# Intro to agility?



## Phoebs (May 28, 2009)

We saw two havanese showing off in a recent agility demonstration at Filoli in the SF Bay Area. After seeing this, my son remarked that Phoebe is at at least that fast and agile (he's right!). Can anybody give me pointers on how to meet up with beginner agility training in the SF Bay area (as close as possible to Palo Alto area)? I tried a quick google search and didn't really see classes or a club. Also can you recommend any books or videos to watch to get us started? I'm not sure we would be likely to get into serious competition, most likely just for fun. I just want to make sure we don't teach any bad habits in case it goes anywhere. My son is already getting her to race through a kid's tunnel, and I'm thinking of making or buying some portable 8" hurdles! I'm sure it would be good for Phoebe and my son. She can jump really really high when she's not thinking about it. When she does think about it, she is sure she can't do it and insists on being lifted.... I think it will be good for them both and will give her more confidence.


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## SMARTY (Apr 19, 2007)

I can't help in your area, but agility is a blast. Find a school and get started.


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## mintchip (Apr 19, 2007)

Were you at the Spring Fling also?
The Fortis Agility Sports is the group that was there that day. I thought Comet would love it as well but they are in San Jose


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## ama0722 (Nov 28, 2006)

It is addicting and havs do very well (even in competition!) I did a search near your area and came up with this place but not sure how close it is: http://www.livingwithdogs.us/ But you may want to get on the phone even if they are farther away and get recommendations. I drive 30 mins to my agility place each week. But I can't complain cause most of the people in my class drive over an hour.


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

I drive half an hour to our training facility too, and like Amanda, many people come from much farther. It would be worth the drive if only to get you off on the right foot. (so to speak

I don't remember how old Phoebe is, but remember that she shouldn't be jumping or doing weaves until she's a year old. Kodi is 11 months old now, and we'll be signing up for our first agility class soon. We've been spending our time doing Rally and formal obedience lessons while we waited for his bones and joints to mature.

I found a book that I really liked as an introduction to agility:

The Beginner's Guide to Dog Agility by Laurie Leach

It talks about all the different equipment, exercises to prepare your dog for various equipment before they ever touch it, the differences between the various sanctioning bodies, and even how to make your own equipment.


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## kloie's mom (Feb 27, 2010)

Kloie starts in a beginner agility class tomorrow. I knew that they shouldn't be doing the jumps until they were at least a year, but I did not realize that they shouldn't be doing the weaves either....

Thank you for this important piece of information, just incase I need it and the instructor wasn't aware! She should be, but you never know...


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

kloie's mom said:


> Kloie starts in a beginner agility class tomorrow. I knew that they shouldn't be doing the jumps until they were at least a year, but I did not realize that they shouldn't be doing the weaves either....
> 
> Thank you for this important piece of information, just incase I need it and the instructor wasn't aware! She should be, but you never know...


Most of them know that puppies shouldn't be doing weaves. What they sometimes DON'T know (or remember) is the age of the little dogs. It can be hard to tell the difference between an 9 month old Hav and a year old Hav under all the fur if you aren't very familiar with the breed.

Also be very careful not to put your baby in a position where they could fall or jump off of anything high.


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## kloie's mom (Feb 27, 2010)

Yes I noticed that in the obedience class that we just finished last week. The instructor seemed to keep forgetting that Kloie was still just a puppy.

I will be sure to monitor the height of the equipment that she gets onto. 

I'm a little nervous as to how well she will be able to handle the off leash work. She still has puppy brains after all


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## ama0722 (Nov 28, 2006)

Oh have a blast! I took a puppy intro to agility (well only a few classes!) with Dasher as a baby and it really didn't have anything to do with true agility equipment (just ground work) but 6 months after taking it when he started his agility training, he obviously enjoyed it and jumped right in to everything else


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## brugmansia (Dec 6, 2007)

I began Dickson in Agility towards the end of last year and he loves every minute of it. I just began Luna, and surprisingly, she's doing very well. I think both of them are enjoying time with mommy on a one-to-one basis. I have them doing Attention and Heeling Foundation, and Dickson is beginning his second round of Obedience/Rally classes.


