# When should you start agility



## ckshin05 (May 6, 2012)

Hello,

My girl is 7 months old and just finished her private lesson in obedience. It cost an arm and a leg. She got simple behaviors down but still get's crazy and jumpy around new people and dogs. Off leash she is a hand full and loves to run around. She has ADD with other dogs and people around and won't listen to commands. I know that is something to work on, but the training place I'm at is pushing agility. I am interested in agility but I just don't want to be a fool and have her run to other people and dogs and forget she is there to compete.


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## Megora (Jun 7, 2010)

ckshin05 said:


> I am interested in agility but I just don't want to be a fool and have her run to other people and dogs and forget she is there to compete.


 You don't compete in classes..... everyone is training and generally (judging by the agility class which takes place on the other side of a barrier at my obedience class) there is just one dog and handler out at a time. 

You do need some basic obedience training skills for some places...


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## goldenca (Jan 31, 2011)

I started agility classes when my puppy was about 9 weeks old as well as obedience classes mixed in. It was an indoor class at the Zoom Room. I tried an outdoor class when she was your dog's age but she could not focus as there were 3 other fields of lessons going on at the same time. 

Your dog sounds a bit like mine. When we did start to compete, her first event was Jumpers with Weaves and she went out of her way to say hello to a course worker. ( I guess this happens alot at the beginning). But she L-O-V-E-S agility. . . and she is doing well. Just make sure it is FUN for both of you.


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## GinnyinPA (Oct 31, 2010)

Our Ben is very ADD. We tried agility but had to quit because he was so out of control when he got off leash. I would wait until you are sure that your dog understand the concept of really looking to you for the lead on what to do. 

Our school had multiple levels of agility training. The first was kind of pre-agility. You work on getting your dog to pay attention to you and the basic obedience tools needed to work with your dog in the arena. We also were introduced to the basic equipment. Next step was a class that worked on simple routines. Ben was good up to that point. By the third level, once it started to get complicated, he lost it. The ADD temperament meant that he lost focus completely. If your school is like that, you may be okay because your dog will be getting older and hopefully a lot more in control as he matures. Ben was, supposedly, already mature, so time didn't really help.


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## ckshin05 (May 6, 2012)

Megora: She has been in obedience traning since she was 12 weeks old and a full block of it when she was 6 month to 7 months old. When its' just me and her she follows instructions. It's harder when she is introduced to new places and people and dogs. She tends to listen but you can tell she would rather play. I'll be training with 4 other dogs and their owners. 

Goldenca: I believe she is the same like your pup. I just don't want to waste money trying to teach her things that won't sink. That is my fear constantly paying for the service for a class over and over again.


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## ckshin05 (May 6, 2012)

GinnyinPA: That is how they are doing the classes. I'm hoping time will calm her down. Problem is she loves to play with other dogs and loves people.


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## Melfice (Aug 4, 2012)

I started agility with Rusty at about 12 months old, and he was SOO unfocused and would not listen to me. Sometimes he would, but most times he wanted to go see the other dogs and people instead of focusing on me etc.

So, I stopped agility and cont to work on his focus and obedience...now he is much better, and I think he is ready for agility again (he got fixed at 14 months, so I'm not sure if that made a difference or not). 

Right now, Rusty and I are in K9 Nose Work class, and soon I'll join a class for agility. I really want to learn the sport and compete one day!


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## Melfice (Aug 4, 2012)

ckshin05 said:


> GinnyinPA: That is how they are doing the classes. I'm hoping time will calm her down. Problem is she loves to play with other dogs and loves people.


Haha that was my Rusty when I was in agility with him


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## AmberSunrise (Apr 1, 2009)

It sounds like fairly normal behavior in a dog who has not been taught focus  My Casey was very much like this as a youngster and I had to relearn almost everything I knew about dog sports and training.

