpful. Thank you! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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