Im thinking about doing agility with Marley, I really like the look of it and would like to tke it up properly, Im not sure wherer to start or how old to start him at it??????

Hi Angelz
i just got home from our Agility classes!
been going for nearly a year
was told to wait until my dog was 14 months as at this time his bones are fully developed
Agilitynet.co.uk give you a list of clubs to look for one nearby - i live in the Essex Area
Regards
Helen

Thanks Helen, it looks like something the dog and owner can really enjoy together and excersise for both I read somewhere.  I have a long wait though if its 14 months.

Some clubs/classes do puppy agility.  The poles are on the ground so no jumping - it a combination of training and getting them used to the equipment.  Not sure how old your pup is, but it may be worth enquiring - I think they usually start at around 6 months. 

That sounds great, sure he will love it, will do a google search and see if there are any near me :-)

So do you have to have a fairly obediant dog to begin agility work or should you have been to obediance classes etc first??
Just wondering. If people had a dog for arguments sake 15 months old, that hadn't been to any classes before, wasnt particularly well behaved, could they then go to an agility class (even though they've not been to any class before)???

you need a reasonably obedient dog, you need a good wait (most important) you also need to be able to run with you dog running alongside you off lead.  Its also useful if your dog plays tuggy.  Left and right commands are handy but not essential.

In our club dogs have to pass the control course before they go into agility to prove they have basic obedience.

Yep you'll need a basic level of obedience to do agility. Nothing amazing, but if you're dog is responsive and reliable to the basic commands then it's common sense that you'll be able to control them better around the obstacles (in theory :-) )

I don't know about all clubs, but ours aren't keen on people joining the agility class until they have proved they've got a reasonable level of obedience, recall and some basic off lead work etc.

Claire

Thanks for answering, thats fair enough.
Was asking because although people mention agility and i have seen various posters etc advertising agility, it never mentions that basic obediance is needed. I'd be quite narked off if i had taken my dog to obediance as a pup and then onto agility only to find someone there with a dog that had very weak obediance and owner hadnt made an effort to attend obediance classes or train their dog in any way.
Cheers for the replies

Quote: I'd be quite narked off if i had taken my dog to obediance as a pup and then onto agility only to find someone there with a dog that had very weak obediance and owner hadnt made an effort to attend obediance classes or train their dog in any way.

we have these problems at our club - to get over it we now hold a 'taster' session! this way we can weed out the ones who have put the effort in as a youngster, and put them forward for the next group, the ones who havent we recommend some basics with our obedience section before they will be able to get the full benefit of agility, as without good control, a recall and any kind of bond ( as has happened to us in the past) we spend more time teaching ob than agility!

as we always have a waiting list, i always recommend they go to ob classes, to get them used to a class evironment aswell as getting the training in!

....and we have some who turn up and are shocked THEY have to train the dog!

it really does begger belief. You'd think if people were interested in doing agility etc then they'd be starting from a young age to get the dog up to scratch. people are shocked they have to train the dog :-) Just goes to show how mcuh research they do in what agility is all about. Thats like anting to learn to drive then being shocked at having to sit in the driving seat!!!:-)

it does make me laugh at times!

just a thought for the opriginal op, if your dog is less than 12 months, a kc club wont let you start teaching any equipment, other clubs may, but its each to their own, as it can do damage to joints etc when they are too young.
There is however alot you can do away from equipment to make it much easier when you do get into some classes  (lots have waiting lists) try greg derretts foundation training video, it has loads on there to start of with a young dog, with no equipment at all involved! im just starting up some pre agility classes for my club, so the young dogs with keen owners can get started on some basics, ie, wait training, motivation, target training etc, all whcih will benefit them later on. agilityaddicts have a fab forum with agility peopl from clubs all over the uk, who may know of some good ones near where you are? hope that helps

When you say obedience, do you mean a training club which teaches basics like sit, leave, stay and left, right? or is obedience a higher level than that?  My pup is only 13 weeks but is already pretty good with the basics so thats what got me thinking if he was easy to train so far it may be good to develop that, he has a good line of trials (I assume that is this kind of thing) which may be why he is so good.

Where are you located, just I would like to come to the pre agility classes you mentioned, perhaps when he is 6 months like sugested though?

any basic obedience really, but like i said its also being able to get that same behaviour in a class full of other exciting things...ie more puppies!

im in devon, but lots of clubs run simelar classes to this, try agilitynet, and agilityaddicts, for clubs, like i say a lot that hold both ob and agility classes will probably do simelar type of classes,

Bit far Im in North Wales :-)  I take him to a puppy training class and he isnt quite as well behaved there but thats to be expected.  Thanks for the web adds

Nothing amazes me anymore. A lady bought her BC to my last agility club for a taster session. Low & behold she had never ever let the damn thing off the lead, becasue her recall was so bad. How the hell did she think she would do agility! She was told to come back when the dog had had some basic obedience training.

Hi
took my BC to agility at 14 months and had been going to obedience classes since he was 6 months!
Well at the 1st test visit he ran off barking at another BC who was at the far end of a very large stable doing a jump - this startled the dog who not only missed his jump but the pole fell on his head too!

HOW EMBARRASSING FOR ME!

