# Karma is a great pup



## Lisa_and_Willow. (Dec 18, 2007)

The agility class I am in isn't competive. It is just a fun beginner class which could lead to more if we wanted but we are all novices so it will take some time!!

Willow goes to the puppy section of the class and they are learning to touch contact points, do the tunnel and walk through the hurdles. 

We also have a tunnel and a couple of jumps that we use in the garden at home for a bit of practice!


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## GoldenJoyx'stwo (Feb 25, 2007)

Go to the skills classes and learn, then make or buy your won equipment??? I have a few pieces for Tucker.


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## Ljilly28 (Jan 22, 2008)

Tango loves touching the contact points bc our intsructor doles out treats to her like a pez dispenser. She says to "pay the dog well" for contact. Lol


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## MaddieMagoo (Aug 14, 2007)

You could possibly go to these websites that I am linking for you. There are GREAT books out there to tell you how to teach agility. I don't want to sound rude, but I don't see how you could do agility for 'fun', when what does your dog do with the knowledge? I compete and we have fun at the same time.

Here are some websites:

www.jjdog.com
www.cleanrun.com
www.sitstay.com

That's all I can think of right now, but I know you want to have fun, but I think your puppy needs to have basic house manners first, BEFORE having 'fun' in agility. You will definetly get frustrated when you can't get your puppy to come back to you when you say come or down or sit or stay....foundational manners ALWAYS comes first, then you can move on to the 'fun'... just my 2 cents.


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## metamorphosis (Apr 12, 2008)

Karma has done sit and down for three or four weeks now...she also does "come" when commanded...stay is getting better by the day, she just gets nervous now when she can't see one of us so she comes to see where we went. I am guessing that's natural for a 14 week old though...doesn't want to be left alone when there might be something exciting going on in the next room. lol


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## MaddieMagoo (Aug 14, 2007)

I would STILL make sure that all of those are safe and secure sit and stays...downs and comes...no matter what! Add distractions, because those will be ALL around her. I just have a question, with the agility training, why do you want to do it for fun? I'm just wondering because it really doesn't make sense to me just to train it for 'fun'...really? Whats the point if the dog learns how to jump and go under stuff...and practices once a day or maybe even more? Ok...sorry if it sounds rude...but still you should put them up to the test in competition?


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## metamorphosis (Apr 12, 2008)

This is something we are just both interested in...I am sure that Seth will add his reply at some point...but for "fun"...as in she LOVES a challenge...and we do have casual "competitions" around here...fund raisers for shelters and the like...which, at some point, if she enjoys doing it, could be a possibility.
There are many people in this area that do this sort of thing with their dogs at parks...just for fun...it challenges the owner...and the dog...and adds another aspect to training and the bond formed with them. 
This isn't something that would be started soon...it is just a "down the road" idea...she has lots of "regular" stuff to learn first...and become solid at...we know that. 
She does very well with her "sits" and "downs", "shakes" and "high fives" when out in public...she comes without problem when on her flexi-lead even when there are distractions...she is a puppy and is still learning all the basics (which we obviously want before anything more in depth).

I never thought WANTING to train a dog without being competitve would be a problem or be something to be looked down upon.


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## Jersey's Mom (Nov 25, 2007)

Some people just really enjoy getting out with their dogs and doing things that are geared towards them. I can fully understand why you would like to dabble in agility for fun and I think Karma will enjoy it... of course, don't be surprised if you get bit by the agility bug and decide to take it further, but either way I think it will be a great experience. I don't know if you have considered taking a basic obedience course, but it's another great way to get out, bond, and have some fun with your pup. It also has the added bonus of teaching her to pay attention to you amid distractions. Most basic obedience classes are actually much more about teaching the handler, with almost a secondary focus on teaching the dog, and carry over to everyday life with your pup. Sounds like she's learning the basics well so far!! I wouldn't push her to do stays with you out of site yet... for now I would stay in the room with her and work on increasing your distance slowly. It's important for her to become confident that nothing bad is going to happen to her while she's away from you and that will take a little time. Keep up the good work, and I hope you and Karma have a great time testing out some different sports!!

Julie and Jersey

Edited to add: There were a couple other things I meant to say and completely forgot :doh:. First, as you've already said this is going to be a down the road thing... make sure you're staying away from jumping until she's nearing maturity (I started Jersey at 14 months... looking back knowing what I do now I may not have started him until at least 18 months, closer to 2 years, but I doubt it made all that much difference). It would be a shame to risk an injury. Second and most importantly, most people train their dogs (in any field) for the enjoyment of it and the opportunity to spend time with and increase their bond with their dog. Competitions should always be secondary... and added "bonus" if you will. A title should signify the relationship between you and your partner (dog), because really what other value does it have?


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## metamorphosis (Apr 12, 2008)

Thank you Julie...and we are well aware we may be bit by the "bug"  
at this point, it just isn't in the picture...neither of us are competitive people. 
*shrugs*
She just loves to learn...and we love to watch her learn (and learn along with her)...I also understand that many people LOVE to compete with their dogs...but I don't see it as a requirement just because a dog has learned to do certain things.
I know that we both just want the most active/healthy/happy life for all of us.

