# 6 months old



## Elisabeth Kazup (Aug 23, 2008)

is the minimum age for rally...at least according to our trainer. I suppose it depends on the individual trial's rules.

What opinion do you have on taking a dog that young into the ring?

My first thought was "it's a little too young". Then "if it's done in a fun, relaxed way, it's a good way to start". 

I would also assume (there's that word again :doh: ) that the pup would get silly and playful and that might NOT be a good place to start.

Any ideas on the subject?


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## Maxs Mom (Mar 22, 2008)

Don't know the official rule. Gabby was 9 months when she got her UKC rally title. She didn't do AKC until she was a year only because I specifically wanted to go to one trial so she could finish in a weekend. 

I know 4 months is the age dogs can attend shows. So six months might be right. It might be ok for obedience in general. Agility I know is 15 months. 


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## Megora (Jun 7, 2010)

It really depends on the pup. 

My boys generally are not anywhere mature enough at 6 months and then the hormones start and they are not mature enough until 2 years old or so. 

With Bertie - when I started taking him to fun matches when he was about 3 months old - I was optimistic about getting him into his first show in September by his first birthday. Maybe doing Beginner Novice or Rally....

Unfortunately - he doesn't know how to do a "Slow" without jumping around and skittering, so we are planning on shows in spring or summer instead.  

I have both dogs entered in Kalamazoo next week - but with Jacks favoring a paw (I think he stepped on a hook at the pond he and Bert swam at yesterday) and Bertie not being exposed to an "indoor" show just yet, this might just be a play/shop date.  

I will not take a dog into the ring unless I think there's a solid chance of him qualifying. Bertie's right at that edge where I don't know one day to the next if he's going to be "good".


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## Loisiana (Jul 29, 2009)

6 months is the minimum age for all AKC obedience and rally. I would never enter a dog that young myself.


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## hotel4dogs (Sep 29, 2008)

It really depends on the dog. Some dogs are ring ready at 6 months old. And remember, beginning rally is all on leash, so no real harm can come of it.


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## Elisabeth Kazup (Aug 23, 2008)

When you talk about 'ready' do you mean on a training level? That they haven't begun to learn some of the things? Or do you mean on a maturity level? Just too silly and goofy? Or both.

The down side I see is that if the pup doesn't pay attention yet he might get the idea that in the ring is playtime and then it will be harder to get him to 'go to work' later on.

We generally don't take a horse in the ring unless we know we're going to have a good ride. Unless it's simply for ring experience and we're hoping just to finish alive.


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## Maxs Mom (Mar 22, 2008)

Ready means your training is going well you think you can show and Q. It does depend on the dog. Gabby was ready, non of my other dogs would have been close. 

You don't want to attend a show to "see how it goes". You want to be prepared, and be comfortable both as a team. If you want to "see how it goes" attend matches. You can go to matches, and not go in the ring just hang out with your dog and expose him to places. When you get farther along then pay for ring time. Matches are about training. 

I took Gabby to agility classes with Quinn from an early age. I would work her on the sidelines while the class was going on. She had excellent focus and work ethic from the get go. She learned to work through distractions. Then we went to matches and agility trials to hang out. These were working places not social places. When she did her first rally match all eyes were on me. She actually did better than I did. Her scores were high 90's. 

Take pups places, teach them to focus in unfamiliar surroundings with distractions. LOTS OF TREATS!!!!! You want to be more interesting than the outside force. Also (my opinion) keep other people petting you dog in these "work" areas to a bare minimum. Until my dogs understand they work in certain places I do not allow socialization. Gabby knows she can visit AFTER runs, not before. It helps a lot in the long run. 


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## Megora (Jun 7, 2010)

I was talking to somebody about this at class tonight, but reminiscing about my Danny.... he had never been to a different class location, had only been to one fun match (where we did very badly and scared me so much I let another 2 years pass before I filled out our first entry) - much less a dog show! - until the one he was entered in the first time.  That experience was less than fun. >.< 

That's why Jacks went to at least 2 shows a year to hang out before I entered him the first time when he was two. And we did every fun match possible and I'm doing the same with Bertie.  

@socializing - I don't think it makes a huge difference, as long as your dogs know that once they are inside the ring and you give them all the signals (putting the leash on the live ring of their collars, getting them into heel position, etc) that they are working, they have to work. This includes class (obedience and conformation) and it includes fun matches. 



> The down side I see is that if the pup doesn't pay attention yet he might get the idea that in the ring is playtime and then it will be harder to get him to 'go to work' later on.


That's part of it. My sister entered her dog (Sammy) way too soon in training (when he was 2). And he got "ring smart". He knew what he could get away with out there and it rattled my sister so badly that she was afraid to go back out there for a few years. <- That's the other part. >.< 

Bertie reminds me so much of Sammy. He's practically Sammy's brain twin. He has the same silliness while heeling - the leaping around stuff. He has the same stubbornness and the same softness. 

Dogs like that should not be rushed out into the ring until they are all grown up. Because it could be pretty embarrassing.  

Unless it's the conformation ring - I figure there's only too much bad stuff he can do out there. LOL.


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## hotel4dogs (Sep 29, 2008)

Tito was very ready at 6 months old, he was born mature and focused. But I've seen dogs not ready (mentally) at 3 years old. So again, it depends on the dog. I do think a lot of dogs can handle novice rally at 6 months old.


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## Vhuynh2 (Feb 13, 2012)

My girl didn't have the greatest self control at 6 months.. Lol. So I don't think I would've been able to do rally with her then. But who knows, it probably would've been different if we were training for competition from the beginning. I didn't consider competing until she was 9 months old. But, what's the hurry to get them in the ring? The training is the best part of it all. I'm one of those who need to be pushed to enter. One of my instructors told me if I didn't enter with Molly soon, she would!


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## Elisabeth Kazup (Aug 23, 2008)

I really appreciate all your experiences and thoughts on this. We won't do anything competition wise until we're ready. And with the horses, we've found that ready at home doesn't necessarily mean ready at the competition. But if you don't have it at home, you'll never get it at the show!

We'll be guided, also, by our instructor. She competes in obedience herself so she will be able to gauge whether/when he's ready to begin. I would love to see him in the ring as an adorable puppy but not if it's way beyond him. That's not fun for anyone.

I like the idea of going and hanging out...I hadn't thought of that as a way to socialize him, but what a great opportunity to meet nice dogs!


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## Alaska7133 (May 26, 2011)

I had Lucy in the ring at 14 months. She was pretty good except she just had to meet the judge. Then she just had to meet everyone outs de the ring and it was a disaster. She needs more maturity. Right now everything is all about her. Every dog is different.


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