Comment

Comment by Judith Andre on January 24, 2010 at 2:03am

Different dogs work at different speeds. It seems like dogs that are encouraged to go faster are more enthusiastic......in Murray's case, sometimes too much enthusiasm. Sometimes, we work totally silently so he will slow down a little as with no verbal he really has to watch me. In any case, the running required is in relatively short spurts and gets you into shape. As you get better you are encouraged to work at a distance from your dog, and that makes for less running.

Comment by Chloe's parent Liz on January 22, 2010 at 9:58pm

how much running should I expect to do?

Comment by Chloe's parent Liz on January 22, 2010 at 1:35am

This is good information.

Comment by Judith Andre on January 21, 2010 at 9:44pm

Murray likes Agility so much better than he did obedience, which he thought was boring. We've been doing it for 6 or 7 months now. He caught on really fast and loves it, but has been going backwards for the last couple months or so. I guess this is not unusual once they get some confidence, but it is very frustrating. When he's not being "naughty" it's so much fun. He loves anything that's a game and especially high places so getting scared has not been a problem. It seems like the teeter tooter scares a lot of dogs. Be sure that there is someone on the other end to let it down easy until she is used to it. They can be lowered so they are closer to the floor and some instructors do that. I've also seen some lower the dogs walk, but I'm not sure that is a good idea because it tempts them to jump off the side. The sooner you can get her to work off leash the easier it is in my opinion. The leash tends to get in the way. We kept them on leash for the first 6 weeks and off after that. Probably the most important thing is to keep it positive and fun even when they're screwing up. When they mess up just go back and do it again, don't scold them. Treats and praise. Also, keeping a fast pace seems to make it a lot more fun for them. I'm sure your instructor will tell you this, but body language is far more important than any verbal commands you give them. If you are giving them a verbal, but your body, especially shoulders, are pointing slightly off, they will almost always go where your body is pointing. Good luck and keep us updated on how you're doing. p.s. my last Corgi, Zac also died of d.m. It's heart breaking.

Comment by Bev Levy on January 18, 2010 at 7:19am

Sounds like fun!

Comment by Cooper, Nora, Grady, Izzy & Jax on January 17, 2010 at 11:59pm

well, she'll be a little scared of some of the equipment. So be sure to have lots of patience and lots of cheese!!!