Serious Agility

This thread is primarily addressing those who do agility "seriously" with the corgis - I think we have a couple people on the boards who regularly compete in sanctioned matches. I would like to know your opinion on a couple things.

How does one fine-tune their technique in agility if the only clubs nearby are once-a-week type of organizations, and I don't have a backyard? I haven't even started seriously with Ace, and my second dog has yet to even be born, but I worry about the fact that there is no other type of club within reasonable distance of my home. If I want to eventually compete, how do I do that when I can only practice a full course once a week?
Does the corgi fare well in agility, in general? Ace is not low-stationed at all; in fact he's quite leggy. However, I do worry about joint health particularly in this breed. It is my hope to compete with him in one sport or another, and I don't really envision him in obedience. I would love to pursue this sport with him very seriously, but not at the risk of his physical health.

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Permalink Reply by Ludi on April 12, 2012 at 11:36am

I just want to say THANK YOU! to everyone who replied to this thread. Unfortunately, my efforts to find a carpool going to the agility club have come up empty, so I'm going to have to get really creative with regional trains and buses in order to attend. But I am determined to get Ace the fun he deserves by participating in a dog sport!

I have access to a chiropractor who is well-versed in working on animals (horses primarily, as show jumping takes a toll) so is that something I should consider when/if I decide to be very serious about agility? I know that the practice in general tends to garner a 50/50 reaction but I think it could be quite useful for bringing things back in line after being used "too" often. Once I begin to regularly attend my agility classes, I plan to use joint health supplements as I really do not want him to be put in danger just because he should have fun.

Aside from that, I am taking all your advice to heart - learning contacts to prevent precarious jumping on/off, working on my handling first and foremost, and of course, nagging my husband into building some lightweight PVC equipment for training at the park. I am REALLY excited to start on this and so is Ace!