# 11 months too young for agility?



## Jennifer1 (Mar 31, 2012)

Hi everyone
My local obedience club is starting a beginning agility class on April 1st. Kenzie will turn 11 months old on 3/27.
Is this too young for agility? This is beginning agility, not puppy agility which some clubs offer, but unfortunately not mine!
The club offers classes about every 4 months or so, but I'm not sure when they would offer the beginning class again, since they don't offer the same classes each quarter. The clubs restrictions say 10 months old, but I want to make sure I wouldn't be doing any damage.


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## mylissyk (Feb 25, 2007)

There is a lot of groundwork that comes at the beginning of agility training, check and see what is included in the beginner class. Dogs should not be asked to jump until they are at least 18 months old. As long as there is no jumping involved in the beginner level class, sign up and have fun!


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## Vhuynh2 (Feb 13, 2012)

Molly is starting agility next month and she'll be 15 months. Her breeder told me to request everything to be set up for toy dogs and to not weave in a straight line or something, whatever that means. Hopefully the instructor will know. I'm going to be cautious until she's at least 18 months old. 


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## Jennifer1 (Mar 31, 2012)

By jumping do you mean like through the hoops and over the rails? Are those okay if they are set low, like elbow height, or just no jumping period?


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## MaddieMagoo (Aug 14, 2007)

Jennifer1 said:


> By jumping do you mean like through the hoops and over the rails? Are those okay if they are set low, like elbow height, or just no jumping period?


No jumping the bars or through the tire (the hoop). Not even elbow height, that is too risky for them to develop hip/elbow issues in the future. There is foundation training required for agility, more than a beginner thinks there is! I would recommend checking out Clean Run for books or DVD's on beginning agility. Hope this helps!


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## tippykayak (Oct 27, 2008)

There's a ton you can do at that age! You just set the bars on the floor for the dog to learn to go between the posts, and you skip the tire for the time being. You can learn your contacts, handling, and most obstacles without putting significant impact on a young dog's joints. Then, when you get to 18 months, you'll have lots of skills in place and you can start raising the—literal—bar.


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## Chaya (Aug 18, 2012)

We plan on starting agility with Laika next month - she'll be 5 months. The only modifications you need to make are as others have said, set all jumps on the ground (including the tire) and don't introduce the weaves until she is older. We're starting early not to be competitive or anything, but I really like how the groundwork in agility helps clarify communication between me and my dogs for normal life.


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## nolefan (Nov 6, 2009)

I have been waiting until my collie, Mack, is turning two this spring until I go beyond 'pre-agility' class. The big requirement at our club is a good stay and a very reliable recall. As much fun as the other stuff is, it might be a better use of your time to spend the next 6 months practicing a distraction proof recall (unless you already have it, in which case, my hat is definitely off to you ).


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## tippykayak (Oct 27, 2008)

I second the idea of practicing your off-leash handling and recall. The biggest problem people seem to run into at our agility classes is dogs who decide to have zoomies one they're off the leash or who haven't learned to look to their person for guidance once that leash clicks off. Agility is a fun place to develop those skills, because the dog gets an athletically rewarding activity to do with you in exchange for offering you obedience, but the more foundation you have, the easier class will be.


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## Jennifer1 (Mar 31, 2012)

I guess I can postpone agility until she is older.
I guess I would like to keep in some form of formal training though rather than just do it myself-the class environment keeps me honest in my trianing! The other option is to repeat basic obedience again?


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## tippykayak (Oct 27, 2008)

Jennifer1 said:


> I guess I can postpone agility until she is older.
> I guess I would like to keep in some form of formal training though rather than just do it myself-the class environment keeps me honest in my trianing! The other option is to repeat basic obedience again?


Wait, why? If your instructor thinks your dog is ready, there's so much you can do in beginning agility without doing jumps! It's so fun!


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## Jennifer1 (Mar 31, 2012)

Their only requirements are completion of beginning obedience and being 10 months old.
I'll email the club and just double check that it is okay for no jumps. If that is okay then I'll go ahead and sign her up.
They pulled out some if the agility equipment during her puppy kindergarten class and she absolutely loved those, especially the tunnel!


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## Lucky Penny (Nov 13, 2011)

This is a much talked about subject. Some top agility trainers would say to start as soon as possible with the basics, and to jump real low. Some folks, and most vets say to wait until the dog is two until you do any agility. Weaves are a lot of stress on their bodies, jumps, well we know those aren't good for growing legs, and contacts could be dangerous. A beginner agility class may just be ladders, wobble boards,tunnels, and low sea saws. 

