having first done agility with a setter and continuting with one now - just keep the fun sense of humour ... like I have a choice ha ha



make sure your dog is happy to work ahead of you and a good wait... agree left and right commands also good to have

oh and contacts - take more care on training those!

Find a good instructor....one that knows the sport inside out & has competed themselves. (less likely to train bad habits, that need to be "untrained" further down the line)

Oooh, where to start!

Try and get as fit as you can - whatever your age, etc.

Good ground work will stand you in very good stead, teaching a good wait, directional commands and training the dog to work ahead of you - lots of throwing the toy and encouraging the dog to go on away from you. Throwing the toy and making the dog wait and then go for it. Every time you turn a corner with your dogs, give them the directional command (whatever you decide to use) so they get used to it.

Train your dog to jump gradually - don't be in too much of a hurry to put the jumps up to full height or they could end up with a bad jumping action. Not only will that waste time, it could cause long term injury.

As another poster has said, try and find an instructor who is up to date with current handling methods and course design and who has experience of different types of dog, otherwise you could end up with bad habits that are hard to correct.
You don't want someone who teaches you the way they run just because that's the only way they know how!

Finally, accept that you are always learning and, if the dog goes wrong, it's always your fault - you've either commanded it wrong or trained it badly!

You brought up a good point, which reminded me of something, 5dogpam. Study the dog you've got, and take its instincts into account. For most dogs, teaching them to work ahead for a toy is great advice. Unfortunately, with my lurcher, it doesn't work. Her houndhead comes on, and she becomes erratic. She's the chaser in any of our dog chasing games, never ever the chased - it is a very strong instinct with her. When she gets out in front, she gets confused, and is liable to take off out the ring in pursuit of movement. Once that instinctual drive comes into play, it is almost like she comes to her senses again. So, I try to work her laterally as much as possible, and position myself so I keep in her eyeline so that she sees my movement. So, with ABCs (anything but a collie), it is worth looking out for a trainer, who perhaps has had an ABC type dog(s) him/herself, rather than purely collies. Or a trainer who recognises there can be differences in training methods required from that of the tried and trusted collie ones.

I'd go with the rock solid 'wait' ---I don't use the word wait but they do whatever the action is until they are released somehow.

Instant reaction to name is good and I taught back and away using a ball thrown left and right while I was walking.

Have fun.

rune

Hmm.....not allow my mother to run my dog

Step one - find an awesome trainer who really knows what they are doing.

Step two - spend lots of time on the basics and don't be in a rush to bring the dog 'out' on the circuit. 18 months is a limit not a deadline. Wait 'til you are ready.

Step three - don't choose the easy route in training, we do each exercise twice, once the 'easy' way, once the 'hard' way.

Step four - recognise that the 'easy' and 'hard' ways are different for each dog - learn your dogs and your own strengths and weaknesses.

Step five - If you aren't having fun your dog won't be either. If you're not both happy and wagging quit for the day.

Step six - Concentrate on nothing but your dog and your own aims. Be happy with the small acheivements, and don't let anyone pressure you to 'conform' to anything else.

There's only one thing I would do differently...... train channel weaves. My current competition dog is doing quite well but he has one weakness and that's his weaves. No matter how hard I work at them they are still not concrete. I had narrow weave knowledge when I trained him and now I'm paying the price.

I had the opposite experience with channel weaves as my dog didn't learn to control his speed on entry and spent his first season missing the entry! Once I taught him the entry he was fine and immediately won up to senior (as it was then).

I found channelling great With Jazz - but he was a steady dog - no major speed in him.

I am interested (and gonna have a try I think) at the 2x2 Susan Garret one.