Hi jen- i'll PM you some postcodes tommorrow if thats ok as im just logging off in a min.

Fab

Thank you

Isn't this only 12 months with a Shep?

At any agility club that I have enquired about, they say that the dog (obviously I have enquired about Jess, so a GSD) is over 12 months. I think they say this irrelevant of the breed though.

Have you tried Packington in Solihull? Pretty sure they train indoors at the local riding school.

I train at Veseyan which is sister club to Beacon up near Sutton - an hour journey each way. Training is outdoors, but we have floodlights and training is usually on in most weather.

I haven't, but will look into it. Thank you

Sadly, no, it's always 18 months for a gsd, been told by the vet as well as all the gsd sites I've encountered. Hey ho, I'll just have to keep her occupied with something else until that time then, coz I want to do the best for her, I've never yet had one who's suffered with joint/hip problems in the past, and I don't want one in the future. She won't even be doing the stairs here at home until she's 18 months old either. One day!

I think everyone has different opinions on exercise and activities for young dogs (including vets and professionals)

I personannly see no harm in starting basic agility training early so long as they arent jumping and are slowed down on the contacts...probably less exerting than chasing a ball.

Well done Ripley She is a future agility star in the making

I started Yogi (GSD) off doing agility at 12 months old but we were only doing very mini jumps. I had queried a few people prior to starting him off, but as long as undue pressure isn't being put on joints, then I don't see a problem with it JMO of course.

Just diving in quickly as I am very concerned
No dog of any breed should be in-line weaving until 12 months minimum, and only then the small breeds which physically mature younger than larger breeds/mixes.
At my club, [ I have been teaching for 9 years fwiw ], the Smalls are allowed to start in-line weaves fairly soon from 12 months of age, all the rest learn the other equipment first so are usually 14-ish months before weaving, larger breeds ie Alsatians, Rotties etc 18 months plus.
No the Weaves don`t have impact like jumps, however they involve drastically more pressure through bending, starting a pup so young is asking for trouble when older, you won`t see the damage for a long time but handlers who start such young dogs as this tend to end up retiring them considerably younger. All I allow for youngsters is wide open channel weaves, so they get confident about poles being either side and to drive forward, [ after a toy usually ], but the channel is at least 2" wide so there is no bending to even try for.
A-Frame even at lower angle is also too much to be doing, it involves physical pressures for not only going up but more so on the descent, and the slower it`s done the more pressure is involved.

Other than poles on the ground, wide open channel weave`s, Open tunnel, flat tunnel with cloth held open, and planks on the ground or baby height dog walk, I would absolutely not under any circumstance allow what you are being allowed to do at your club I`m afraid, and nor would any thoroughly savvy club.
At training today we had a Border Terrier who is one week off being 12 months old so she was allowed to do two minutes grid work with poles on Micro and baby height dog walk, [ as it`s low enough for the handler to give full support from above and the descent is only about 18" ].
Everything else she has done has been about directionals with ground poles.

Please please please don`t let your pup any where near weaves again until she is old enough, and not to do lowered A-Frame again either until of a suitable age, if your instructor says it`s ok I`m sorry but they are wrong

I have to agree
A lady at the club I train with just had to retire her collie at 7 - and she entirly puts it down to doing the weaves before it was a year old
A collie at 7 should be on the top of its game with a good few years left in it
Take short cuts at the beginning and your dogs carrer and more importantly its quality of life when its older will be deminished

There is lots and lots of things you can and should do with your pup before you go to a agility course

Stays - with high distraction, send aways, send round things, circle work - walking then running with you, back end awareness exercises, focus training, impulse control, learning to think
Then you can introduce jump wings and lowered obsticles

Whew, there is so much you can be doing why rush things and put them on the equipment too soon??