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Comment by Cheri on April 16, 2014 at 4:13pm

I will never forget my first trial with my baby dog (my third agility dog). He'd been doing very well in class, sequencing well, knew how to perform all the obstacles independently except the weave poles. I set him up in front of the first jump, went the other side of the jump and released him. He runs around the jump!!! Then he realized he was outside and off leash...OMG!!! Let the zoomies commence! He did a total of 0 obstacles and had a grand time frolicing. :) It happens.

When you do agility the baby dogs  are going to test and they are going to wahoo. They're trying to figure out the game and what they can get away with and what they can't. When he wahoos, leave. When you do collect him put him in a crate and walk away in silence. Absolutely no reward or acknowledgement of that behavior. Clap and praise everyone else doing sequences until his next turn. When he sequences with you and does well, party like there's no tomorrow and reward him with what he likes best be it treats or toys. And I mean PARTY!!! Act like what he did just saved his life and you are the most grateful person that he's still alive. He'll get the picture.

Kaley Corgi also has an equally funny agility video:

Kaley does agility--sort of

Comment by Becky Focht on April 16, 2014 at 3:58pm

OMG!  That is the funniest video I actually LOL!  That is what Foxy does to me sometimes so yes Carolyn I've had the same problem as you.  We are only in training and are not anywhere near ready to trial.  Foxy usually only does this after doing her obstacles as I am trying to leash her.  If she does it during obstacles I leash her we don't finish our turn.  I have also sat out our next turn and believe it or not it's like she knows and does better the next go around.  I call it her zoomies and sometimes I guess she just has to get it out of her system.  I'm hoping some of it is just the need for more practice and maturity for control.  She just turned 17 months.  We actually took a break from agility since Christmas, hoping when we go back she's more focused.  Good luck!

Comment by carolyn matassa on April 16, 2014 at 3:40pm

Thanks for the advice,

Has anyone else had this problem???

Comment by Bax & Zigs & Rosie on April 16, 2014 at 12:25pm

Hi Carolyn! Sometimes corgis are gonna corg. They are going to do what they want to have fun. I would say as long as you can stay positive through the experience, keep on playing agility and like you said, reward him only for the things you ask. You may be asking for too many obstacles from him at this point. It also might help ff you can limit the number of jumps he takes and is rewarded for, or can limit the number of off courses he can get. Practice keeping him focused on you and the tasks at hand. We have all had to work through distractions/off courses at some point. I am sure others here have great suggestions too.

Also, just for fun, if you haven't see this yet, I watched this video before my very first trial. Corgis are gonna corg:

Comment by carolyn matassa on April 16, 2014 at 12:07pm

I need some Advice .....

I have a 1 ½ year old male (fixed) Pembroke Welsh Corgi.  He is FANTASTIC on leash in obedience and has a very good recall during obedience practice.  We have been going to obedience twice a week since he was 2 ½ months old.  He has 2 legs both in Beginner Novice Obedience & Novice Rally.  My issue is in agility, which he likes very much….he is a very BOLD and energetic corgi… not shy at all.  Sometimes he will run the course, but sometimes the “game” of running the obstacles HE chooses or darting away from me seems more fun to him.  I only reward good behavior, and usually put him on  his leash when he doesn’t listen for the rest of the class.  

Question:  Should I drop out of agility until his off leash skills are better?  OR if not, how can I handle this situation? 

Carolyn (& Sonny the Corgi)

Comment by Bax & Zigs & Rosie on April 9, 2014 at 1:54pm

Congratulations!!! He looks so regal and very pretty ribbons!!

Comment by Gail and Ashton on April 9, 2014 at 1:16pm

Brag! Ashton Q'd twice in Open Jumpers and once in Open Standard which was a title run! Moved up to Excellent Standard but knocked a bar. Otherwise was a very nice run. Pretty good for his first trial back in over a year and Ashton loved it! (Hubby got a new job which started him off working 12 hour weekend night shifts which really cuts into agility time! Thank goodness he is now on weekday days!)  3 first places and new title! Go Team Ashton!

Comment by Marcie on February 9, 2014 at 5:12pm

Yay! We had a fabulous fun run yesterday. It is the first event where Becca kept her head and didn't get a case of the zoomies. Only one of our three runs would have been a qualifier, but she was tuned into me and had a blast. I think it is time to try a trial again.

Comment by Cheri on January 20, 2014 at 12:55pm

And I do running contacts with my corgis. My Pembroke and my older Cardigan have never once missed a contact (knock on wood). My younger Cardigan however is going to take some work to learn to execute the perfect running contact. But the running is what I plan for him also.

Comment by Cheri on January 20, 2014 at 12:53pm

Do you NEED a pause for control? Personally when statements like that are made, sometimes they're a result of the person making the statement's handling issues, not something the student necessarily needs to do.  When an instructor says it's for "control" what they mean is that it gives someone with a dog who is always ahead of the handler time to catch up with their dog, take a breath and get into position for the next sequence. If your dog is pacing you, as you indicated, there's really little need for a 2o2o for "control". You've already got control. Don't allow your instructor to push you into a behavior that you're not 100% sold on being for you and your dog. It's your dog, your run and therefore your decision to make the choice as to what you think is best for you and your dog. The instructor is allowed to have an opinion, but not to dictate what you will or will not do with your dog on your run.

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