Just when i had told them he had good basic commands including recall and off lead skills

well it seams anything can happen -different environment-different smells-different dogs - apparently can be triggers of unpredictable behaviour

I've also noticed the odd time, a dog may get a bee in his bonnet and leg it!!! ( if your dogs done this then you may know what i mean!) They run off and round like a dog on a mission and its very hard to get them back by just by calling out (walking to the exit does the trick)

Helen

So do you have to have a fairly obediant dog to begin agility work or should you have been to obediance classes etc first??
Just wondering. If people had a dog for arguments sake 15 months old, that hadn't been to any classes before, wasnt particularly well behaved, could they then go to an agility class (even though they've not been to any class before)???

to be honest mine was Gold good citz ( passed all the levels to a high standard ) when I stated agility with him and I may was well have picked up a behaviour problem dog from a local rescue! There is no way anyone could have told he had done a day's obedience in his life...and 2 years on I really don't think you can tell, yet he got placed at YKC crufts obedience and reliably gets placed now in pre beginners.

Yet other dogs come to agility with very little obedience training as are much MUCH MUCH better behaved.

( this is where I break down and cry....)

Both of mine have their gold good citizens but they are far from perfect.  Alf hasnt been doing it long and he prefers to go off and sniff the bums of the dogs queueing, Fagan has been doing it a couple of years and he is quite well behaved but occasionally he will have a "moment" and go off doing loopy Setter circuits of the place !!  Fagan especially likes it if another dog is misbehaving, we have a lurcher who takes off every now and then, Fagan stand there wagging his tail and giving little woofs of encouragement (insert rolleyes here !)

I occasionally take my JRT Milo to agility classes, now in all the years I have had dogs I have to say he is the most stubborn of them all.  He will not even sit unless you offer him something extremely tasty and he can never go off an extending lead on a walk as he will not even listen when you call him.  in fact he will not do anything unless he wants to.  Yet as soon as you walk into an agililty ring he is like a different dog, he is focused watches me for every signal and command and speeds round a course like grease lightening with me puffing and panting a way behind.
My big dog Shady has a decent level of obedience and does almost everything you ask, but she is not a patch on him in the agility ring, she has one go and then loses interest and tries to wander off.
So although I would reccomend teaching basic commands first, some dogs like my Milo may excel at agility and yet not perform one basic command anywhere else.

I had better give Zak extra supper tonight! He never, ever leaves me, he is so focused on the agility course. He doesn't always do it perfectly, because he barks for England on his way around & isn't always listening to me. I didn't realise how lucky I was! I wasn't getting at owners whose dogs do suddenly become the 'dog from hell', well done to you & Milo!

I really like this thread BECAUSE more than anything else it shows our "babies" all have their own little personalities and all have their good and not so good points-just like us :-)

Hi Tenaj

This is why i wrote "it seems anything can happen -different environment-different smells-different dogs - apparently can be triggers of unpredictable behaviour" and i also said my dog had been attending obedience training for the past 10 months!

sometimes i take my dog to the park for 10 mins ball play,he then has a good drink and we walk with his gentle leader along a busy High Street 100% at my side on a loose lead and he's not even looking at the traffic (he normally wants to heard them!!!)

Once we reach the end of the High Street, we enter the Post office (i know we will be in there queing for a minimun 20 mins) and he sits patiently then lays down patiently and i get so many comments on what a fantastic obedient dog i have (IF ONLY THEY KNEW WHAT I HAVE TO GO THROUGH TO GET HIM WHERE THEY SEE HIM!)

if i did this without any exercise beforehand he would be completely uncontrollable- jumping up and constant barking

Helen

PS he is a 2 year old Border Collie!

Hi Beardy

u may already know BUT my agility trainer asked how long before agility i fed my dog - 3 hours

She had told me that you should not feed your dog for 5-7 hours before and would be better to feed after a minimum 1 hour after agility

Although NOT COMMON but it is very dangerous (can be fatal) for a dog to do strenious exercise on a full stomach

anyone else heard of this?

Helen

I think you are talking about the dreaded Bloat (Google will find loads of info if you do a search). It is unusual, although not unheard of, in non deep chested breeds but still wise to take precautions.

The general rule is to give an absolute minimum of 1 hour after feeding before exercise, preferably 2, or even 3 to be extra safe. 5-7 hours sound rather excessive!

Hi Zarah

I was thinking of torsion (i think its also known as bloat) as yes i also sgree that 5-7 hours sounds rather excessive

Also found this ((in case anyone else is interested) will also take a copy to the trainer!!!

globalspan.net/bloat.htm

Helen

Thanks for the info, I don't actually train on a full stomach. Mine are fed in the morning, so as I train at 8.30pm, they have emtpy stomachs. They get their tea very late, about 10.45pm. However, because Zak can be car sick, I never give breakfast if I am going to a show. I always take a coule of pots of low calorie rice pudding & give him them during a break.

> I may was well have picked up a behaviour problem dog from a local rescue!

Tenaj - how refreshingly honest!  Thanks for making me smile!  I love the way that our dogs can make us look like liars!

and i get so many comments on what a fantastic obedient dog i have
lol. I get that all the time...except by the few who see mine before their excersise or on a bad moment! lol. Or certain people who once gave mine that little 'inch' so they now really know they can take liberties with.

The general rule is to give an absolute minimum of 1 hour after feeding before exercise, preferably 2, or even 3 to be extra safe.

there is probably some ideal for us too. I normally eat tea just before setting off or agility and when I get there all I want to do is go to sleep.

Hi Tenaj
i get so many comments on what a fantastic obedient dog i have
(IF ONLY THEY KNEW WHAT I HAVE TO GO THROUGH TO GET HIM WHERE THEY SEE HIM!)