# Agility beginner



## wenryder (Oct 21, 2010)

I have some exciting news!
Obie and I have been in an obedience class for the last few weeks. I was about 30 minutes early last week, and got chatting with the girl at the desk, and it turns out she is the assistant instructor for agility. I mentioned how I am interested in starting agility with Obie once we are done his obedience training ( early March). Well, I didn't really think much of it, but she came in and watched the class that night. Today when I arrived, she mentioned she was watching how he was with me, and was very impressed with him, and that if we were interested, she could get us into a class early, and we could start next week! She even saved a spot temporarily for us, just in case, until she had the chance to ask me. I am so excited! I said yes, and even though we're still in obedience, she feels Obie and I have a strong relationship already - I agree, but doesn't every pet owner? 

Wish us luck!! I'm really looking forward to this!


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## Maxs Mom (Mar 22, 2008)

That is wonderful! I LOVE agility and I hope you do too. The dogs seem to really like it. You will have to let us know how it goes.


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## Laurie (Sep 20, 2009)

Way to go Obie!!! You'll love agility...it's so much fun.

My guys are 5 months into agility and are loving it. I actually wish we would have started earlier.


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## sammydog (Aug 23, 2008)

I am sure you will have a blast! That's pretty neat that you were able to get into the class early! Good luck with your training!


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## Augie's Mom (Sep 28, 2007)

Agility and obedience are both so much fun. You will find that the skills learned in obedience and agility compliment each other. I find the attention from obedience helps focus Augie in agility and Augie's ability to pick up on my body language from agility helps in obedience. Good Luck you are embarking on a wonderful journey!


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## wakemup (Feb 6, 2011)

Have a blast! I think agility is super fun, but especially when you have a solid foundation in obedience. Go get 'em!


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## wenryder (Oct 21, 2010)

Thanks guys! I am very excited!


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## wenryder (Oct 21, 2010)

I just wanted to post an update and mention how impressed I was with our first class. Obie was going through tunnels over and over! We also started with jumps (low ones of course), and what is really funny is he is so accustomed to heeling on my left side, when I tried to get him to turn around and jump again on my right, he zoomed around my left side and not the jump. This will be something we work on.

All in all, a great first class! We go again on Wednesday.


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## jimla (Oct 9, 2008)

It's fun to see the dogs choose their favorite obstacle. Roxy loves the teeter. I build one to practice in our yard and she heads for it every time. She is still a little reluctant to dive into the tunnel. We are looking forward to intermediate agility classes, but we have to wait for the snow to melt!


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## Duke's Momma (Mar 1, 2007)

jimla said:


> It's fun to see the dogs choose their favorite obstacle. Roxy loves the teeter. I build one to practice in our yard and she heads for it every time. She is still a little reluctant to dive into the tunnel. We are looking forward to intermediate agility classes, but we have to wait for the snow to melt!


How did you build the teeter? Could you post a picture of it?

Congratulations on your agility. Cole and I have been doing it for about 3 months and are having a blast. I'm hoping to compete in a year or 2.


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## esSJay (Apr 13, 2009)

Awesome!! GO Obie!!!


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## wenryder (Oct 21, 2010)

Yeah! I'm so proud of him!

Each class the instructor is introducing us to a new piece of equipment. She is under the belief that we should go through the gear one at a time under proper instruction, because if we are attempting the equipment without knowing how it works, it can cause a startle or create fear in the dog, which can be difficult to reverse out of the dog's memory. I understand that. There are several dogs in the class who are having a very hard time with the tunnel, and even some with the jump (it's literally 4 inches off the ground, most can even step over it) but it is scary to some.

I'm trying to keep aware of Obie's reactions to it all as we go, and keep it light, fun and happy, lots of treats! Other than the jump he avoided by staying to my left, he's doing well.

Class tomorrow!


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## Maxs Mom (Mar 22, 2008)

> Each class the instructor is introducing us to a new piece of equipment. She is under the belief that we should go through the gear one at a time under proper instruction, because if we are attempting the equipment without knowing how it works, it can cause a startle or create fear in the dog, which can be difficult to reverse out of the dog's memory.


Glad to hear this. That is a sign of a good trainer. It can be very overwhelming.


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## TomCat'sGirl (Aug 27, 2010)

Way to go Obie!! How EXCITING!! I am so envious  I can not wait to start agility with Cash. I watch videos on youtube and it brings tears to my eyes lol. Not sad tears but WOW look at that kind of happy excited I want to jump out of my seat and go do it with Cash kind of tears :bowl: We are currnetly enrolled in polished puppy and on the 22nd of March we start CGC class. Our trainer does agility with her border collie and said she would give me a list of "preferred" agilty trainers that she would choose. She thought about teaching but she said she didn't want it to become a chore as she LOVES doing it with her dog. I was hoping to find a fundamental class that starts when he is almost finished or finished up with his CGC. He will be a year old on May 25th if he passes his CGC it would be on the 24th of May. I also plan on continuing obedience classes as I also want to show him in obeidence and earn some titles  Good luck I would love to hear all about how it goes with you and Obie!!


