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upallnight
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12-06-2010, 05:21 PM
Your site looks fabulous and wish there was something like that in our area. The dogs look as if they are having a great time!!!!! What's the best age to start a dog on agility as I know they shouldn't do this before a year old because of their hips?????
Valerie x

Originally Posted by Helena54 View Post
I just found a website for my new agility club, and they have some lovely pictures on there of dogs having great fun, and you can see how high that A-frame is and how loooong that tunnel is but you can also see how brilliantly, organised it is, all enclosed, either on a one to one basis or a group lesson, but I'm opting for the one to one to start with as I did yesterday.

Take a lookey, these dogs are loving it!
http://www.take-the-lead.com/about_us.htm

Plus the trainer is more than well qualified, she has shepherds herself and horses, and knows her stuff which is imperative!

I'm addicted already can yer tell! You'll be seeing a lot of me in this section from now on, and some piccies on Sunday when I next go!
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Helena54
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12-06-2010, 05:29 PM
Yes it's great isn't it, all proper equipment and the trainer is very professional which I like, so of course, the dogs are happy, she takes it all very slowly, no pressure, and you are one to one with her until you decide you can do it with the other dogs if you want, plus it's cheaper that way!

Regarding the age, I wouldn't know, but having a gsd it was imperative for me, not to start anything like this until she had reached maturity at 18 months, and she's 19 months now, so we started Smaller dogs it doesn't matter as much though, and most dogs mature at 1yr old, but gsd's it's 18 months for them to be fully mature and the growth plates closed. I didn't want to tempt fate so I did it properly, although lots of peops start a lot younger, maybe put up a thread and ask??

If you are thinking of going, then you have to work out what you can afford and whether you want this one to one or a "class". I look at it this way, if there's a class of 6 people and you get one hour, then that to me, means YOU will be getting a maximum of 10 mins personal training from that one trainer for your £6 quid or whatever. So work that one out for one hour, which is, £36 so for my £20 I get that whole hour to myself anyway. Even if you GO there less, to warrant that £20 you are STILL far better off doing it this way. At the end of the day you want your dog to enjoy the experience, you want it's full attention as well, so I would strongly advice you start off with a one to one, then you can move on to wherever you want to be, in a class or keep it as it is but maybe go there less often.

You will have a BALL, I'm off again tomorrow morning now that my own muscles have recovered from Wednesday!!!

Great video there BenMc! I'll have to get Zena to do that when we're out, with o/h standing on top she'd climb Ben Nevis! Lol!
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upallnight
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13-06-2010, 07:22 AM
I'm just looking into all of this again before we get the pup )) It is something I would really like to get involved in and will be looking for a place in Perthshire where we can do agility and obedience classes ))
Thanks and the place does look great!!! x x x
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Helena54
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13-06-2010, 11:38 AM
Blooming 'eck, just finished my 2nd lesson at this agility, and my face is bright red!!!

We started off with the jumps, same thing, sit, wait, I go over she's onlead and she jumps. Then the tunnel, she went straight in and I ran to t'other end, 4 times we did that. Then the dreaded A-frame, BUT, Zena zoooooomed up there, didn't hesitate for one second at top, and zoomed down the other side, but she's learning to jump from the marker, so then we had to of course, start saying "touch" I didn't want to use "down" in case she went flat like she would when I say down, so a new word like "touch" is good! Yayyyy, she's mastered that it's a piece of cake and we had to STOP her doing it again when we were standing there chatting lol!

Then that dog walk, God it's sooooo narrow . She was busy explaining to me how we had to get her very straight in a sit to start off, and how a lot of dogs "freeze" when they get up the top and we would have to move each leg, blah, blah, blah, but Zena was having none of that, off she went straight up, ran across the top and down t'other side Oh how I love this dog of mine!!!! We did it again and again but always with two leads, although the A-frame I am doing on my own now

Then I did a little course offlead, I sent her through the tunnel and waited in the middle, and as she came out she looked for me and was then sent to the jumps, where I had to make her sit and wait, whilst again I went to the middle of both jumps, sent her over the first, then ran to the 2nd to send her over that and she did it all so perfectly the lady said, so we did it all again!!!

She cannot believe just how well we are BOTH doing at this and she is going to "mention" this to those two trainers who are pants compared to Zena, from that other training club I used to go to! That'll open their eyes, after they told me she would run off at 9 months old won't it (and she still never has!!)

OH we finished on such a high, I can't begin to tell you, so we're off again Wednesday morning!