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

ama0722 said:


> Oh have a blast! I took a puppy intro to agility (well only a few classes!) with Dasher as a baby and it really didn't have anything to do with true agility equipment (just ground work) but 6 months after taking it when he started his agility training, he obviously enjoyed it and jumped right in to everything else


Amanda, what's your feeling about doing agility training and formal obedience training at the same time with a young dog? Kodi is doing really well in the obedience stuff EXCEPT that he still gets pretty distracted at times. He's almost a year, so age-wise I could start agility now. Is starting him in agility likely to make him more distractable in the obedience ring, or do things just start slowly enough that it won't be a problem.

I bought him specifically to do agility, but I'm having a lot more fun with the Obedience and Rally stuff than I thought I would. I know you do all three, and I know your dogs are well behaved. I see some of the agility dogs come into the training center like raving lunatics, (I have no idea how they handle on course... I just see them coming in) and I DON'T want a dog like that!!! And remember that I am a first-timer training ANY of this stuff... my training experience, though extensive is with horses.


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## ama0722 (Nov 28, 2006)

Karen- I would say for the most no trouble at all. Dogs read body language so they know dang well what you are there to do. Some recommend using a separate collar and leash for everything. For Dash, in agility he will occasionally try and switch over to my left hand side this may be due to obedience (he only has a CD and we havent trained hardly anything for open) and some signals I give him that I don't realize. I could probably add all the time I spent training for that title and put it under an hour though so it could be my previous training with Belle and Dora.

Some agility people won't teach obedience at all and some obedience won't teach agility at all- they are usually too serious for me and I am personally in it to have fun with my dog. Dasher's issue in obedience when he is having fun he will bark (that cost us 3 obedience points one trial but I cared he had fun, listened and could be obedient) Dora was completely into obedience before agility (I think she had a CD before her first agility class) and she had no transition issues either. She does tend to work closer to me than Dasher but then again they are very different in personality. 

I think sometimes people dont give dogs enough credit. They are masters of body language. As long as you communicate properly, they read it. I haven't done obedience and agility trials in the same day (I have the same weekend successfully) but I say train, don't complain 

PS As to dogs misbehaving, the only time I have seen a dog attacked and actual blood was outside the utility obedience ring! An OTCH dog attacked a novice dog watching rally.


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## susieg (Aug 28, 2009)

I have a question for all of you agility folks... Do you have a course set up in your backyard where you practice? Or do you just practice in class each week? With training and obedience, I practice sit/stay/heel/down/come, etc. throughout the day on walks/at the park/etc. Just wondering about agility. I live in a condo, so no yard.


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

Thanks Amanda! I think I'll sign him up for an agility class then, as well as continuing with our rally and obedience stuff. 

When I mentioned agility dogs misbehaving, it isn't aggressive stuff that I've seen, more just WAY over-the-top excited, walking around on their hind legs, pulling on leashes, barking up a storm... that sort of thing.


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

susieg said:


> I have a question for all of you agility folks... Do you have a course set up in your backyard where you practice? Or do you just practice in class each week? With training and obedience, I practice sit/stay/heel/down/come, etc. throughout the day on walks/at the park/etc. Just wondering about agility. I live in a condo, so no yard.


Yes, I have a little puppy agility course that we play with. I got a couple of kiddie tunnels, we have a few PVC jumps, and my husband made me a very small A-frame so I could introduce the concept of contacts. I also have a wood pallet that I have him walk across (I started that because he got afraid of a train tressel at one point), and a ladder that he trots through to work on hind end awareness.

But certainly at the stage we're at, it's just for the fun of it... he loves to go out to the agility course... he thinks it's play!!! I don't think you need any equipment in the beginning for sure. Also, if you do get serious about it, I know our training center rents ring time very reasonably... for members, it's $10 per hour or $5 per half hour. So if you can't set up anything at home, maybe you can still go to the training center to practice.