The 'trick' is to make your dog want to be with you - it can be a fairly lengthy process and a few online area you could go to would be:

Fenzi Dog Sports Academy - Home there is a class starting up on the 1st that deals with focus and the one video posted so far shows a very distracted dog; most of us have dealt with these run-bys and run-offs at one point or another  There are no working spots left but you can practice alongside the class 

Agility-u.com also has classes that teach focus, Say Yes (Susan Garrett) and other online canine training sites cover these topics as well - in a non-punitive way so you dog learns being with you really, really is a wonderful adventure.

I would also like to say, please don't label your dog as having ADD, that kind of places 'blame' on your dog and implies he will never be able to focus. He is just doing what dogs do and has not yet learned that you are more re-enforcing than his environment - which you can use as an ultimate reward btw. The reason the online classes run these courses is that it is an area that needs work in every dog and handler team. This is core work that begins in puppy hood and continues throughout each dogs' life. 

Have fun and good luck.


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## mylissyk (Feb 25, 2007)

Age wise, you can probably start a puppy agility course to learn the basics, ground work, and handling. My agility school does not let you jump your dog until they are 18 months old. So puppy class first.

When I first started beginner agility with Cheyenne she was awful, constantly running off across the field and totally ignoring me. I was ready to quit, but my instructor and several higher level participants encouraged me to stick with it. Now, a year later, she will stay with me and run a full practice course start to finish, and if I get off course or need to stop and work on something, she comes to me voluntarily, and comes when I call her. 

I say try it, and expect at first she will be distracted and running around silly. Stick with it! You will see improvement over time, it is a lot of fun, and it's addicting!


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## mylissyk (Feb 25, 2007)

You might also consider taking a group class for basic obedience if you have only done private lessons. That will help you work on her distraction since she will get used to being in class with other dogs and other people.


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## ckshin05 (May 6, 2012)

Thanks all for the input. I have done group classes as well. I think I'm going to wait and and concentrate on having her focus. After that I'll think about agility. Thank you all for your advise.


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## golden_732 (Aug 26, 2013)

I was told to stay away from real agility until about 18 months or so. I'm waiting to start Cooper with agility as well, but I will probably wait until he is 2 and get his OFA clearances. 

But, at our club there is a foundations agility class that is meant to get the dogs used to the agility equipment, starting, etc. I believe that kind of class is okay because it doesn't really strain the joints as much as jumps and sudden turns etc. I've never done agility with any dog though, Cooper will be my first. This is just what I have come across during my research and talking with various people.


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## Melfice (Aug 4, 2012)

Sunrise said:


> It sounds like fairly normal behavior in a dog who has not been taught focus  My Casey was very much like this as a youngster and I had to relearn almost everything I knew about dog sports and training.
> 
> The 'trick' is to make your dog want to be with you - it can be a fairly lengthy process and a few online area you could go to would be:
> 
> ...


 I have been working on focus with my pups, and I say Good instead of Yes. Maybe I should change it?


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## AmberSunrise (Apr 1, 2009)

Any word will do  Whatever comes naturally to you. I reserve Good for when my dog can self release and use Yes or a clicker to simply mark what will be rewarded - to capture a rewardable moment in time.

As mentioned above, focus and self/impulse control are lifelong skills and games - here is a video of my Brady where he has forgotten the sit when my hand touches the crate latch but is confident in the wait for release and focusing on me as he comes out of the crate and has his leash put on - it was submitted for a class and my apologies for being a headless handler but the quarters are close without showing my workout bike or desk ...

Self control and focus games/training begin well away from the training activities - you basically are teaching a dog that all good things come to dogs who focus/sit/come etc. This is a version of Susan Garrett's crate games. In the video below, I was using Goldfish crackers but mostly playing the game with Brady without Casey, Faelan and Towhee ... special times  It is amazing how well these types of games carry over into real life !


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## ckshin05 (May 6, 2012)

They gave me a free trial today of the agility. She did great but she was by herself. They keep telling me that agility classes will help her focus. I am afraid if she is with a bunch of people and their dogs it won't.


