# Advice for beginning agility



## tippykayak (Oct 27, 2008)

Comet's brother's owner contacted me and let me know that she and Faelan were renting some time at an agility facility so she could start introducing him to the basics. She has very graciously invited Comet and us to join them.

My first question: what element would be best to start him on? This is all about making a fun time for Comet and a working relationship between him and us. It's going to be 100% positive training, and we'll only ever compete if he has fun and is any good.

The other question: how do I avoid looking like a total novice? Like, are there any faux pas I should be wary of? Common mistakes for newbies? Anything I woudn't know to do in order to prepare myself well?


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## MurphyTeller (Sep 28, 2008)

tippykayak said:


> My first question: what element would be best to start him on? This is all about making a fun time for Comet and a working relationship between him and us. It's going to be 100% positive training, and we'll only ever compete if he has fun and is any good.


Don't take this as an instructor snob - have your friends started baby dogs in agility before? There's a lot you can do wrong while trying to do everything right. I'd start with a short straight tunnel - really high rate of reinforcement. Then maybe a bar on the ground - or the table on the ground...very slowly very high rate of reinforcement. Some of your might also be just some attention on you while other dogs are playing all around him - this is as important a skill as being on the equipment.



tippykayak said:


> The other question: how do I avoid looking like a total novice? Like, are there any faux pas I should be wary of? Common mistakes for newbies? Anything I woudn't know to do in order to prepare myself well?


You can't avoid looking like a newbie - and that's totally OK! Be a newbie - ask questions, watch other people working with their dogs. But most important is to be your dog's advocate - don't let anyone try to get you to push him too far or too fast...

Erica


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## tippykayak (Oct 27, 2008)

MurphyTeller said:


> Don't take this as an instructor snob - have your friends started baby dogs in agility before? There's a lot you can do wrong while trying to do everything right. I'd start with a short straight tunnel - really high rate of reinforcement. Then maybe a bar on the ground - or the table on the ground...very slowly very high rate of reinforcement. Some of your might also be just some attention on you while other dogs are playing all around him - this is as important a skill as being on the equipment.
> 
> You can't avoid looking like a newbie - and that's totally OK! Be a newbie - ask questions, watch other people working with their dogs. But most important is to be your dog's advocate - don't let anyone try to get you to push him too far or too fast...
> 
> Erica


You definitely don't sound snobby! Yes, my friend has trained agility dogs before. She has an older dog who's competed for a long time. She waited until the dogs were 14 months to even start doing elements, so they're both guys with good basic training and listening skills. I think the beginning sessions are largely geared towards low-impact work and mostly just getting the dogs happy and comfortable around the equipment.

I know what you mean about having other dogs as distractions. I figured this will be a great experience for Comet just learning to listen in that kind of environment. I think he'll do great (I can already call him back from strange dogs before he reaches them when we run into other folks in the woods).

I like the tunnel idea. He did a short tunnel and a low table way back in puppy kindergarten, and after some initial nervousness, he was really OK with running back and forth through it. His general attitude is to try a thing if I say it's OK, and then if it really is OK and there's food at the end, he'll go nuts to do it again.


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## Bender (Dec 30, 2008)

Depends on your background as far as how you are used to doing things as well as where you train...

My best advice is to keep it short and simple, play lots with him and have fun. Usually when training with new people I watch to see what they're doing and work into that, or around them depending on what's going on. There's so many different ways of doing things now it's hard to give advice on what to start with because they might do things differently, so just ask them in advance if you can start working on something.

It's hard when working with different people to find the 'vibe' that works well. When I go with the girl's breeder (we rent time in Calgary to do obedience and so on) we can get our dogs all done in record time (three dogs each in an hour or so) but then when other people add to the mix it changes it all. Just pay attention and try to fit into what they're doing if it's just getting together to work. 

Good luck, it's so much fun! I'm waiting for the snow to melt so we can get out doing agility more often.

Lana


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## MurphyTeller (Sep 28, 2008)

tippykayak said:


> I like the tunnel idea. He did a short tunnel and a low table way back in puppy kindergarten, and after some initial nervousness, he was really OK with running back and forth through it. His general attitude is to try a thing if I say it's OK, and then if it really is OK and there's food at the end, he'll go nuts to do it again.