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## AmberSunrise (Apr 1, 2009)

Wow - it sounds like you found a really great class  Have fun!


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## wenryder (Oct 21, 2010)

Tonight was our second class. We started on the A-frame. It was cute watching Obie for the first time, he didn't want his back paws on the up-ramp, so he crawled his front legs up as far as he could reach. EVentually we lifted his back paws up and voila! He got it. It was up and down like a piece of cake. 

We seemed to have taken a small step backwards with tunnels - as he would much rather go around them than through. We spent some time at the end of class going back and forth through the tunnels, so hopefully that will help. 

We did a small run of a course, including jump, tunnel, jump, tunnel, a-frame... all off-leash with the touch command. It was great! Other than the tunnels, Obie did very well! I could tell by the end of class he was done, as we were halfway through the course and he ran to DH and sat down with this look, "Mum, I'm done now! I don't want to do any more!" awwwww poor guy!!!! We finished the circuit and called it a night.


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## LibertyME (Jan 6, 2007)

Love the excitement and happiness in your post 
Obie is a lucky pup!
Enjoy your training adventures!


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## Maxs Mom (Mar 22, 2008)

He will get better. It is a lot for a young dog. Oh and the tunnels.... that will come back with a vengence. Most are tunnel suckers. LOL 

I am so glad you have having a great time. 

I assist a puppy class, EXTREME beginner, about half way through the hour you can see the young dogs losing focus. I usually tell the handler to go out side for a potty break (fresh air), or water their pups. Sometimes that is all the pup needs to get through the rest of class. I know Teddi needed her halfway brain fresh to finish.


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## goldensrbest (Dec 20, 2007)

yes, i to would like pictures of things built, for agility, please.


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## jimla (Oct 9, 2008)

Duke's Momma said:


> How did you build the teeter? Could you post a picture of it?


Our agility equipment is disassembled and stored for the Winter. We have six inches of snow on the ground. Sorry, I haven't taken any pictures. I made the teeter, jumps, weave poles, and table from plans in the book "Dog Agility Equipment Construction Instructions" by Ann Embry. The teeter frame is made from 1" PVC tubing and fittings and a 1X12 inch wood plank. The book also has plans for hoop, dog walk, and A-frame. 















 Amazon.com: Dog Agility Equipment Construction Instructions: YOU CAN! Build Better Training Obstacles for your Dog (9781450505147): Ann Embry: Books

Other sources for do-it-yourself agility equipment plans:

Agility Equipment Links

agility-equipment : This list is for the exchange of ideas regarding construction of dog agility equipment

DOG AGILITY

Agility Home Page

http://members.peak.org/~helix/Agility/


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## TomCat'sGirl (Aug 27, 2010)

jimla said:


> Our agility equipment is disassembled and stored for the Winter. We have six inches of snow on the ground. Sorry, I haven't taken any pictures. I made the teeter, jumps, weave poles, and table from plans in the book "Dog Agility Equipment Construction Instructions" by Ann Embry. The teeter frame is made from 1" PVC tubing and fittings and a 1X12 inch wood plank. The book also has plans for hoop, dog walk, and A-frame.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


 
Thanks for all the links as my husband is very interested in "building" rather then buying. We need to take a class first though. Thanks


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## Maxs Mom (Mar 22, 2008)

Approach building substantial obstacles with caution. Like the teeter. My husband built ours, it is HEAVY DUTY, but a lot of the teeters people build are with PVC, most only have a weight safety limit of 60#. Most dogs flying on a teeter would probably have more than 60 pounds of pressure, especially if the dog weighs 60#. Not saying you can't do it, but research it and be sure it is safe and can withstand the rigors.


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## wenryder (Oct 21, 2010)

I'll have to try giving him a break part way through class. We have class again tonight, so I will be sure to watch for signs and body language from him. 

Thanks for letting me share my excitement of all of this. =)


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## RaeRae1706 (Nov 4, 2010)

I am so glad you posted this  Luna and I have her first "agility for fun" class starting next Saturday. This morning we are going to the indoor gym so that she, Sunny and I can play. I won't attempt to make her do anything on the equipment, I just want her (and me) not to feel nervous our first day there. This way she will have smelled some of the smells etc. I think this class will be okay for us, as she has never taken an obedience class though we work on obedience at home. I am think of enrolling Sunny in obedience classes because he is so eager to please, and I think way to clumsy for agility though me may grow out of it. Sometimes he stumbles while getting in the car...lol. 

How was your class on the 2nd? I am eager to hear anything I can


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## Bender (Dec 30, 2008)

I know it's tempting to build the contact stuff at home, but really the metal based stuff is so much nicer to deal with and move around - it's worth it in the end to pay the money and get the lighter stuff in most cases. I remember the first club I was in and their wall made from 2x4s and solid wood. It didn't move at all but took 6-8 people to hoist that thing and move it around and it was that much more bulk to store. Now the lighter stuff one person can pivot it around and drag if needed....

