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Wyrd
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23-05-2010, 09:09 AM

Puppy Agility

I am thinking of getting some agility equipment set up in my garden so Cooper and I can play with it during the day and keep his brain active.

I am not going to put any jumps up, but use a pole on the ground to simulate a jump so he gets used to the idea, I want to have a tunnel and some weave poles, can anyone recommend anything else that I could set up that will keep his mind active but isn't for jumping?
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Velvetboxers
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23-05-2010, 09:28 AM
Just be careful not to put too much strain on his body. Hes a big breed pup & shouldnt be doing agility until 12 months +. You can have lot of fun searching & retrieving which leeps body & mind active. Start off by getting him to sit, then showing him where you put the treat/toy. Go back to him, let him smell your hands (scent) then tell him "go find". Lots & lots of praise when he goes to it & picks it up. After a week when hes sitting down, ptetend to put in one spot, go to another spot & conceal behind something, then go back beside him, let him smell the scent & send him off. They all love it. When we lived near the country park/meadows one of us would have went off in another direction. Give that person head start of couple mins or so, then "send the dog" to "find" the other person, who for tbe first few weeks should still be visible to the dog. You can have really good fun that way for both you & the dog
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CLMG
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23-05-2010, 09:35 AM
Hi

How old is your Cooper I'd err on the side of caution with weaves, as this can also harm the growing pup, poles on the ground are fine, and if you can get some sort of wing as well, that will help teach him to go through them as well as over the pole.

If you can lay your hands on a plank of wood, say about 12 inches wide (not sure of the exact measurements) and a good few feet long, paint one end a different colour, lay it flat on the ground, you could start to teach him to get his contacts and use a specific command, we use 'get it' but others use, 'hit', 'touch' something that you will only use for those commands, but to start with try placing a treat at the end for him to get and an incentive for him to stop

You can also start to train him to do things on both sides of you, as agility is run from both sides, start to get him to go head of you, distant commands are a big asset if you have a quick dog and also to work a few feet away from you as well, this will also help

If you really feel the need to start weaves, remember to get his entrance correct, they always enter from the left i.e. the dogs left hand shoulder (as you look from his bum to his head) or you could get some V weaves or channel weaves, but these are expensive, I certainly wouldn't put him through proper weaves until he's at least 12 months old

But please be patient, baby or should I say puppy steps, it's all new to him as well, and very often you may feel you are taking one step forward and several back, but don't give up, and remember it's meant to be fun, when you start to get agitated, he'll know as well, then you've lost the battle
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Wyrd
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23-05-2010, 09:36 AM
As I said he isn't going to be doing any jumping, just going to be learning to go through the tunnel and maybe some weaving and walking over things (I do the same sort of things with my horses as youngsters to bombproof them).

We already do searching for things, and the start of obedience training, but I would like him to do varied things.
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Wyrd
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23-05-2010, 09:43 AM
The plank idea is good I will be doing that.

The 'weave' will be widely spaced electric fence posts for horses, just so he gets used to going through them.

Cooper is about 12 weeks now but is a little ball of energy at the moment, and if his brain isn't working his mouth is and he is chewing everything in sight (thankfully he has worn himself out now and is asleep, but he has been on the go since 6 am this morning)
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CLMG
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23-05-2010, 09:54 AM
He's also a Dali and (if the other Dali's I no are anything to go by) have a limited attention span he may one minute be all exited about what you are doing and next be distracted by that blade of grass just out of site, or the prospect that someone, somewhere may just want give him some attention

One of my friends Dali's was a show dog, and she used to be able to get him to do 3 or 4 obstacles, then he would trot round the ring, showing off to his admiring public, completely ignoring her

I have a couple of pics of my friends Dali's doing agility, I could post them for you or pm them to you, or not, I don't mind either way
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Wyrd
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23-05-2010, 10:12 AM
I've just set up a little course around the garden, 4 electric fence posts, 2 barrels with a broom handle on the floor between them and a plank of wood on the floor, we did each one individually and then did them all together and he was a pro, did it perfectly twice then got bored and wandered off

Bless him he picks up things really quickly then gets bored easily, just like my appaloosa, I wonder if the spotty gene also breeds in short attention spans
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CLMG
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23-05-2010, 10:15 AM
Originally Posted by Wyrd View Post
I've just set up a little course around the garden, 4 electric fence posts, 2 barrels with a broom handle on the floor between them and a plank of wood on the floor, we did each one individually and then did them all together and he was a pro, did it perfectly twice then got bored and wandered off

Bless him he picks up things really quickly then gets bored easily, just like my appaloosa, I wonder if the spotty gene also breeds in short attention spans
Good for you and Cooper he sound like a typical Dali to me

Appaloosa you have an appaloosa, OMG my dream horse spotty or blanket how tall, do you have pics, please tell me you have pics
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Wyrd
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23-05-2010, 11:00 AM
She's a chestnut fewspot, I will pm you some pics
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katie1
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19-07-2010, 10:19 AM
can a toy dog do agility or would it be to much if so what age would i start her and are there any in kent
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