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## kellyguy (Mar 5, 2014)

What are the appropriate ages for introducing a puppy to agility skills?
I've read that the jumps are harmful until they 18 months? 
I guess I'm asking what do you start with and when do you move through the various stages of training?


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## Maxs Mom (Mar 22, 2008)

Dogs should not jump big jumps until they are a minimum of 1 year. That being said you can teach all the necessary behaviors and handling really without ever jumping. So a puppy can start training at 8 weeks. 

Recommendations are to always keep the jumps below their elbows. I jumped Gabby at 8 and later 12" until she was a solid year old. Then I moved her to 16", and 3 weeks before her first trial (at 18 months) I jumpers her 20" the required competition height. 

I also didn't do straight weave poles until she was about 14 months. I use channel weaves I could teach, drive and all the weave entries with wide channels. Contacts can be trained at about 6 months, but they must be LOW!! Again you teaching the behavior later needed. 

If you have a training facility near you, call and ask them what they do. You do not want to be pushed faster than you are ready. If they believe in keeping things low and fun go for it. Most clubs/facilities have a minimum age requirement and possibly a beginner obedience prerequisite. 

Some believe you should not jump a dog until they are 2 and have had theirs hips checked. That is not realistic for those who compete in agility. If you wait to long, the dog is more like 4 when they get in the ring and that leads to a short career. If you apply caution and go slow your dog can start at a very young age. 

We have jumps and a teeter in our back yard. At 8 weeks I introduced Gabby to going through the uprights without a bar, and we lowered the teeter to 8" put a brick under each end taught her to cross something that moved under her feet, and stop on the contact. We just moved slowly from there. 

Ann


Sent from Petguide.com Free App


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## KeaColorado (Jan 2, 2013)

I second the earlier recommendation for the Denise Fenzi online academy. Also, I'm currently reading The Focused Puppy by Deb Jones and Judy Keller in anticipation of my new little guy who will be arriving next weekend (yay, yay, yay!!!)

[ame]http://www.amazon.com/Focused-Puppy-Deborah-Jones/dp/1892694263/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1399842775&sr=1-1&keywords=the+focused+puppy[/ame]

The book talks about teaching your dog to offer focus rather than waiting for you to ask for it. My mistake with Kea was that I taught her focus when I say "watch" and inadvertently in the process she learned only to focus on me when I say "watch". 

There are good suggestions in there for mastering others skills that will be the foundation of future obedience and agility work, like focus while the dog is moving with you, a solid recall, and offering focus in the midst of distraction. I borrowed it from my local library.


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

ckshin05 said:


> Goldenca: I believe she is the same like your pup. I just don't want to waste money trying to teach her things that won't sink. That is my fear constantly paying for the service for a class over and over again.


You've received a lot of great advice in this thread... and I'm glad to have stumbled across it as I'm starting to think about these things for what will someday be my "next" agility dog. I followed a very traditional route with Jersey -- and between that and a few moves throughout his life, it really did shorten our career and leave me feeling a lot of pressure now that he is getting older. The only thing I have to add is this:
If you decide to pursue agility (or any competitive venue, really), it is going to be a life-long training process. You don't stop going to classes once the dog is ready for his debut in the ring. There's always more to learn and it's not always reasonable to expect the dog to have everything down pat at the end of one 6 or 8 week course. You shouldn't fear going to class over and over again. You should expect it. Especially in agility -- the courses judges build are always evolving, becoming trickier and adding new challenges. Trends come and go -- and come back again if you're lucky enough to be around that long. I love that my instructor really researches the trends and tends to teach us things a few months before we start seeing them in the ring. It has added tremendously to our ability to be successful. So if you plan to do this -- buckle up and enjoy the hopefully very long ride!

Julie, Jersey and Oz


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## dswardtx (Jun 3, 2011)

Seven months is a great age to work foundation skills that will apply to life as well as agility - obedience, recalls, body awareness.


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