I will freely admit that I have been completely turned off to the showing/competition world due to a job that I had in college. I nannied for a family's 3 children because the dad was a doctor and never home...the mom was a stay-at-home-mom but NEVER paid attention to her children because she was so busy with her dogs...I had to go to many shows across the country because she wanted to be able to show off her kids too...many MANY people I ran into were very "snooty" and rude and liked to play "holier than thou"...I don't have any desire to surround myself with people like that...I realize that not all are like that...but those two years of my life left a really bad taste in my mouth.


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## MaddieMagoo (Aug 14, 2007)

metamorphosis said:


> Thank you Julie...and we are well aware we may be bit by the "bug"
> at this point, it just isn't in the picture...neither of us are competitive people.
> *shrugs*
> She just loves to learn...and we love to watch her learn (and learn along with her)...I also understand that many people LOVE to compete with their dogs...but I don't see it as a requirement just because a dog has learned to do certain things.
> ...


 
Ok now I understand...I thought you meant you would start this ASAP!! But before you do that...your dog has to be at LEAST a year old before jumping any bar...her hips and elbows are still developing, and we wouldn't want you getting depressed because of starting too soon.
I *never* said that having fun was looked down upon...just wondering what got you started to train this, that's all.

Also, about the show people, most of the people you are talking about are Conformation people, they think they must suck up the points all in one weekend and their dog should have the CH title right away, sorry but there's no 'magic dust' to sprinkle upon them and make them a Champion overnight, it happens through hard work and dedication, and lots of trusting relationships. Sorry going off here...but I learned that the hard way, and I still am!:

I hope you and Karma enjoy the time in agility, how old is she?


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## katieanddusty (Feb 9, 2006)

If you've never been to an agility trial, you should go to one and talk to the people there. Most agility people are nice regular people with normal jobs who spend less money on other things so that they can go do agility with their best friends on the weekends. As long as you don't interrupt them when they're warming up their dog right before they run, most everyone will be very friendly and happy to talk with you (there are always a few of the super-competitive type who think the entire agility trial is their domain and don't like intruders, but that definitely is the minority). The people you worked for were probably conformation people. A lot of conformation people scare me (not anyone on here, but the ones I've talked to in person).

If you just want to do jumps and tunnels, you can buy a cheap tunnel on Ebay, put jumps together with whatever chairs and stuff you have, and go for it as soon as your puppy is old enough (no jumps at all until 6 months, and keep the jumps below the dog's elbow height until 14-18 months). You could also throw in other fun things like running around a trash can, running through a hula hoop, lying down in a circle outlined with a couple extra leashes, whatever you can think of. Start out doing fun stuff like that, and if you ever decide you want to do the contact obstacles and/or compete, you'll already be a step ahead with your dog's confidence, your training skills, and the relationship between you and your dog. Plus you wouldn't be able to do much else until your puppy is a lot older anyways.

If you want to do the big scary obstacles (seesaw, A-frame, dogwalk), I think you should start out by taking classes with an experienced instructor who uses positive methods and has a good reputation among the people you meet at trials. It's important both to keep your dog safe and both you and your dog will have more fun. Once your dog knows how to do all the obstacles safely and happily, it's possible to build them relatively cheaply and keep going on your own. We built an A-frame and a teeter with a $90 PVC teeter base and a $50 A-frame hardware kit (plus the boards, primer/paint, and sand). Even if you end up wanting to compete, you don't need to go to classes every week. I haven't been to a class in months. After building our equipment, all we spend on agility is the entry fees and the occasional $15 to drop in on a class.

Basic obedience is obviously a big priority, but the biggest priority is your relationship with your puppy. Playing with tunnels and other baby "agility" skills is one way to build your puppy's confidence and show your puppy that working with you is fun. Also burning off a little bit of the energy will often help your obedience training.


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## metamorphosis (Apr 12, 2008)

CreekviewGoldens said:


> Ok now I understand...I thought you meant you would start this ASAP!! But before you do that...your dog has to be at LEAST a year old before jumping any bar...her hips and elbows are still developing, and we wouldn't want you getting depressed because of starting too soon.
> I *never* said that having fun was looked down upon...just wondering what got you started to train this, that's all.
> 
> Also, about the show people, most of the people you are talking about are Conformation people, they think they must suck up the points all in one weekend and their dog should have the CH title right away, sorry but there's no 'magic dust' to sprinkle upon them and make them a Champion overnight, it happens through hard work and dedication, and lots of trusting relationships. Sorry going off here...but I learned that the hard way, and I still am!:
> ...


Glad we're on the same page now. 

It just seemed as though you were saying that it wasn't worth doing if we weren't going to compete...and we didn't understand that line of thinking at all.

