# Agility Practice at Home or Not?



## golfgal (Dec 31, 2013)

We're just finishing off our first agility foundation class and starting our next one. Was wondering what if anything you do at home? 

Things I've learned so far - not all dogs love tunnels. First three walks, he'd do it but would rather avoid it. Then he decided tunnels were no big deal and started racing through. Last week, only way he'll go through is if held at one end and I call him at the other end. 

Contacts - teeters are for jumping over and off of - not walking across. 
A frames - flat okay and racing across. raised - not a hope in h***
Dog walk - stubborn mule mode and sits beside it. 

Great with jumps, sequences, commands, everything else we're learning. Would be a natural for the jumpers stuff. He's smart and fast which is good. And then there's his evil twin. 

I know it's early days yet but I swear its seems "I can do anything Murphy" is replaced with evil twin Mordor who refuses to do whatever he did previously. EG. Great with contacts when first learned. Refuses anything to do with them after that. Crate, ex-pen he'll go into at home, with no issue. At classes, you'd swear he was being led to his death and will fight to his last tooth and won't go in, no matter what you offer him. 

Not that I have a yard big enough for contact equipment training but just wondered if anyone had advice to offer. Although one instructor did tell me she only worked with border collies as golden's don't do agility, (we don't work with her)


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## AmberSunrise (Apr 1, 2009)

Goldens can do agility!! Good thing you decided not to study with such a bad instructor 

Goldens actually can excel at agility LOL

About training at home, jumps are a must. Weaves poles and teeter are close to a must -- they need a lot of practice. Some form of contact equipment is very helpful.

I no longer seem to do much agility (focus is currently on obedience) but my contact equipment is currently being resurfaced for when I do start up again


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## SwimDog (Sep 28, 2014)

Often when dogs jump on the teeter they are uncomfortable with the motion: 
Beginner Dog Agility: What to Practice at Home - Crossbones Dog Agility Blog

Can you take your xpen/crate and practice that at different parks or locations?

If you are training a stopped contact behavior - get a small prop and work at home and then different locations.

It sounds more like he's uncomfortable or not clear on his task with specific things - rather than just being difficult!


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## ILoveMyGolden (Oct 19, 2006)

Goldens can definitely excel at agility  Hope you can find a trainer with a positive attitude toward agility and Goldens!!

I don't have any contact equipment, but have a "set" (very homemade) of weaves I made, that I either use as 12 weaves, or 6, and then use the remaining 6 poles for jumps.

I had a lesson on full regular equipment last night for the first time in almost a year and I was glad I had my makeshift stuff to work on directions and get his head back in the game a bit! I would love to have space for an a-frame or dog walk, teeter we are thankfully okay with, but running contacts....not so hot, which is hard to practice without the real thing.


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## ceegee (Mar 26, 2015)

golfgal said:


> We're just finishing off our first agility foundation class and starting our next one. Was wondering what if anything you do at home?
> (...)
> Contacts - teeters are for jumping over and off of - not walking across.
> A frames - flat okay and racing across. raised - not a hope in h***
> ...


First, for the contact obstacles: I agree with Swimdog that your pup seems unsure, not stubborn. In the early days dogs sometimes confuse the teeter with the dogwalk, because they look similar from a dog's eye view, and if they're afraid of the teeter they're also going to be afraid of the dogwalk. You could start by propping up the teeter on two tables, so it's just a flat plank that doesn't "teeter" at all. Put your dog on the table and teach him to walk across the teeter, with treats, toys, whatever works. Then take one of the tables away, so it becomes a walk-up or walk-down. Then gradually introduce the "teeter" factor. It's very important for the dog to learn that he controls the movement. Once they realize they're in control, they usually lose any fear they may have.

For the dog walk, is it possible for the height to be reduced? Our club's dog walks can be dropped down so they're only a couple of feet high. This makes it much easier and safer for the dog to learn.

For the frame: it will come, just keep practising with an almost-flat frame and gradually increase the height.

To help with contacts, you can train a "target" command at home. I used a small plastic disc (e.g. yogurt pot lid) and clicker-trained my dog to touch it with her nose when I gave the "target" command. Put the disc at the bottom of the contact obstacle, with a treat, and use that to proof your contacts. You can practise this at home on the stairs: put the disc at the bottom of the stairs and train your dog to do a two-on two-off "contact".

For the crate/X-pen: Agility should be fun and this may be one battle too many right now. Is there any way to function without crating him for the time being? I never used a crate or pen in training: I either tethered my dog, or had her walk the exercises with me. Once your dog is doing all the equipment and enjoying it, then you can start re-introducing the pen or crate. Removing it for now will take away a source of stubbornness and let you both focus on the equipment.

And as for the trainer who said Goldens can't do agility: when my dog died earlier this year (hemangiosarcoma), she was the reigning Québec provincial and Canadian national champion in her division, and in 2014 she also won the Canadian national steeplechase event in her division - beating a number of border collies, Belgian shepherds and Australian shepherds in the process. In jumping events, it wasn't unusual for us to have the fastest time across all divisions, and in gambler (distance) events she was unbeatable, regularly scoring in the 120s and 130s. A trainer who limits himself or herself to border collies is, IMHO, being somewhat ridiculous. 

And last, to give you some hope: it took about a year and a ton of treats for my dog to become comfortable with the teeter! So don't give up. Your pup will figure it out and have a blast.


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## golfgal (Dec 31, 2013)

The trainer we're working with has taken lots of different dogs of varying breeds to regionals and nationals including her own. Works with all so she's wonderful. Lots of back-chaining, exactly what you guys said with the tables at both ends for teeters, dropped height on all stuff. She's teaching us the same things mentioned above in terms of targeting, etc. 

They think Murphy is just being a puppy albeit stubborn sometimes so not really concerned. I'm picking my battles, so not worrying about the crate as long as he'll down-stay or behave. It is odd that he's racing through bent tunnels one week and then next week decides no go. 

I'm having fun and figure he's coming along for the treats and exercise. Getting some jumps this weekend and see how affordable we can come up with a teeter. Glad to know it'll take time. It's funny to see this little papillion (?) race over these contacts and the bigger dogs decide no-way.


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