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## ama0722 (Nov 28, 2006)

Karen- Well serious agility people go for serious course time so yeah their dogs are usually very excited. I think dogs who do agility and are around it just get used to it. They often catch it as well. In fact reading what you said, I am sure Dash can be described as that sometimes and that is usually when I need the most training (run Amanda run!)

Susie- I have limited space as well and really did previously so for the most part I only work one or two pieces of equipment at a time. Dasher has his beginning agility titles and to be honest at this point, we still do a lot with just one jump at a time when at home. So much of agility comes down to handling and teamwork and not equipment. The more I learn, the more I learn that  I used to go to Century City lessons and I forget the name of the park but they set up right next to archery. My new place leaves the equipment out all week so as long as she isn't doing privates, I can work my dog. The only problem is it is 30 mins from my house.

Amanda


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## susieg (Aug 28, 2009)

Thanks for the info Karen & Amanda! I definitely want to try it out soon. I was waiting for her to mature a little so she wouldn't be so distracted and cuckoo around the other dogs in class. I think we're almost there. There were a few equipment pieces set up at Lola's basic obedience class. We'd have free time after class to use them. She was one of the only puppies who would jump over the hurdle bars. She loved it! We also tried the weave poles a few times and she would follow a treat through. The poles were spaced far apart for a much bigger dog, so it wasn't too hard to get her to do it. She was a little scared of the tunnel, but went through twice. I think she'll love agility. She's fast and a very high jumper, has a ton of energy & is a quick learner.


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## jada1938 (Oct 17, 2006)

Phoebs said:


> We saw two havanese showing off in a recent agility demonstration at Filoli in the SF Bay Area. After seeing this, my son remarked that Phoebe is at at least that fast and agile (he's right!). Can anybody give me pointers on how to meet up with beginner agility training in the SF Bay area (as close as possible to Palo Alto area)? I tried a quick google search and didn't really see classes or a club. Also can you recommend any books or videos to watch to get us started? I'm not sure we would be likely to get into serious competition, most likely just for fun. I just want to make sure we don't teach any bad habits in case it goes anywhere. My son is already getting her to race through a kid's tunnel, and I'm thinking of making or buying some portable 8" hurdles! I'm sure it would be good for Phoebe and my son. She can jump really really high when she's not thinking about it. When she does think about it, she is sure she can't do it and insists on being lifted.... I think it will be good for them both and will give her more confidence.


Agility is a great confidence builder and building the teamwork necessary is a wonderful and deep bond. I didn't see how old Phoebe is, but I start my dogs early..following my hand motions, etc. "Flatwork for Agility" is a wonderful start (from Clean Run) for agility or any work with your dog. The biggest thing is to always have if fun for the dog!!
Ann, NH


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## jada1938 (Oct 17, 2006)

kloie's mom said:


> Kloie starts in a beginner agility class tomorrow. I knew that they shouldn't be doing the jumps until they were at least a year, but I did not realize that they shouldn't be doing the weaves either...
> 
> Watch any pup play and you will see them jump.
> They should never be MADE to repeat over and over any jump when young. I started a pup at 8.5 weeks and the bar was just laying on the ground. Weaves, unless really far apart, stress the body because of the position it must take to make the curves. Just have a pup learning to walk between the steps of a folder ladder laying on the ground helps them learn where their rear legs are and a pup can do that easily. There are so many things you can do with a very young pup to prep them for more advanced and formal training later. With awareness and care, there is no reason not to do them as long as it is ALWAYS fun for the pup, the pups isn't physically stressed. And they love it...when training, we 'go play'.
> Ann, NH


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## marlowe'sgirl (Jun 17, 2010)

As far as over-excited dogs, my Hav - usually mellow, focused, obedient, and silent (never barks) - goes a little crazy for agility. We're in the midst of our first class right now. After the first run through the low jumps, he fell in love with agility and wasn't afraid to show it. Waiting for his turn (there's 6 dogs in our class), he started pulling on his leash, making 'monkey' excited noises, and even barked a few times. It takes a lot of treats to keep him remotely calm when not his turn, but he's really focused when it is. He runs through the course with what can only be described as the biggest grin on his face. We're just in this for fun and I'm happy he's excited happy.


