First Day Of Agility Course!

[Guest DogNewbie]

Hey everyone!

 

So I decided to try our best shot at Canine Agility. It looks like a TON of fun and a great way to bond with your dog. So Wiley and I went to our very first level 1 class today! It is a 6 week course. It was fun for me although poor Wiley was so traumatized. At one point he was leaning against me shaking with his tail between his legs. All well, we will get there. The instructor said that the first 1 or 2 sessions would be just getting the dog acquainted with the surroundings and other dogs. There was this one exercise where we had to get the dogs to stand on this yellow raised board and he did it the first time! I was so proud! Plus everyone kept commenting on how cute he is and his tiger-like stripes! Everyone wanted to know how we got him and his back story.

 

Any tips and tricks for agility newbies?

 

 

I can't wait 'till next week!

[Guest Lillypad]

Hi, congratulations, great way to start the New Year. You will have loads of fun and meet some great people and dogs. We were going routinely until August, took the summer off, then Lilly had an accident in October (happily recovered) that prevented us from returning in the fall, then before you know it got busy with Christmas. We will be starting up again this month too. My advice would be relax, have fun, don't take things too seriously cause hounds especially ex-racers need a little extra time, encouragement and creative techniques. There is a blog called, Never Say Never Greyhounds, authored by a wonderful lady named Jennifer Bachelor, she has great advice geared to ex-racers. She and her team have great success in the sport. I recommend her highly, she is quite inspirational when you need it most. Also, the trainer Susan Garrett (Right here in Canada) is world renowned and has great advice too. If someone asked me what would be the secrete I would have to say FOOD!!!. That is what keeps my girl's interest and keeps us moving forward. LOL So don't be stingy with the treats and praise. Hee,hee. Also, when you get a little further along, I think practice is important for our hounds. I found just once a week was not working, so I made make-shift equipment to practice at home. There is also a member from Ontario, Summit Greyhounds I believe that is working at agility and has a blog as well. Also, I check things out You Tube for training ideas, tools, equipment and inspiration ideas. Good Luck, looking forward to hearing about your adventure. I believe working with your hound as a team can NEVER be bad. You are doing her great service by spending time and stimulating her life. Regards Janette and Lilly. P.S Hows the weather we you are... hellish cold here in Kingston, Ontario can't even get out for walks, it is a quick potty then back to the warmth of the house... LOL

[Sambuca]

We're in agility now. My advice is to go as fast or slow learning wise as your pup needs to go. Don't worry about keeping pace with the class, it will just stress you both out. Remember it's for fun and don't worry if you never get to competition level if you're both enjoying yourselves.

[krissy]

Agility can be a great way to build confidence in a dog. We have one rescued poodle in our class who was afraid of everything when we started class. He still has his moments but it is really incredible the progress he has made.

 

Finding what motivates your dog is key as it can make a big difference. We use mostly food, though with Kili I do use toys as well. But even food is not the same. She goes nuts for Brie cheese (and people make jokes when I bring it to class... Expensive French cheese for dog training!). She also LOVES Kraft singles slices. Those are a more manageable price. Peanut butter in a little jar works well too. And I will use raw green tripe in a container as well for exercises where I want her driving ahead.

 

Have fun! We are hooked. Our goal for 2014 is to start trailing with Kili.

[Guest DogNewbie]

Thanks for all of the great advice guys! I am just so pumped! I can't believe I have to wait until next Wednesday! That seems so far away. I am going to see if there are any other classes during the week and see if I can bring Wiley just to walk around and watch. He was just so uncomfortable in the environment and with all the other dogs (3 groups at once!) he just couldn't focus! Although, I can't really blame him. We only got him in July and he has come such a long way. I am so pleased with his progress. Food is definitely a big motivator for Wiley! Thank goodness. Toys he could care less about. I brought his favorite treats yesterday (Actr1um & Milk Bones) in tiny pieces but he wasn't interested. I think he was just to stressed. Next time I am going to bring hot dogs (which he loves), boiled chicken or maybe some cheese. I will keep on practicing at home and I like the idea of the make shift equipment. I will see what I can make. I am going to search the net for those blogs and some youtube videos.

