Would a German Short Haired Pointer x Boxer be a good agility dog?

I am used to having a Husky / German Shepard cross, this is the first time i have ever had a small dog (i consider it small) and thought the dog wouldn't be very athletic. I thought Daisy wouldn't keep up with me on my bike or in-line skates and walks. Well I was wrong and reading up on the breeds I must have been an idiot she is an extremely agile and fast dog.

She loves to play and be chased and she has now learned to swim altho she does get scared from time to time.

But i do have a question does anyone have any info on how fast these dogs are - I looking into getting her competative (she outruns every dog she meets both in speed and endurance). Now she is extremely hard to train - very stubburn. Any ideas?

That cross should not be either stubborn or difficult to train. Both Boxers & GSPs do very well in obedience & other canine sports. What sort of competition do you want to get into? If agility then I doubt if she will be as fast as a BC - not many dogs are once they get to high level comp. How old is she?

SHe is 9 months old and no Border Collie can catch her. Actually she plays with over a hundred dogs at an off leash park and each one tries to catch her and can't. She is amazingly fast - but very stubborn so what would be the easiet agility course for her to learn to start out with

Before starting agility you need to have a very good level of general obedience. Your dog needs to instantly obey both voice and signal commands. Recall must be extremely reliable, you need her to focus on you, and you need the other basics - sit, drop, stay/wait etc. You also need an extremely healthy dog, heart, lungs, legs, joints, mind.

Once you have the obedience side solid them you should join an agility club for the specialized training. Most good clubs will not take dogs under 12 months of age, e.g.:

Age Requirements

Our club requires that your dog be at least 12 months of age before beginning serious agility training.

Because of the long term, negative impact of jumping and flexing on the growing bones, owners are advised to research their breed and only begin agility training when the dog is past the age which the "growth plates" are typically closed. In dogs under 50 lbs. This usually occurs from 9 – 12 months and for dogs over 50 lbs., 10 – 14 months.

Dog agility training is best started with a young adult dog, but most dogs are able to participate and do well until they reach 8 – 10 years. (Central Okanangan Dog Agility Club).

The Agility Dog Assoc of Aust. requires dogs to be 18 months old before they can compete in any ADAA event for the same reason, i.e. the bones and joints will usually be mature by then and therefore less likely to suffer injury. Certainly no dog should be allowed to use the full A-frame before at least 12 months of age.

You can set up a few easy, low-impact, obstacles at home e.g. weavers, planks, jumps. Jumps should be set up on grass and be lower than the shoulder height of the dog. Do nothing that may stress your young dog's bones & joints. If you start practising at home remember that you need to be able to handle on the right as well as on the left. Agility is great fun, but do not rush your dog into serious training as she is still only a pup. A Club will be able to give you a lot of advice on when & how to start.

While I am sure your dog is very fast it is a bit different in agility. What is her body-type? The BCs are light, lithe, fast, flexible, waste no energy, and have great stamina. They can jump low and fast, turn on a sixpence, have superb balance, and are totally focused. I believe a good agility BC would beat a good agility Boxer or GSP 9 times out of 10 in high level comp.

You say she is stubborn? What sort of training are you doing? Are you going to classes or training her at home? What are you using for rewards and how are you using the rewards?

SB