Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Jane on March 8, 2011 at 2:47pm

I would suggest waiting for the class to teach him about the obstacles. There is potential for injury if the dog falls or isn't taught something correctly, so IMO it's best to have an instructor's supervision in the beginning.

 

Two easy commands that I found helpful for beginner agility were "wait" and "go out". "Wait" indicates that the dog should stay in one spot (doesn't have to be sitting) and be ready to do something/pay attention to you. "Go out" means to go to a target (eventually an obstacle). Originally we started with a piece of chicken on a plastic lid about 5 feet away as a target, and then increased the distance gradually. Make the dog wait, walk out and place the lid/treat on the ground, walk back to the dog, then say "go out" and let him get the treat.

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Beth on March 8, 2011 at 3:10pm

I would wait on the actual agility commands til you see what the trainer does;  some use different terms than others.  What you CAN do is practice heeling off of both left and right sides (call it something else on the right; heel should mean left).   Focus on getting him to stay on the side you put him on;  you don't want him crossing over you on a course.

 

You can also do some fast heel work.  Do lots of changes of speed, direction, stops with and without a sit.  One thing I do is run with my dog, then put my hand out and call "Wait!" and go on ahead, then call him back to my side.   But make sure he stays on the side you put him on; your trainer will show you how to safely change sides with the dog. 

 

You can pop him over some very low (4 inch) jumps if you like as long as they are jumps that will fall down easily enough. If he clears them, great.   If he is knocking them over, I would hold off til the trainer can help.  Jack knew how to jump before we started agility (I've always taught my dogs to jump; it's a huge help on walks if you can signal them to jump over a fallen tree or a puddle).  But some struggle with it.

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Stephanie Raphaela Ho on May 31, 2011 at 1:26pm

Barney and I are working on basic obedience training now. 
He is 9 months old now, when is it best to start him on agility training? 

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Jane on May 31, 2011 at 1:47pm

It's recommended not to do anything major until they're 18 months or so to avoid any stress on their growing bones or joints. I started some really basic beginner stuff with my two at around a year old, but our trainer always keeps the jumps and the A-frame very very low for young dogs.

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Beth on May 31, 2011 at 3:09pm

A year-old Border Collie in our group is only doing 4-inch jumps.  With a Pem that young you'd probably mostly be doing ground work.  That said, ground work is very valuable and can be fun if done right.

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Bax & Zigs & Rosie on May 31, 2011 at 3:26pm

How fun! We started agility when Baxter was about 11 months old. We went to a trainer to practice basic groundwork, nothing involving the obstacles. I don't know what your trainer will have you do exactly, but practicing things like flips and wraps and general heeling moves will be very important as you start learning obstacles. Target training was also crucial to learn.

 

I love the website Agility Nerd. They have a lot of great information and videos.

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Jane Christensen on May 31, 2011 at 8:04pm

I would suggest checking with any AKC kennel clubs near you. Ours requires basic obedience and a good recall before you can start agility and they also don't want people starting the coarses/jumps as if you teach the dog incorrectly you could have a problem.

 

Good luck:)

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Judith Andre on June 1, 2011 at 1:38am

Clean  Run is a good magazine, but can be pretty confusing for a novice.  I have the folding jumps they sell on their web site and they are well made and handy to set up anywhere..kind of pricy but worth it for me since I don't have a yard.  I belong to GLOC, a dog training club here in Lincoln, NE and think a club, if available, might be a  better way to train and get involved than a for profit trainer.  Although they have their place too.  Some people do both.  Obedience training, especially off leash control, is very important and a good first step.  I don't think agility training is a good thing to undertake by yourself if you have never done it before.  Whatever you do, I hope you have fun with it.  We have a blast.  It's very addictive.  If I could do one thing over, it would be to do more jumping technique and timing drills when we started out.  Murray is a furry little rocket, more into speed than accuracy and we're struggling to get him to understand the importance of clearing the jumps. It was a struggle to get him to wait at the start of a run until I told him to go, but after much practice, he now seldom breaks.  The other thing that requires a lot of patience and ongoing training is getting them to work out away from you, but so much fun when they start getting it.....I dream of being one of those people that basically stands in the middle of the ring  directing their dog around the course.

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Stephanie Raphaela Ho on June 1, 2011 at 1:49am

Thanks, I guess I will consult my local trainer!
I'm sure Barney would enjoy it since he love to jump around at home

• ▶ Reply