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Agility Questions for a New Puppy


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Hello!

 

I brought my BC pup home back in May and Athena is now 5 months old. She knows all basic obedience and then some. I understand most people wait to start agility to be easy on a pup's growing body. I started my last BC at a year old. Athena is so intelligent and energetic that I really hate to wait that long. Does anyone see a problem with starting a 5 month old on jumps a few inches high, weaves, and tunnels?

 

Also, I plan on doing a lot of the training my self, because I can't seem to find any groups that are in between the Montgomery, AL and Columbus, GA area (I live in Opelika). Anybody know a good agility group?

 

Lastly, I was planning on buying (I have no equipment as of yet) this beginner's set. Any thoughts?

 

Thanks!

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Weaves and jumps are hard on growing joints and muscle development. I wouldn't do more than a pole on the ground for jumps and three poles for weaves, just so she learns cues. I also wouldn't work for more than 5 or 10 minutes at a time, stop long before she gets tired. Slow tunnels and chutes shouldn't be a problem as long as your pup stays calm so she doesn't slip. Wobble boards and teaching her to walk the length of a very low plank are ok. Just keep in mind that when she's tired or very excited, she is more likely to be injured.

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There are all sorts of foundation type things you can work on with your dog, but there's absolutely no reason to be jumping her, weaving her or doing anything full size at all. It's too tough on little growing bodies, and besides, why would you start those things before starting the foundation, right? You can do cavaletti work on the ground with a ladder or spaced bars, teach contact end behaviours on a single stair (assuming you want a stopped contact), shadow handling on flat ground, directionals, wobble board stuff etc. You don't need to push her any further or faster; you want your agility dog to be able to play with you for a good long time, not just a good time, so don't push it. You have many years of agility fun ahead of you ... set the ground work now, and it will stand you in good stead when you start on real equipment. And find a class if you can, because cheapie home made equipment and no instruction can cause you and your dog to develop all kinds of bad handling and striding habits that are very hard to unlearn.

 

RDM

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I agree with Mr. Snappy (RDM). There are so many foundation skills (flatwork) that are important to teach, that you do not need to think about jumps, weaves (definitely NOT for a young pup), etc.

 

Have you done agility before? IMHO, handling skills are sooo much more important than obstacle skills. And you don't need formal agility equipment to teach handling skills.

 

You may want to check out the Clean Run website for books and/or DVDs on foundation skills.

 

Jovi

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I have done agility before, with my previous BC who recently died of cancer. Athena and I have been working on foundation stuff, such as target work with a yogurt lid, teaching her to go to the target away from me, working on a stair, the plank on the ground, and using a ladder to get her to figure out her back feet. I can't get her to stop jumping though. She's 5 month old, 28 lbs, and already clears the coffee table when she's excited. She in no way acts like a 5 months old and I'm trying to find stuff for her to do. I didn't have this problem with my last BC, who as I said, was a year old before I started her.

 

I am familiar with Clean Run and like their books and resources. I plan on doing the foundations myself, but would like a group later, but I can't find one in my area.

 

Also, I understand not to do full size equipment, I just wanted ideas on what to do with a puppy.

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We learned start line behaviors (how to line up between my legs, how to be set pointed the way I want, holding the stay until released) with a release to a target. We started shadow handling on the flat, race you to it games and how to stay in a crate or ex pen while mom is doing something fun without you (easy with two dogs).

 

I also play tracking with baby dogs, as its a great foundation behavior for teamwork, and I think baby dogs take to it easily. I enjoy the quiet one on one time and my dogs love it. If you just want something to do thats teamwork related, I highly recommend it.

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I agree with Mr. Snappy (RDM). There are so many foundation skills (flatwork) that are important to teach, that you do not need to think about jumps, weaves (definitely NOT for a young pup), etc.

 

Me too.

