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Wyrd
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16-09-2011, 04:50 PM

Making Agility Fun?

Cooper is 18 months now, I've been doing some agility stuff with him for a while now, firstly just over poles on the floor and then weaves and then jumping and a small course.

He jumps and does the course and such but doesn't really seem 'into' it.

I have treats and toys and try to make it really fun by hyping him up, but he is still a bit 'off' with it.

Harry on the other hand gets really hyped up.

Any ideas on how I can make it more interesting/fun for him? Or do I just live with the fact he isn't really interested?
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smokeybear
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18-09-2011, 06:18 AM
I fail to see the reason for "hyping a dog up"?

If a dog WANTS to do something he will be excited about it.

It is the same for humans.

If you are a football fan, do you need "hyping up" to develop a desire to go to the match?

A dog that truly wants to do something needs no "hyping up" they need control and focus, not to become hysterical.

What is it that you expect from your dog that he is not displaying?

Is he accurate? Is he obedient?

What else is "missing"?
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Helena54
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18-09-2011, 06:45 AM
I don't think he likes it I have a very "hyped up" dog who gets over excited sometimes and yet when I go to agility, she is completely the opposite, she's sharp as a knife, totally focused and ready for action but if she was in her hyped up state, she'd probably fall off that a-frame!! I don't think you want a hyped up dog to do this, you need focus and concentration from them, and that tells you how very much they love it imo! If she was reluctant or lazy I wouldn't bother with it, coz I'd know she didn't enjoy it. Maybe try something else?
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rune
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18-09-2011, 07:13 AM
Some dogs don't work in the same way as others, does he get very keen on anything else? Is it just that his character is a bit more 'internal' than some other dogs?

rune
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Murf
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18-09-2011, 07:23 AM
I dont know if its in all there stores but my local pets at home store were selling off their agilty stuff for£15 ..
Might be of interest to some of you ...
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DoKhyi
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18-09-2011, 08:46 AM
It's possible he's ambivalent about agility and is doing it just to please you. Equally it could be that he's focused and in working mode rather than overexcited as you see some dogs get. Just because they are overenthusiastic does not mean they are going to be any good at agility - in fact they may be all over the place missing obstacles and marks as opposed to a dog that to a human doesn't appear to be having fun because they're not deafening everyone in a half mile radius.

I've only done agility with 2 dogs. My collie cross was really enthusiastic and obviously enjoying herself, but despite being the gentlest dog in the world she'd bite my hands because she was so wound up and the look on her face was like she'd turned into a wild animal. The shar-pei on the other hand would sit quietly in a room of barking and squeaking dogs of breeds you'd traditionally associate with agility. It would appear to someone who didn't know him that he was bored and didn't want to be there. But he never missed a contact point, refused an obstacle or knocked a jump over. He would go round silently and quickly and was obviously 'in the zone'. He was the same with obedience. I can't say he wasn't a challenge as he tended to anticipate what was next and if he messed up he was really har on himself. I never reprimanded him, but it was like he was disappointed in himself, bless him. Then he would goof off by running round the arena in circles to make everyone laugh.

I don't know about the dogs, but I can tell you I enjoyed agility class with my friend's shar-pei far more than with my own collie cross.

What's his body language like. Are his tail up and ears forward looking alert and interested. Or does he have that general slinky 'hangdog' look dogs have when they don't want to do something? Is he slow round the course? If he's the latter things, he's not enjoyng himself. If the former, he just has more self control than your other dog.
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Wyrd
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18-09-2011, 11:21 AM
I'm not doing it to compete (I'm not a competitive person) I just do a small course in my garden as something to keep them occupied with the eventual aim of being able to do courses up at my horse field.

I'm not 'hyping him up' at the start of the course, but trying to get him excited with toys and playing at the end of the course, but he's not really interested, he just wants his treat (he usually loves toys).

He loves to run around the garden and jump over the picket fencing and into the vegetable plot and case and play with toys, but when I get the jumps out he just seems to go 'booring' .

Harry sits at the start waiting for me to tell him to go and you can tell he is raring to go, he bounds over the jumps at speed and through the tunnel, he gets his praise, his treat and has a tug with a toy at the end and you can just tell he is loving it.

Cooper sits at the start looking around and a bit bored, then I tell him to go, he bounds up to the jumps and pops them, not quite as accurate and quick as Harry but that's ok, he's a bigger dog. He comes to the end he sits has his treat and then looks slightly like I am trying to torture him with the toys Occasionally he will have a bit of a half hearted play, but usually that's his attention span exceeded and he's off mooching around the garden, or off looking for Harry.

I just get the feeling he isn't overly fussed with it although I would have liked for him to find it fun as it's a great way of getting the extra energy out of him. We've tried a little bit of flyball stuff throwing the ball down a line of jumps but he's a bit hit and miss with retrieves (he likes to run after it, not always so keen to bring it back), we've done a little bit of tracking work which he seems to quite like.
I've been watching vids of Dallys doing agility on youtube this morning and you can clearly see they are loving it, even if they aren't as bouncy as some other breeds about it.
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DoKhyi
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19-09-2011, 09:47 PM
Originally Posted by Wyrd View Post
Cooper sits at the start looking around and a bit bored, then I tell him to go, he bounds up to the jumps and pops them, not quite as accurate and quick as Harry but that's ok, he's a bigger dog. He comes to the end he sits has his treat and then looks slightly like I am trying to torture him with the toys .
He probably wonders what you're getting so excited about and why you're throwing toys round just because he's jumped over a few things. I can see why you're so confused about if he's enjoying agility now you're explained a bit more.
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smokeybear
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20-09-2011, 09:46 AM
Speed is no indicator of joy or not!
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