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## morriscsps (Aug 17, 2010)

I have done a puppy agility class with my aussie at the same place where Karen and Kodi go. It is an insanely fun class. You spend most of your time lying inside a tunnel, trying to lure the puppy through it or you are trying to catch the little beast as she runs merrily away from you. Everyone's puppy does it!

Mike is a great instructor because he is very aware of the puppy's limitations and growth patterns. Even though Nessie's shoulder height should have had her jumping the 20 inch jumps, since she was a pup, we did 10" or 12". The little dogs jumped over the poles on lying on the ground. 8" probably would be the maximum height for a Hav unless your dog is huge. Even then, I bet that regulations would drop you back to 8" because Havs are short-legged, long-backed dogs. (not sure about that.)

We did it for fun. Most places do require that you have gone to a puppy obedience class (probably in the vain hope that the pup will come back to you eventually. ound I didn't have any 'real' agility stuff until we advanced to intermediate. We made due with what was around the house. A broomstick and a couple of books = jump.

Here is Nessie in a beginner class. I think the tire was set at 12" that day. All of the other jumps were lower. She was 10 months in this pic.


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## morriscsps (Aug 17, 2010)

Oops, forgot to mention that I prefer agility classes over obedience just because I get bored in obedience classes. My problem - not the dog's. Agility does teach the basic commands. 

They have to sit/wait quietly for their turn. You work on 'stay' because you want to get to the other side of the obstacle before the pup goes. 'Attention/look at me' is learned because they are watching your insane antics while you try to remember where to go next. And the most important - 'Come!'


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

marlowe'sgirl said:


> As far as over-excited dogs, my Hav - usually mellow, focused, obedient, and silent (never barks) - goes a little crazy for agility. We're in the midst of our first class right now. After the first run through the low jumps, he fell in love with agility and wasn't afraid to show it. Waiting for his turn (there's 6 dogs in our class), he started pulling on his leash, making 'monkey' excited noises, and even barked a few times. It takes a lot of treats to keep him remotely calm when not his turn, but he's really focused when it is. He runs through the course with what can only be described as the biggest grin on his face. We're just in this for fun and I'm happy he's excited happy.


You might want to bring a small crate for him to rest in between his runs. If he gets to the point that he's competing, you don't want him wearing himself out from over excitement! Kodi knows to go right into his crate when I take him back to wait for his next turn.


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

morriscsps said:


> The little dogs jumped over the poles on lying on the ground. 8" probably would be the maximum height for a Hav unless your dog is huge. Even then, I bet that regulations would drop you back to 8" because Havs are short-legged, long-backed dogs. (not sure about that.)
> 
> The only venue that I know of that reduces the height further because of a long back is TDAA. Kodi is 11 1/4" and for AKC and USDAA has to jump 12". That is NO problem for him though.<g> He didn't jump ANYTHING (other than stuff in the woods :biggrin1 until after his first birthday. We jumped him for about 2 weeks at 8" while he was catching on to the idea. Then he went to 12 and has never looked back. There are 4 Havs in Kodi's agility class, two jump 8" and two jump 12". But honestly, we sometimes forget to change the height back, and it really makes very little difference. Even tiny Lindy Hop has no trouble with the 12" jumps.
> 
> I know a lot of people like the puppy agility classes, but everything I've read has said that your time (and money) is much better spent on better handling/obedience during that first year. Puppy agility is more for fun than it is for the puppy's development/learning.


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## marlowe'sgirl (Jun 17, 2010)

Oh we're just in all of this for the fun. If he's excited - I'm excited. I'm not planning on competing or anything. I just did agility because the trainer I like doesn't have a CGC test running at a time I can make at the moment. We work on the basics at home. He seems happy - but what hav doesn't?


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

marlowe'sgirl said:


> Oh we're just in all of this for the fun. If he's excited - I'm excited. I'm not planning on competing or anything. I just did agility because the trainer I like doesn't have a CGC test running at a time I can make at the moment. We work on the basics at home. He seems happy - but what hav doesn't?


That's what it's all about! Training SHOULD be fun for both of you, whether you're interested in competing or not. Good for you!


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