# Age and Agility



## Cowtown (Sep 23, 2009)

I have a question about the appropriate age to begin considering agility events/training.

I've read alot about taking it easy on the pups bones and joints while they are growing, not letting them jump off the couch or our of the car, not picking them up by their legs etc.

It would seem like jumping over agility stuff would fit in that same category too....until they are around 18 months +/-.

At what age would it be safe or appropriate to begin considering agility? (my pup is just shy of 4.5 months right now).

Thank you!

Jeff


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## nixietink (Apr 3, 2008)

Hi Jeff,

I would start now! There is PLENTY of groundwork a puppy can learn. Even the jumps can be taught, however they are not very high off the ground until the appropriate age. I think some places even have puppy agility classes.


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## CarolinaCasey (Jun 1, 2007)

nixietink said:


> Hi Jeff,
> 
> I would start now! There is PLENTY of groundwork a puppy can learn. Even the jumps can be taught, however they are not very high off the ground until the appropriate age. I think some places even have puppy agility classes.


I agree with Nicole. I'm not doing agility right now, but my puppy will hopefully enjoy it in the near-future. I think we'll at least start the groundwork, crosses, tunnels, A-frame, and jumping over a pole on the ground. I think 2 years is when you can really start to jump.


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## AmbikaGR (Dec 31, 2007)

You can begin starting training now. Work on "contacts", gradually introducing the teeter with very low heights, tunnels and basic obedience at a young age is great. In my opinion the things to avoid are closing weave polls & only "jump" 8 inches till 12 - 15 months of age.
So you can still teach these basic concepts at younger ages.


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## Eleanor's Mom (Nov 6, 2009)

I started Agility with Eleanor when she was about 6 months old. I work with a group that understood she was a puppy and made sure she did nothing to stress her joints. The jumps were always very low and we mostly concentrated on the contact events. Eleanor loves agility class.


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## RedDogs (Jan 30, 2010)

Avoid weaving, jumps, and full height contact equipment.

If you can find a good agility class that will adapt exercises for a puppy, you will be off to a great start. 

Go and order the book "Agility Right from the Start" for lots of things to do!


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## kgiff (Jul 21, 2008)

My pup started foundation classes at 3 or 4 months old. A lot of foundation work is body awareness and handling and doesn't require full height or full size equipment. We kept jumps lower than his elbows and avoiding doing stopped contacts on lowered equipment. Once his growth plates closed (for him this was around 14 months), he learned weave poles and full height contacts and jumps appropriate to his height. Our classes were very young dog focused, but I still altered or declined some activities that I didn't feel were appropriate for my pup at his age.


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## Cowtown (Sep 23, 2009)

Wow, I had no idea we could get started already. I guess I was more focused on the jumping than other things we could do now.

We wrapped up puppy K and the same place has the next obedience class but the min. age the pup needs to be is 6 months of age. Jake is almost 4.5 months & has a lot of energy, so we need something to focus on in the interim. While he was more interested in the other pups in the puppy K class, he's smart as a whip and soaks up training very quickly and fairly easily.

I'll begin looking into a place we can get started on agility too!

Thanks to everyone for the great information.

Jeff


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