No piccies yet I'm afraid coz I didn't want Dave there to distract her, and my friends couldn't make it! No more Sundays, it'll be weekdays once a week from now on so that my friend can come as photographer! I can't wait to show you just how brilliant this girl is considering this is only her 2nd time, so you'd all better be watching out for us!!

I told her about that see-saw and the fact that all the time Zena is having such a ball, I don't want to be faced with that for a few weeks and she said I wouldn't be faced with that for ONE YEAR, and when we do it, it will be done properly, slowly!

Hahhhhhhhh, Sunday lunch and a nice little nap for both of us, I'm all agilitied out!!!
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CLMG
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13-06-2010, 12:49 PM
Oh, well done H and your little star as well I'm so pleased you're both enjoying it so much, I personally think it's great for the dogs, not only for the exercise part, but it gets their brains working as well

I'm so pleased that the see-saw will be a while off yet and that it will be taught properly as well, which I know wasn't the case with Jack, our previous trainer was a bit of a Barbara Woodhouse, it's my way or nothing, and Jack was sent straight up it without being shown it tips, so of course scared the **** out of him

As I mentioned before Chris is teaching now and with the newbies they got them to walk calmly round the see-saw to start with, while one of the trainers slowly tipped the see-saw up and down, so not only could they see it moving, they could hear it banging on the ground as well, then when they started on the see-saw, Chris (being stronger) held the up bit, while the dog walked up it, with the owner and the other trainer holding the dog, one each side, and once the dog was comfy, Chris very slowly lowered it to the ground, this went on for a few lessons, and now they are all doing it perfectly.
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Helena54
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13-06-2010, 01:06 PM
Thanks Christine, you would be amazed if you saw her on only her 2nd lesson, she's enjoying it sooooo much!!

Yes, that see-saw. The trainer told me that when she was taught, she saw the "trainer" literally chuck the dogs on it so she stepped in and told her in no uncertain terms that SHE would be taking her own dog on it, which she did, and she said, she literally held that see saw just like Chris does and gently lowered it when she felt her dog was comfortable. She also told me that they use the dog walk up and down bit, on the ground first, so the dogs get used to walking on that a lot (as the see-saw is the same width of course), and when she is happy the dogs are happy with walking on it on the ground, only then does she proceed to the see-saw itself, BUT, again, she holds it and holds it, and lowers it v-e-r-y slowly, and that's how it should be done isn't it, not scare the pants off the dogs!

I couldn't believe how she went straight through that tunnel when we went in either , especially when I was told to stand away from it and not at the other end the 3rd time, it quite amazed me that she did do what the trainer wanted, i.e. look for me! I'm a whiz at that A-frame now though, no panic attacks for ME when she gets to the top, coz she's shown me she's not scared of it at all, which of course, helps ME!

She's doing that anticipating at the jumps though, she was reluctant to sit and wait each time I got to them, she wanted to goooooo! Just like a horse, anticipating! So we had to make her sit and wait because of that, but the way she zoooms over and on to the next one with me in the middle is quite something for only our 2nd lesson I think! We only did TWO like that though, not the whole line of 3 yet! The ring is still a doddle although 2nd time she took it with her lol! It didn't scare her though coz I caught it with my leg and she did it fine 3rd time.

I was gobsmacked at her along that dogwalk though, and the trainer said they ALL go mad across that they seem to love it or hate it, but I'm glad Zena seems to love it! One day soon, we'll be working on the "touch" bit, but for the time being, she said, it's hard to stop her going so beautifully forward, although I did try and do the "touch" over the A-frame but she was coming down so fast, and then I forgot what I was supposed to say, so collapsed in a heap of laughter, well, I was rather chuffed with her!

I took her a nice drink this time in a cool bag, but strangely she didn't want to drink much (last time their water was a bit manky and warm and Zena likes cold, fresh water!), and I told my trainer, I had also filled the pool up ready for her when she came home coz I knew she would plunge straight into it, and I hastily added, my dog's not spoiled though!!!! What a laugh this is!

Another thing we noticed, Zena is quite unsure unless I'm on a certain side of her, which I think is HER right side Whether that's because she's still unsure of the trainer on the other side, we don't know, or could it be that when I walk her onlead, she is always on my left with her right side against me? Bit strange! Are all dogs like this in this agility then?
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CLMG
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13-06-2010, 01:21 PM
Sounds to me as if you have a brilliant trainer

It's far better for her to be over exited about agility, much easier to control than having a dog that doesn't like doing it, if Jack hadn't like it, we would have stopped One of the ladies at club does obedience competition with her Lurcher and has qualified for Cruft a couple of time, but as soon as she gets to agility, that all goes out the window 'sit!, wait!, what on earth on you on about woman!'