With that piece of information it's really important to take things slowly with him. I've seen a lot of cautious dogs really come out of their shells and kick butt if their owners keep things positive and FUN! 

Don't get into the habit of telling him it's "OK" when he's worried about something - praise and party like crazy when he gets over being concerned about something...If he is not a particularly confident dog let him move at his pace - and start with the big confidence boosters like tunnels, boards on the ground, ladders, etc - things that easily become reinforcing after a reward history...

Erica


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## sammydog (Aug 23, 2008)

How fun! Make things fun and have a high rate of reward. If he is shy about an obstacle don't push it! Walk away and do something he can succeed at then come back and try it again.

You could start with some easy things at home, like teaching a nose touch on a target. I use yogurt lids. Walking on different things, like planks of wood, just on the ground. Walking over PVC bars (cheap at the hardware store).

Have fun!!


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## tippykayak (Oct 27, 2008)

You guys give the best advice. Is touching the nose to a target one of the skills for agility? Shows how little I know.


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## sammydog (Aug 23, 2008)

Everyone was a beginner at some point! No you would not nose touch on course. But it comes in very handy when teaching a lot of skills. I have used a nose touch to a white yogurt lid on the ground for jumping (teaches to look forward not at you) and contacts for a two on two off, meaning they stop in the yellow with two feet still on the contact and two feet on the grass and touch the target. I have seen people go further and use the target on the table as well. Its a great tool if your dogs knows it!

We recently did a puppy agility class for Mira's litter at our one year reunion. Here are some pictures of the things we did. (Let me know if you have any questions specifically about what we are doing or why...

Straight Tunnel









Small plank (see target for nose touch)









Small contact trainer (Mira going into a two-on two-off)









Tippy plank, this is just a piece of painted wood with a stuffed toy ball under in the middle so it moves around. Gets the dog used to movement. Feed while on it









Have fun!


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## tippykayak (Oct 27, 2008)

Wow, pictures to go with the advice. Very nice. That gives me a really clear set of things to work on while we're at home and not on the actual course.


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## sammydog (Aug 23, 2008)

I got about half-way through my post and went, hmmm I have pictures of all this! Thought it would be an easy way to explain some things! Have fun, and I look forward to hearing about your training!


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## Maxs Mom (Mar 22, 2008)

Another thing that I did to prep my dogs for agility though I honestly didn't know I was doing it at the time. When ever I take my dogs for a walk or to the park we find "obstacles" to climb on, play with etc. For instance if I see big rocks I teach my dog "climb it" and got them up on top. At a baseball park there is a wooden bench for the players by the diamond, I taught my dogs to get on it and walk across. Or at the playground they do the kids jungle gym sway bridge and go down the slides. 

This prepared them to not be afraid of new things, 'climb it' is my A frame command so my dog knew what to do the first time, 'walk it' is the dog walk command I use similar to the park bench, and the slides were also similar to the A frame. But I think the biggest asset was their lack of fear for new obstacles.

I have also "weaved" where young trees have stakes and supports to help them grow straight. They are usually a little tight but it is similar to 3 weave poles and helped my dog get used to the weave command could come up anywhere.


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## tippykayak (Oct 27, 2008)

Maxs Mom said:


> Another thing that I did to prep my dogs for agility though I honestly didn't know I was doing it at the time. When ever I take my dogs for a walk or to the park we find "obstacles" to climb on, play with etc. For instance if I see big rocks I teach my dog "climb it" and got them up on top. At a baseball park there is a wooden bench for the players by the diamond, I taught my dogs to get on it and walk across. Or at the playground they do the kids jungle gym sway bridge and go down the slides.
> 
> This prepared them to not be afraid of new things, 'climb it' is my A frame command so my dog knew what to do the first time, 'walk it' is the dog walk command I use similar to the park bench, and the slides were also similar to the A frame. But I think the biggest asset was their lack of fear for new obstacles.
> 
> I have also "weaved" where young trees have stakes and supports to help them grow straight. They are usually a little tight but it is similar to 3 weave poles and helped my dog get used to the weave command could come up anywhere.


 
Terrific ideas! You could call it "agility everywhere." We're always in the woods, and we already play the game of having Comet jump up on stuff (often for posing). One of our favorite places is an old quarry, so there are lots of flat-topped boulders around.


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