 

Thanks for the advice! I will send an update next week

Lillypad the temperature here has been allover the place. Especially if we get a Chinook. It was -40 on Sunday and has been between -20 and -10 since. Although yesterday was only -2 so that was a nice change! Poor Wiley was had his walks cute back too. It is just too cold some days! I would be just awful if he got frostbite or something. He doesn't like missing his walks though but I think it is best. Sometimes I try and walk him around Pet Smart or something. How is the temperature for you? What do you have for alternate exercise?

[Sambuca]

Sailor was very nervous in obedience class. I found that if I got into the room early and started throwing high value treats for him to chase and pick up, he relaxed a bit because he had better associations with the room. You can do it on leash, just throw the treats within leash range and walk with him to chase.

Find the foods your dog loves best. Bu loves eggs, so I make a salami and egg omelet ion agility night. He also likes Merrick sausages. You can get them at Petco. Sailors favorite food is a cheddar bagel with cream cheese so I'd pick one up before class. I've also brought leftover pizza, meat, cheese, tripe, Bu particularly likes duck flavored treats, and both my dogs love rabbit meat treats. Sailor is a chow hound. At home, his kibble is an acceptable treat, at class, it's pretty worthless. You'll have to experiment and see what he likes.

[2greyhoundMINI]

Agility classes sounds awesome. I would love to get into these but I don't know how to even go about it? How do you find classes by you?

Anyway, good luck! And have fun

[krissy]

Agility classes sounds awesome. I would love to get into these but I don't know how to even go about it? How do you find classes by you?

Anyway, good luck! And have fun

 

When I start looking for a new trainer (when I move cities, etc.) if I didn't have any recommendations from anyone I just google "Dog agility classes [city name]". That should bring up most of the trainers near you that offer agility classes. Then from there you need to go through carefully and read their websites and call them up to talk to them. It is super important that classes are reward based positive reinforcement only. Especially for agility it must be all positive, in my opinion. You are asking your dog to do something for fun... so it should be fun! Even saying "no" can potentially be demotivating which reduces the speed at which the dog approaches the course. That might not be super important for folks not intending to compete... but you never know if you'll change your mind down the road.

 

Generally they want the dogs to have a good obedience foundation... and even if your dog does already I sometimes think it is worthwhile to start with a new trainer with a basic obedience course. This gives you an idea of the trainer's training philosophy and how they handle problems that pop up... without risking causing an aversion to the equipment if the trainer is the wrong one for you. It's also good for the trainer to have an idea of your dog and how to work with him/her. You can also observe a class without your dog to see how the trainer works with other dogs to see if you like their methods.

[2greyhoundMINI]

Thanks for the advice! I don't know if I will ever enroll them anywhere but it's good to know how to look into it.

[Guest DogNewbie]

So this is obviously waaay in the future, but if I was to enroll Wiley in a CKC baby agility competition, he has to be CKC registered and I have to be a member right? How do you go about registering an ex-racer from the US? What I looked at, you need the breeder's contact info and stuff.

[krissy]

Most agility competitors show AAC and not CKC/UKC. In the case of CKC and UKC you would have to register the dog. They have registration applications on their website somewhere. As I said though, in Canada, most people trial in AAC (Agility Association of Canada)... at least that has been my experience. I've found that most people doing UKC/CKC are doing so because they also show the dog in conformation so it is easier to hit one show and do several events (conformation, agility, obedience) all at the same show. My breeder does UKC agility, for example, because she shows her dogs in UKC conformation so she can easily get the dogs to all their different shows and get their titles with less time and driving.

 

And of course those with crossbreeds show AAC of course since they can't register in CKC/UKC.

[Guest DogNewbie]

Thanks for the AAC tip! I tend to get TOTALLY ahead of myself LOL. So how long does it usually take from the first session to the competition ring? I realize that this club has 4 training levels we would need to go through. But what is the approximate time line? 6 months? 2 years? If we started our training in January 2014, when do you think we can do our first competition? This May? This November? Next January? Next July?