I know you know, but I have to say be careful how much you let her drink in one go after or during agility, as she could get colicky (sp) especially in the hot weather

Her uncertainy on one side is probably because you've done all her training so far on one side, it might be worth doing things at home from both sides, as agility is done with the handler on both sides
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Kicks
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13-06-2010, 01:23 PM
Wowzers sounds like you had an awesome lesson again! Well done both of you!

Re. preferring to be on one side rather than the other, you've hit the nail exactly on the head, if you always walk her on your left and i'm guessing have done most of her training on that side? then she'll be more comfortable and confident on that side. You could start practicing with her on your right on walks and also basic things like putting her in a sit wait then calling her to your right and throwing her toy will all help!

Indy having done lots of obedience is much much happier on my left but with abit of work she's now comfortable on both sides, and will even do obedience heelwork on the right bless her.

So chuffed you're enjoying it so much x
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Ben Mcfuzzylugs
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13-06-2010, 01:44 PM
Sounds like you both did great
Dogs learn lots if they have a little break - like the A-frame and tunnel - she had a few days to sort it out in her head and no problems today

Yup you do need to practise everything on both sides - espech things like chucking balls

Have a look on you tube for circle work or agility flat work, exercises for you to run with her and change sides and chuck the ball
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Helena54
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13-06-2010, 03:50 PM
Originally Posted by CLMG View Post
Sounds to me as if you have a brilliant trainer

It's far better for her to be over exited about agility, much easier to control than having a dog that doesn't like doing it, if Jack hadn't like it, we would have stopped One of the ladies at club does obedience competition with her Lurcher and has qualified for Cruft a couple of time, but as soon as she gets to agility, that all goes out the window 'sit!, wait!, what on earth on you on about woman!'

I know you know, but I have to say be careful how much you let her drink in one go after or during agility, as she could get colicky (sp) especially in the hot weather

Her uncertainy on one side is probably because you've done all her training so far on one side, it might be worth doing things at home from both sides, as agility is done with the handler on both sides
Thanks for the tip about that water Christine, and it hadn't occurred to me, until this morning when I was checking up on that bloat coz I got worried Zena had only eaten 2 hours prior to this lesson, and although 2 hours is safe, I did kind of worry a bit because of the over exertion, and that's when I saw about that water Now that you've said it too, I really must be more careful the way she drinks on her return from our walks, she could be gulping in massive amounts of air and that's not good re: bloat! Thanks!

Originally Posted by Kicks View Post
Wowzers sounds like you had an awesome lesson again! Well done both of you!

Re. preferring to be on one side rather than the other, you've hit the nail exactly on the head, if you always walk her on your left and i'm guessing have done most of her training on that side? then she'll be more comfortable and confident on that side. You could start practicing with her on your right on walks and also basic things like putting her in a sit wait then calling her to your right and throwing her toy will all help!

Indy having done lots of obedience is much much happier on my left but with abit of work she's now comfortable on both sides, and will even do obedience heelwork on the right bless her.

So chuffed you're enjoying it so much x
Thanks Kicks and if she's enjoying it, then it makes me enjoy it even more to see her so happy and excited at how well she's done!!! This is much better than dog training classes, and that obedience never really appealed to me, although of course, you have to have an obedient dog to do all of this I know, but we have enough of that to get by, at least she's focused and listens to me, and I've taught her everything she needs to know, I really didn't want to take that further You wait till you see some pics!!! xxxx

Originally Posted by Ben Mcfuzzylugs View Post
Sounds like you both did great
Dogs learn lots if they have a little break - like the A-frame and tunnel - she had a few days to sort it out in her head and no problems today

Yup you do need to practise everything on both sides - espech things like chucking balls

Have a look on you tube for circle work or agility flat work, exercises for you to run with her and change sides and chuck the ball
You're so right, she must have had time to think about it all, so had no hesitation today, and of course, that helped me out too!

I quite understand what you're all saying about teaching her everything from my left, especially the closework, BUT, when they were teaching me at my dog training classes, they said we must choose a side and STICK to it and of course, numpty old me has always done that The strange thing is, when Zena's walking nicely to heel offlead at the end of each walk, she sometimes goes around to my right and looks up at me, so what do I do????? Yeah, I bring her round to my left coz I thought that's what I'm supposed to be doing, just like we did with the horses, always do everything from the nearside (the left!). That blooming dog is cleverer than I am sometimes (most times!!!)

Thanks for all your fantastic help and support, I've found something we can both enjoy, and unlike the dog training, I can't wait for my next lesson with this!!!
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