Muttzrule, great thread opener
You might want to make a brew to get you through what will undoubtedly be a Novel length post
When I started with my eldest it was because, as a very high work drive Collie unable to work sheep, [ he`s deaf ], he craved something to do with his mind as well as physical activity. Agility encompasses both, not just for himelf but for us as a team.
The increased bonding and understanding between handler and dog is incredible. The handler has to be patient, inventive, imaginative, and most of all fun or it just doesnt work.
When Defa started Agility, his world opened up for him, it gave him what he wanted to make him `whole`. At the age of 12 he loves it as much now as the first session which unlocked the doors to let his mind start really working for him.
Its not just a brain and energy release for the dogs but for the handlers too. Even the shyest handlers become louder, more exhubberant, and lose inhibitions about things like falling on our backsides in front of people, everyone laughs with a handler, not at one.
The atmosphere of training is so sociable for the handlers and the dogs, it is so encouraging, and builds handlers inner confidence generally about themselves, especially youngsters. It really can be therapeutic.
Try feeling down when your dog has jumped nicely off lead for the first time at training, or got a weave entry right for the first time, got their first perfect contact, and every other single element which instills pride in doing something with ones dog, and there are a bunch of people cheering you on because seeing others achieve something no matter how big or small gives them a rush of pleasure too !
An unnatural activity :
I would argue that elements in Agility are the same or similar to totally natural things which many dogs do.
A-Frame = dogs climbing a steep grassy bank or a sea wall slope at the beach
Dogwalk = going along a fallen treetruck
See-saw = anything a dog walks on which moves underfoot
[ which they often dont realise will move at the time, granted ]
Jumps = styles, fallen branches, garden fences / walls, car seats, anything else in the way of where a dog wants to go
Weaves = extremely exaggerated I admit but how many times do people dogs the wrong side of a lamp post or tree etc and the handler get tangled with the lead
More ensibly, every time a dog goes through a partly opened door with a bending action, they are doing a partial weave movement.
Open Tunnel = any similar entrance a dog can`t help but want to investigate, commonly demonstrated by terriers charging in to rabbit holes
Flat tunnel = going under the bed covers and out the other end
Tyre = same as jumps, does`nt have to be a perfect circle, ie a gap in a fence or hedgerow, if the dog wants to get to the other side, through they`ll go !
Long Jump = anything long and low that a dog jumps over when out and about, or similarly jumping a ditch
Considering how similar so many elements are, an agility course or exercise simply offers the dog the opportunity to do what they naturally but in a safe manner qith guidence and confidence building.
How can it benefit dogs in that regard ?
Often there are traps in agility, where a dog is guided away from an obvious element. Out on a walk, the dog is about to leap something with a hidden danger which the handler spots in time. From agility training there is considerably more chance of being able to stop the dog safely because its something they have worked on together for quick responses and reflexes.
General training.
The most important thing imo is recall.
How many people tell a dog off for not recalling ?
Compare to agility where recall involves the dog getting to do something highly rewarding by following the handlers direction closely. Because agility should be fun, the dogs *want* to be near their handler, its made worthwhile for them to want to stay closer, to focus on their owner, waiting for the next cue, `willing` cues to come their way almost.
Many dogs which have been going to Obedience and never mastered recall go to Agility and find recall happening without them realising thats what they are doing.
Because of the fun and bonding it can often improve recall more than any other method or activity which carries over to walks and creates a safety which may not have been there othewise.
Health :
From our club handbook to save me typing it out, some snippets outlining benefits and precautions for the dogs` health and safety :
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Fitness and Stamina will improve as well as mental capability as they learn various verbal and physical cues/signals.
Heart, lungs, musculature and circulation functions can benefit the general fitness of the dog.
If you have concerns in these regards, please consult your vet PRIOR to commencing agility, particularly if your dog is of a breed with high occurrences of hip or elbow dysplasia, heart murmur, or other known ailment.
If your vet feels certain parts of agility should be avoided for your dog, or that higher jumps are not suitable due to a physical problem, let your trainer know in order that it can be taken into account for your dogs needs, as he or she can still enjoy Agility even if unable to jump full height or do a particular piece of equipment on health grounds.
WHY CAN`T MY DOG DO AGILITY UNTIL A YEAR OLD?
A dog’s skeletal and muscular structure is not mature enough until this time for the physical demands of Agility. Starting too young can result, for instance, in greenstick fractures and damaged muscles. Weave poles can be harmful to an undeveloped dog due to the bending involved.
* If your dog is overweight and Agility is part of a dietary/exercise regime under your vets` advice, please ensure your trainer is made aware of this in order to ensure your dogs best interests during class.
* Your instructor will adhere to any constraints advised by your vet in terms of any long term condition already mentioned plus any other which may be relevant.
* Any dog appearing unfit for training at any time due to a temporary injury/sickness etc, will not be allowed to train at that time.
* Dogs must NOT be fed prior to class, as physical exercise after a meal can lead to Gastric Torsion, commonly known as Bloat.
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Is it ` cruel` or are dogs forced ?
Well, I cant speak for every other club but ours and probably most are along these lines for training methods, again from our booklet :
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TRAINING METHODS
Agility is all about fun and that is the approach we take in the training [as it should be in ALL training, whether it is agility, formal obedience, or any other task a dog is learning].
Only positive methods are used at the Club.
WHAT IS NOT ALLOWED?
No handler will be allowed to use negative or forceful methods on their dog, such as hitting, shouting, jerking, or any other negative method of punishment.
The dog can only perform under the guidance of their handler, so if the dog makes an error, it is the handler who CAUSED the error!
Choke chains are forbidden at the Club due to the physical, as well as mental, damage they cause to a dog.
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With the calibre of most trainers, Agility is far safer as an activity for the dogs than what any dog can often face on any walk from things like broken glass, charging through a hedge and getting caught on wire or some other unseen danger / litter, etc etc
While injuries certainly could happen I`d hazard to say that there are probably more dogs regularly injured just by chasing sticks, [ which some people still do throw for them
] than there have been serious agility injuries since it began.
With agility and all the safety measures taken, in my experience as a handler, competitor, and an instructor of many years, the dogs are at less risk of injury than being taken for a pavement walk or anywhere with grass long enough to hide a shard of glass or rusty metal or discarded takeaway rubbish with bones in it or.........
I think that covers it mostly for how I feel about it.
You can wake up now guys