 

And a tunnel warning - start too young when it is the only obstacle that it is relatively safe for a pup to do and you risk creating a tunnel addict that will head for any tunnel it sees whether it is next or not.

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I have done agility before, with my previous BC who recently died of cancer. Athena and I have been working on foundation stuff, such as target work with a yogurt lid, teaching her to go to the target away from me, working on a stair, the plank on the ground, and using a ladder to get her to figure out her back feet. I can't get her to stop jumping though. She's 5 month old, 28 lbs, and already clears the coffee table when she's excited. She in no way acts like a 5 months old and I'm trying to find stuff for her to do. I didn't have this problem with my last BC, who as I said, was a year old before I started her.

 

I am familiar with Clean Run and like their books and resources. I plan on doing the foundations myself, but would like a group later, but I can't find one in my area.

 

Also, I understand not to do full size equipment, I just wanted ideas on what to do with a puppy.

 

Well then, another idea. Try trick training - via Sylvia Trkman's DVDs. She has several and I think this approach not only helps build a bond between you and the dog, but also helps strengthen muscles needed for an active lifestyle and hopefully lessens the chance of injury.

 

Jovi

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Shadow handling times a million!

 

Also consider starting the puppy jumping from Susan salo. Jump skills are so overlooked (why?? There's more jumps than anything else....) good to start right away with age apropriate exercises, go develop proper form.

 

Stairs 2x2 work, you can really proof her contact behavior noe off equipment.

 

Trick training - forms a great bond and body awareness. Along with crucial problem solving skills, learning how to learn. The possibilities are endless at what trick to teach.

 

You can start object discriminating so the pup can start learning to differentiate things by voice.

 

So much to do away from the equipment!!

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Agility Right From the Start is an excellent book if you are working on your own. I would also recommend lots of impulse control games and Crate Games. I would not consider weaves or jumps at this point. You can work on a million other things without them...directionals, collection and extension cues, start lines, etc.

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I checked out the link to the Jeffer's agiity set. IMO, no - do not buy it. It looks cheap, and I question how long it will last.

 

Are you, or do you have family or friends, that don't mind building some simple obstacles? Look up plans on the Internet. You will find that PVC is your friend.

 

Although you should not be jumping your puppy now, you can work on your flatwork skill through jump standards (without the jump bar). I think that jumps are the cheapest obstacles to start with. You can collect from there, but I would buy decent agility equipment - not only because it should last longer, but your dog will benefit from being trained on similar equipment to what is used in trials. I know some dogs can not handle the type of equipment seen at a trial if they train on a different type of equipment at home.

 

Even if you only have one jump, you can do a lot. There is a DVD of handling exercises using only one jump.

 

Jovi

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I have done agility before, with my previous BC who recently died of cancer. Athena and I have been working on foundation stuff, such as target work with a yogurt lid, teaching her to go to the target away from me, working on a stair, the plank on the ground, and using a ladder to get her to figure out her back feet. I can't get her to stop jumping though. She's 5 month old, 28 lbs, and already clears the coffee table when she's excited. She in no way acts like a 5 months old and I'm trying to find stuff for her to do. I didn't have this problem with my last BC, who as I said, was a year old before I started her.

 

I am familiar with Clean Run and like their books and resources. I plan on doing the foundations myself, but would like a group later, but I can't find one in my area.

 

Also, I understand not to do full size equipment, I just wanted ideas on what to do with a puppy.

 

 

my 5 month old and I are woking on 2on2 of walking across boards targets and footwork for front crosses and rear crosses and running across a flat board crate games waits

my coach had me just put up standards to go thru and around so he gets used to things but none of the hard on the body work just stuff where we can play and have fun theres plenty you can do that will give you a great bond and skill set for later

 

And I had to show off how handsome I think my baby boy is getting I adore him hes going to be such a great dog now that I took the training seriously and incorporated structure into his day no more beasty boy and he is having great fun learning.

post-10935-090743400 1343663207_thumb.jpg

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