I would find out what exactly is taught in the class, and most certainly if there is something you feel is not a good idea for Kenzie to do now, then don't do it, and just let the trainer know.

Another option is to wait and do an advanced level of obedience. More obedience can never hurt and will mostly likely make agility even better.

Personally, I am waiting until Luna is two until I do any jumping with her in obedience. I have taught Luna the dog tunnel, and had her go on the sea saw set really low for just wobble practice. I love agility, but I haven't decided if I am going to do that with her or not. I know with my first girl, Penny, I did agility before she was two. She was not sound from middle to older age. I don't know if that was from the agility or what, but I am always waiting until my dogs are two. Never doing it before two again.


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## AmberSunrise (Apr 1, 2009)

I wait until my dogs are around 15 months to start any real jumping, and they are not up to full height until well after 18 months(sometimes 2 years) - until then you can use jump bumps or bars set at 4 inches to teach the mechanics of going through the stanchions - I would not advise bars on the ground since a dog should never think bars belong on the ground. No weave poles until they are older as well. But they can be learning contacts using a plank or travel board, your dog will need self control and basic obedience etc. 

As others have mentioned talk to the instructor. One instructor in my area teaches what she calls Beginner Agility which is really the ground work for several sessions while another at the same training club starts with weaves and contacts the first week,


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## tippykayak (Oct 27, 2008)

Sunrise said:


> I would not advise bars on the ground since a dog should never think bars belong on the ground


I defer to Sunrise on this one. I've seen people do bars on the ground for pups before, but Sunrise is waaaaaaay more experienced than I am on this, so I'd go with her advice here.


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## MarieP (Aug 21, 2011)

tippykayak said:


> Wait, why? If your instructor thinks your dog is ready, there's so much you can do in beginning agility without doing jumps! It's so fun!


I agree, why wait?? I haven't done much agility, but I know that there is a LOT more to it than the jumping. I know people who have started their 8 week old puppies on agility basics. Some can even be done on leash. Good instructors should be able to have a class that is safe for all the dogs. I say, go for it! Have fun! Dogs' lives are too short as it is.


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## Jennifer1 (Mar 31, 2012)

Thanks everyone
I will definitely sign her up for this session. I just won't allow any jumping-or weave polls!
I'm very excited! Agility and Rally are the 2 big things I wanted to try with her. Hopefully they'll have a rally class coming up soon, it isn't offered this next session.


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## Kmullen (Feb 17, 2010)

I have started agility with my 9 week old puppy, but nothing crazy!! Introduce to tunnels, bars on the ground, and chutes. I had a puppy teeter and dog walk that was in the Play area when they were puppies. I agree with what everyone else has said.


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## sammydog (Aug 23, 2008)

I started Mira in a regular agility class at 6 months old. There is a lot more to classes than just the equipment. Teaching your dog to work/play with you and to pay attention to you with distractions. Teaching a good stay and release word is important. Jumps should be all the way down (4" or on the ground) and I would avoid weaving and full sized contacts. It would be good to find out the things that they cover. In Mira's class they did have an introduction to the weaves and I just worked on playing/staying/focus during that time.

Have fun!!


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## Jennifer1 (Mar 31, 2012)

I spoke with my basic obedience instructor and he suggested I wait for Kenzie to be a little less excitable before trying agility. He said he tried it with his dog (German shorthair) when she was younger and she was just so exited she would go over the obstacles too fast and fall out of them. He suggested I concentrate more on basic obedience right now and look into it next time it is offered.
Unfortunately this club doesn't to obedience past basic manners as a class. He suggested I look into another club in the area. They are mainly a mondioring/shutzhund club but are also available to work with people that are just interested in obedience without the protection aspect. They have training twice a week at a local park so I'll probably go check them out to see if they are willing to work with a golden!

I'm also going to sign up as an observer for the fenzi nose work class


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## Gwen_Dandridge (Jul 14, 2012)

What age is recommended for weave poles? Maddie is just starting them and I'm walking her through them very slowly.


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## sammydog (Aug 23, 2008)

Weavepoles are the last thing I teach my dogs. Mira was 14 months old when I started training the weavepoles. Some people will tell you 18-24 months. You don't want them to learn how to do them slow, I like to wait until they are old enough and teach them start to finish in a short period.


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## Gwen_Dandridge (Jul 14, 2012)

Okay, Maddie turns 14 months on the 17th and the next set of classes will start right around then. Perfect!


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