Though I do miss some of the cool wood jumps some clubs had, one club did a whole mountains/nature theme and had trees for wings, moose outlines, they were so cool.

Now if we can just get the darn snow out of here - setting up a meeting soon to figure out my classes as well as agility classes and fun matches - who needs boot camp when all of that is going on?


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## Duke's Momma (Mar 1, 2007)

"Tempting" isn't the word for it. If we want to continue in agility, which I do, then the only way is to built or "make due" with some other stuff. For instance - and I know this isn't ideal, but I have several patio umbrella stands so I simply put the bottom of the umbrella in the stand and use it as one side of a standard.

We do not have the money to go buy what we need. Heck, I'm not even able to continue with the agility right now as it's quite expensive - $195 for 6 lessons. I love this trainer - she's very well known in this area and well worth the money if you have it! She even loaned me a pvc jump that I use at the lowest jump height (4" I think) as it needs the pole to stand. 
So, with that, we'll be making our own jumps/standards using it as a pattern.

I checked the $ of the teeters and simply cannot justify purchasing one. I've been checking on Craig's list for used ones but so far haven't found any. I did find an inexpensive tunnel on line that I did purchase.

You do what you have to do, but of course I want him safe as well. I purchased a book - not in front of me but an agility trainer - that Liz highly recommends to keep up with some of the lessons and we'll come back if/when business picks back up or keep saving my pennys and continue to work at home with what we know and out of the book. 

Anyway, thanks so much for the links! And..............go Obie & Luna (and, of course my Coley!)


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## IowaGold (Nov 3, 2009)

Duke's Momma said:


> We do not have the money to go buy what we need. Heck, I'm not even able to continue with the agility right now as it's quite expensive - $195 for 6 lessons. I love this trainer - she's very well known in this area and well worth the money if you have it! She even loaned me a pvc jump that I use at the lowest jump height (4" I think) as it needs the pole to stand.


Holy cow!!! I pay $47.70 ($53 minus 10% for repeating) for a month (so 4-5 weeks depending on the month).


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## wenryder (Oct 21, 2010)

RaeRae1706 said:


> How was your class on the 2nd? I am eager to hear anything I can


It was great! We started with the tire. That one came about really quick. Every class, we get the chance to run mini-circuits, which includes all the equipment we have learned so far.

Speaking of costs, we found a good place to practice once we finish out class. It's the Pawsway down on the Queens Quay in Toronto. and it's FREE! They have open Agility for about 6 hours straight so you can come and go as you like. We went on Thursday to check it out, and had the chance to play... we tried curved tunnels (mastered!! yes!) and a mini-teeter (like 2" off the ground... hehe)


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## jimla (Oct 9, 2008)

Bender said:


> Now if we can just get the darn snow out of here - setting up a meeting soon to figure out my classes as well as agility classes and fun matches - who needs boot camp when all of that is going on?


Yes, I'm waiting patiently for the snow to melt here too! Roxy and I on the waiting list for Spring intermediate level classes. Our agility training facility has a new covered arena which will be great for rainy Spring training. They rent their equipment for $5/hour, a great deal.


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## Maxs Mom (Mar 22, 2008)

Building jumps is cheap. PVC can be purchased rather cheaply. The contacts are the big money. We wanted all the big pieces but we realize we don't have any room. Really the teeter is the one piece most dogs need practice with. Never had one have an issue with a table, dog walk or A frame. 

To me it is worth investing in good weave poles. Stab in the grounds are ok, but they keep shifting and it is hard to work with when you really get better.


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## wenryder (Oct 21, 2010)

We did it! We finished our class!



A video of our timed trial:


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## sammydog (Aug 23, 2008)

That looks like a blast! Congrats on finishing your first class, what a fun way to celebrate it! Now, did I see someone jump their contact! 

Hope you are signing up for another class! It's lots of fun!


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## wenryder (Oct 21, 2010)

sammydog said:


> Now, did I see someone jump their contact!


Yes you DID! How embarrasing. The instructor didn't catch it, but I saw it after I posted the video. I was definitely lagging behind after the table, which caused a few problems for the end of the course. 
Thanks for watching. =)


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## sammydog (Aug 23, 2008)

Don't be embarrassed! Obie looked great! He wouldn't be a real agility dog if he did not go flying over a contact now and then!  just another thing to practice!


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## wenryder (Oct 21, 2010)

Yep! I look forward to practicing with him!

We will also be signing up for the Agility level 2 in September!


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## jimla (Oct 9, 2008)

Congratulations to you and Obie! He looks really confident on the course.


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## fostermom (Sep 6, 2007)

Looks like both of you were having a great time! I will never post a video of Danny and me. LOL. He's much better than I am.


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## The_Artful_Dodger (Mar 26, 2009)

Way to go Obie! Looks like you both had a lot of fun!


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