What age do dogs retire from WT?

Those people who compete in WT, at what age would you (or did you) consider your dog too old to compete?

I'm thinking especially of the scale requirement and what age a dog might be considered too old for this.

I am just starting with a dog that is (a fit and healthy) 7yo.

Some are saying something about a Veteran class (?) which has no scale. But if possible I'd like to try training the scale, I just don't know if this is ethical with a dog that is 7yo.

Thanks for any thoughts.

Well, you`re not going to start with a 6` scale are you? Why not just enjoy training for it and see how far he goes?

Hi a lot depends on the breed etc but if it is of any use my Weimaraner was officially retired at over 10 and she was still scaling it very easily, there were some 9/10 year olds at the KCCs etc.

It is all down to the individual dog.

Veteran stakes are for fun only, they are not recognised by the KC and I believe that you must have a qualification before you can enter but I am not sure as these rules are up to individual societies to invoke, they do not come under the KC Red Book aegis.

It is not ethical to scale an overweight, unfit 3 year old, it may be very ethical to scale a fit 12 year old!

Good Luck

Ok thanks both. Claire, I know we won't start with it at 6ft, but some people are saying I shouldn't even try to train it and should just focus on the other elements besides agility. So I do need to know at this point whether even to try it or not. I think I will….

We have been doing really well with the scale since the last time I posted, and are almost at full height now. I have not wanted to rush things. (Our neighbour is a carpenter and built us a scale for the garden. We found some specifications online for it. I think we got lucky and he saved us a lot of money!)

I wanted to ask how many times a dog should be asked to do this in a session, as I don't want to overdo it. She seems happy enough, jumping and we have continued to work with the other agility equipment slowly too. But she is such a big dog and I'm sure it takes a lot out of her to do the scale, so want to be sure. Is scaling just twice a day about right? Should it not even be every day? I don't know...

A lot of rescue dogs don't start agility until they are older, and some go on to do well.

But there are probably a very many that don't - they stick to agility for 'fun'. I'm not sure I like the term 'fun' as agility can be quite a workout for both dog & owner, of any age! It really is a sport, and a great workout, whether you compete or not.

Just using the agility as an analogy, as I have recently started 1-1 lessons with my 6yr old dog, who is also fit & healthy. Agility is something I have wanted to do since I was a child, but have not had the opportunity to do it until now. It's clear that my dog will never compete, so for now it is 'fun' but it's a proper workout really. My next dog in the future, should I wish, will benefit from the experience i am gaining now.

WT is something I have also wanted to try for some time, but was unable to find suitable training when my dog was younger. Maybe it's on the cards for a future dog, if I'm lucky enough to have one and be in the position to follow it through.

My point is that if you and your dog enjoy the WT training and get a great deal out of it, there is no real need to compete. Unless your dog shows real talent for all sectors of WT, I would enjoy it for now but think towards starting a younger dog in the future, backed with the experience you are gaining in the present.

I have never practised the scale every day even in training. Rarely more than twice a week and once trained very rarely put my dogs over a scale other than at competition.

Thanks, ok, she is just so fit for her age and build, I suppose I have been pushing things too much. I will use the scale less.

Hi my first dog in wt was a black lab who was 8 and a half at his first trial. He competed for a year and retired at scarborough trial gaining wdex on full point jumps.Being a novice at the time td was a too much of a step with Inky at that age.