Yes...the woman I worked for was a Conformation person...I tried to avoid most of the people at all costs...but it was as if the kids and I were also there to be "shown off"...the kids because of how well they behaved (I was "training" the kids while mom was training the dogs)...and me because ooh...she could have a travelling nanny...it was sickening and it completely turned me off.

Oh...and she is still a BABY...she will be 15 weeks old on Friday.


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## metamorphosis (Apr 12, 2008)

katieanddusty...thank you for your input as well...it is very helpful...she is still very much a baby, but she is picking up the basics so quickly that we feel that we need to find new fun/educational things for her to do to keep that sponge of a brain working...and we have so much fun working with her!! 

I (we?) may just have to go observe sometime...we shall see.


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## katieanddusty (Feb 9, 2006)

There are a BUNCH of fun things you can do with puppy sponge brains  If you don't already, you should get into clicker training. Using the clicker to teach a bunch of random things is very fun. A really common game is "101 things to do with a box" where you take a box and click/reward for looking at the box, then going toward the box, then putting a paw in the box, touching the box with a nose or paw, putting two paws in the box, sitting in the box, pushing the box around, whatever. You can use stuff other than a box too. You only reward the same thing a few times so the dog has to keep offering different things. 

It's really fun to see what the dog comes up with trying to get the cookie, and having a dog that understands offering behaviors is really helpful in agility. You can start training anything by playing 101 things to do with it (low contact obstacles, a tunnel, the tire, everything). Eventually your dog will recognize when it's time to play and will start deliberately seeking out objects and figuring out what to do with them. Sometimes Dusty and I just walk around the yard and he offers behaviors with whatever is there (trash cans, chairs, trees, etc). He puts his paws up on the trash cans, puts his head onto the seat of the chair, runs around the trees, and so on.

Another fun thing you might want to get into that doesn't require any classes or equipment is freestyle ("dancing" with the dog). You can start with basic stuff like spinning and weaving between your legs, and eventually there are a bunch of complicated moves that are fun to teach. Here is a video of a Golden doing a freestyle routine http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HqbVbPvlDoM

Once puppy understands clicker training and offering behaviors, you can teach her anything. There are the standard tricks like shake and roll over, but people have also taught their dogs to bring them a Kleenex when they pretend to sneeze, close cupboard doors, turn lights on and off, etc. You can also string the tricks into cute little performances (a classic is having the dog sit up on their hind legs when you say "Stick em up!" and then fall over and play dead when you say "Bang!").

Here is a good web site that has descriptions of training your dog to do a bunch of things (basic obedience and general manners as well as some agility, some advanced obedience, and some fun stuff like scent discrimination). I don't know of anyone who actually trained their dog through all of the "levels," but it's a nice source of different things you can train and how to train them. http://www.dragonflyllama.com/ DOGS/ Dog1/levels.html

Can you tell I really wish I had my own sponge-brained puppy? :


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## metamorphosis (Apr 12, 2008)

Thank you so much Katie...all of those things are very helpful...and we're looking forward to trying them. Seth is the lucky one that is home with her all the time and can break from whatever he's doing to train...then I just reinforce in the mornings before I go to work...but it is so much fun to see and try the new things she has been working on the day(s) before. 

The puppy sponge brain is WONDERFUL 90% of the time  the other 10% is crazy puppy antics that we are still getting used to and trying very hard to understand :doh:


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## LibertyME (Jan 6, 2007)

Competition or not...makes no matter to me! 
What you want to do is just plain good puppy training!

Of course you need basic house manners, but there is no reason why you cant train both at his age! This is the most fun, magical, age to teach both!

You can easily and cheaply get your young puppy used to walking and climbing on different objects...it is a confidence booster and is great for relationship building!

You can lay a baby gate on the floor (the kind with the white plastic mesh...it gives a different tecture and moves when they walk on it...
Put a clean trash can cover on the floor upside down - it spins and moves as they walk over it...
Cardboard boxes to climb in, on, under, and through...
Get some bubble wrap with the big bubbles and have them play on it...
As they get older I use pallets that Ive inspected to be safe and have them walk across them practice sits and downs on them...
You can lay a length of 2"x10" lumber on the floor and clicker train them to walk on it..then raise it on bricks...then cinder blocks

I dont leave these objects out all the time...but get them out as interactive play objects...I prefer to use a clicker with objects and reward specific behaviors with the objects, but you certainly dont have to ...you can lure and reward....


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## Amethystvenom (Apr 8, 2008)

Thank you all for the input again. That is what I wanted because I'd love to make some home made games and agility things. This is perfect. I love the 101 things to do with a box, etc. This sounds like a lot of fun. 

I have been clicker training with obedience which has been great. 

Thanks for all the GREAT ideas!


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## Lisa_and_Willow. (Dec 18, 2007)

I am doing agility for fun.

Willow is only 5 months old so everything is in baby practise steps! It is fun for both of us and if we are still doing well when she is older than we may get more competitive but I'm not even thinking that far ahead right now. I'm just enjoying playing with my puppy, getting her more socialised and making her little brain work!!


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