[NeylasMom]

So I don't want to rain on your parade, I think it's really fantastic that you are interested in pursuing agility with your dog, truly, but I am a little concerned about the disparity between your enthusiasm and your description of your dog's reaction to the first class. Do you know why Wiley was so uncomfortable in class? Have you taken a basic good manners class yet? If not, that might be a better (calmer, less scary) environment to start working with him in and once he's gotten comfortable with this idea that class is where all of this good stuff happens, then you could move on to agility. Also, having done some agility myself, I think trainers who take things very very slow and gear things toward the dog are rare and it's VERY important not to push your dog into doing something he's not comfortable with. Outside of the fact that dog sports should be done because they're fun for both dog and owner, if you push a dog toward a piece of equipment he's not ready for, you will have that much more work in the future getting him to do it well versus taking it at a pace where he's very comfortable. I think finding an intro class where the trainer really gets this and while experienced in competition isn't necessarily focused on it is tough to find, but well worth it.

 

I wish you a lot of luck and I hope you'll stay focused on what benefits Wiley is getting out of the classes/training each step of the way.

[krissy]

Thanks for the AAC tip! I tend to get TOTALLY ahead of myself LOL. So how long does it usually take from the first session to the competition ring? I realize that this club has 4 training levels we would need to go through. But what is the approximate time line? 6 months? 2 years? If we started our training in January 2014, when do you think we can do our first competition? This May? This November? Next January? Next July?

 

Well, it depends on how quickly the dog progresses. Kili started training last June and we have been going to weekly group classes plus we do our own work several times a week (though not in the last month thanks to this deep freeze... horse arena is too cold at night) and my hope is to have her ready by the fall. She's a good agility prospect but young so that adds some time.

 

Getting a dog competition ready is a pretty long process. There is a lot of equipment to teach. Some stuff is quick like jumps. Other stuff like weaves and teeters take weeks or months to teach. Then you have to learn how to handle a course. The dog needs to learn to run with the distractions of a trial environment and without reward for an entire course.

 

So depending on the dog, the individual, and the amount of training you can put in I think at least a year for most teams.

 

ETA: and as Neylasmom has noted, Wiley isn't exactly the dog a serious agility competitor would choose. Which is not to say he can't do agility. I think it is great for building confidence and you never know where that will go. But. Baby steps.

Edited January 10, 2014 by krissy

[Guest DogNewbie]

HAHA Ok I have to come back down to Earth LOL. I figured it would take a while; especially if you wanna do the training properly- which I do. I come from an equine back ground and have seen the consequences of pushing the horses too fast and too hard. I would suspect it would be similar with dogs. Wiley has completed Beginner and Intermediate training at Pet Smart. He did pretty good there, he got more and more comfortable each session. Although it was a much more quiet setting with only one dog in his class both times. This agility course has about 14 other dogs. We may have to do the level 1 one course a few times and take things slow. Which is fine with me! I just want to have fun with my dog, bond, meet more people (and dogs!) and maybe do a few competitions along the way!

[krissy]

This agility course has about 14 other dogs.

 

Whoa! That is way too many unless they have some really crazy configuration. My classes are always no more than 4 teams. And I prefer when there are 3. 14 is WAY too many unless they are using separate rooms/rings and multiple trainers per group. A trainer cannot keep track of that many dogs and cannot spend enough time with each team to be safe, never mind effective.

 

Just as an example... when you start to do contact equipment, the trainer has to be standing right there to help. So it is one dog at a time on equipment.

 

Unless you were exaggerating and there's only like 5. lol. Humour is kind of hard to identify online!

[Sambuca]

In my classes, there is only one dog in the ring at a time. Or the teacher is standing at a piece of equipment and the dogs are lined up on leash to learn it, so safety wouldn't be a concern, but waiting in turn for 13 other teams would be tedious! We have 5 of us total in my advanced beginner class right now.

[Guest DogNewbie]

Ya it is pretty busy! 3 groups in one arena, although the 2 more advanced groups look like they have about 5 or 6 dogs in each group. The level one group, I would say has about 12 or 14 dogs. We have 2 instructors and some things we do at once in our own space and some things we do individually. When we did puppy push-ups (lie down and get back up) we did that in our own space and having the dog "wait" them come to the handler was done individually.

