Home Agility Course???

[Atlanta Smitty]

I have a new BC pup which is almost 3 months old. He is very active and very smart. He loves to jump and run. We have a round foot rest that is in my living room about knee high. He likes to jump on there with a toy. Then he'll let it fall so he has a reason to jump down there and get it then to jump back up.

 

Now we want to get him profesionally trained when he is about 8months old for agility, fetch, and stuff along those lines.

 

In the meantime I was thinking of making him a couple of small obsticles in my backyard. That way he can get use to them and I am bored and it can give me something to do. The first thing I thought about making was a jump bar thing(not so sure on the technical speak). But have it made out of light PVC piping and padded. That way if he hits it it will be easily knocked off so as not to injure the dog. And maybe one of those triangular walls that dogs go up and down. But not as large as you would have in competition for adults. He obsesses with going up and down my stairs too.

 

I don't want to injure the dog or get him into habits that might be hard to break when he does come of proper training age.

 

Would anyone recommend doing this. Or is the pup way too young? If so let me know.

 

If it is not to young is there any specific angle for the triangular wall that I should try. I would assume I should make the degree of the angle not as steep as regulation. And maybe about 3 foot tall. Then paint it of course.

 

Also feel free to give me the technical names for the agility course obsticles.

[Sparty]

Hi he shouldnt be jumping before he is 12-18 months old, you can have him practicing going around the jump uprights in like a figure 8 following your hand/arm signals we also have a practice see-saw a 9inch wide board of wood about 6ft long with a 3 inch pvc pipe under it to let it rock, nice and low and dog can get used to controlling the tilt, dog walk can be very low to avoid falling too far, but handy to give the command walk on and to practice a halt at the end if that is the way you want to go

[3crazybcs]

Originally posted by smittie1984:

I don't want to injure the dog or get him into habits that might be hard to break when he does come of proper training age.

 

Would anyone recommend doing this. Or is the pup way too young? If so let me know.

 

 

No, I wouldn't recommend it and yes, your puppy is way too young. There's a lot you can do with your puppy at this age to prepare him for agility training...teach him some basic obedience, teach him to retrieve a toy or tug with it, introduce him to a clicker and teach him some tricks, take him to a puppy kindergarten class and socialize, socialize, socialize!

 

You've got plenty of time for agility training and you'll be better off waiting to start it until you're in a formal class and learn how to teach the obstacles correctly. If you've properly socialized your dog and he's got solid basic obedience (sit, down, stay, recall, loose leash walking) you'll be way ahead of the game when you do start class.

 

If you've got some experience with agility there's a lot of agility foundation training you can do, like what's described above, but honestly, since you've got no experience you'd be so much better off not doing any of it. If you really want to get yourself ahead of the game you could go to a local training place and ask if you can just observe some classes, then you can get a better idea of what the obstacles are called and how they are done properly.

 

Good luck!

[Rave]

Smittie,

I have an 8 month old pup who I just allowed to take her first 8" jump this past week (and even then she only took a few of them). Point being, there is SO much to work on before you even get to the jumps and other equipment. You can teach a lot of foundation on the flat (i.e. no equipment). The one piece of equipment I do recommend at this age is a tippy board (board with 1/2 a tennis ball underneath to make it tip) to get pup used to motion.

 

There's an issue of Clean Run magazine especially devoted to puppies that I'd recommend you purchase. It gives lots of baby exercises to work on that you'd probably find very helpful. Here's the link:

http://www.cleanrun.com/moreinfo.cfm?Produ...FTOKEN=20549194

[Atlanta Smitty]

appreciate the info. I figured he might be too young but he is so full of energy. That and his 2 favorite things to do is Jumping and climbing stairs. Give him half a reason to jump or climb something boom he is there. Should I teach him not to jump?

 

So I figured on making a few minature objects in the back for him to goof around on.

 

The first thing I was going to do before the obsticle courses is get a baby pool. That way he has a way to cool off in this hellish heat we have.

 

I like the see-saw idea. I think he would like that. He enjoys being up and looking down on things.

 

Also he is learning very well. I taught him sit for the first time yesterday with the treat Idea I got from this website. And he will do it most of the time now without a treat. Also I did the thing that after you take him out of the crate you put him on a leash and walk him outside around the yard and tell him to "Go to the bathroom". He already understands that command fairly well. Even though he still goes inside the house sometimes. But I'm sure he'll get over it. We also just named him last friday (Wriley) and he already knows his name. I also taught him Tug-of-war the other day too. He has some kinks to work out of it. He'll accidently bite you sometimes. He knows enough to take the rag bone too you and put it too your hand.

 

The only "real" problem I have with him now is biting. But it's usually at the end of a long day. That and he is teathing.

 

Anyways thanks for the advice. I'll have to start looking around for some good obiedence schools here in Georgia. And oh. By the way. He has no problem socializing. He loves All humans. Both big and small. And has no problems with other animals.

 

I have to say I am impressed with this dog. I'm amazed at how fast they can learn. And thanks for the advice.

[CollieKat]

Definitely don't be jumping him. you could cause all sorts of problems with his delicate knees and hips. BC's may act robust in their rough housing but jumping is much more detrimental to their bones.

 

You can do lots of agility prep. Obedience is the key and anyone who is serious about agility and competing will tell you that the foundations of a great agility dog is having basic obedience. You can do tunnels at this early age and walking over boards that are flat on the ground. This will get your BC used to walking over different surfaces. You can also practice going throught wings of hurdles (don't need actual wings, just two sticks plonked into the ground to simulate wings). You can teach left and right and you can teach go to a marker, as well as teaching the dog to go out and away from you in a circle, (My pup loves doing out and is better than the adult dog I handled at top level at doing out!)

 

Kes is 4 months old and I have been doing these sort of things since she was about 10 weeks of age as well as obedience inc. stays, waits, recalls, down/sit/stand and retrieve the dumbbell.

 

Good luck and have fun but remember not to rush things because your dog will have 10 years or more to do agility