[Guest Lillypad]

Hi again, it is cold, cold, real cold her in Kingston and icy too, but we are going have balmy weather, (LOL in the +'s) this coming week. I am glad to see Apex Agility joined the thread, sorry I had the name wrong, but this is the team I was trying to tell you about. NeylasMom has some very good advice and words of wisdom. But, WOW, I am so happy for your enthusiasm... keep that thought, cause sometimes it can be hard. Sometimes you just don't seem to be making any progress and wonder, is my dog getting this, is this crazy... we don't seem to be making any progress... maybe I should just call is quit and save my dollars. Then wow... they get it. So your enthusiasm will keep you going through these down periods and there will be many if you are considering competing. How long it will take is anyone's guess. Your instructor will be the one to tell you when. I am fortunate to have a wonderful coach. She understands sight-hounds very well. They just can't be pushed and they are indifferent about pleasing us. I sometimes look at Lilly's face and I am certain she is saying "Are you crazy, I am just not into this, forget it Lady" Once again LOL and we stop, take a break, or try something from a different approach. This to me adds to the fun, LOL. I think your idea about taking him to class to watch is a great idea, in fact I did this a couple of times. However, I am concerned about the size of your classes. They really should be no more than 6 max. My girl Lilly is very social, sometimes too much so, LOL In others business and not focused on me and the task at hand, but I just laugh it away LOL. Our challenge is keeping focused, I suggest you practice "watch me" at home as much as possible. (Check You Tube for tutorials) Reward for any eye contact, then ask for a longer and longer focus. Clicker training is also beneficial. Again You Tube. Most sighthounds, especially ex-racers, because they are not generally asked to focus on human faces, not necessary in the racing world, are lacking in this skill. I feel that Lilly and I are progressing nicely, I feel ... oh we are doing great, then Bam out of the blue she gets the Zoomies and takes off like a bat out of *@#!. This tends to be VERY amsusing to my peers and I have to say I do find it funny too.... but my coach has a whole other opinion LOL. I also found that we make great progress inside, but when summer comes and we are outside that brings on a whole new level of challanges, seems we need to start on the basics all over again LOL. You will notice I use LOL a lot in my script... that is definitely what you are going to need, "Lots of Laughs" as others above said... keep it light... have fun... that's what it is all about. When it becomes less than fun, you've lost the whole reason to participate. Oh, yes keep lessons short and I can't stress enough find what inspires him, reward, reward, reward. Get special treats and "jackpot" treats (lots of treats and praise for milestone accomplishments). You will do fine, so happy you decided to start, we need more greyhounds at the trials. BTW.. my trainer told me that there was a time when sighthounds were not welcome at agility trials and frowned on because they just did not have the focus and skills to compete and in some cases disruptive to other dogs. She is one for a challange and decided to train and trial a Whippet and Borzoi just to prove them wrong, Many championship awards later she did just that. And of course Jennifer Bachalor is one we can all aspire too. Regards Janette and Lilly.

Edited January 10, 2014 by Lillypad

[krissy]

Wow... in my opinion that is way too many dogs for one class, especially with only one trainer. Even with multiple trainers you really don't want that many dogs in one class. It's OVER distracting and the potential for interdog problems is a lot higher. I am guessing this is a "Fun-gility" course as I can't imagine a competitive course being run that way. Honestly, I would recommend finding a trainer that runs classes for people interested in competition. First of all, IF you are interested in ever competing it is important to start right. And secondly, even if you're NOT interested in competing there are a lot of things that are beneficial in terms of safety... aside from just the number of dogs in the class. Competitive trainers focus on safety because competitors want to run their dogs A LOT and we want to extend the useful agility lives of our dogs. But even if you only do agility for fun, safety and injury prevention are still important. That's just my two cents.

 

Where in Ontario are you? I might know some trainers near you.

[Guest DogNewbie]

Thanks for the help guys! Unfortunately, this club is the only one in town and I don't really wanna drive 2 hours to the next one. However, there is a club that teaches beginner agility but that is all the offer. I might try that as well. At least it will give Wiley some more exposure. We are in Southern Alberta.

[Guest DogNewbie]

I looked at the club 2 hours away but they do classes with a minimum of 5 dogs and a max of 10 (1 instructor per 5 dogs). I don't know if that is much better.

[krissy]

Hmmm... I don't know much about Alberta. We are moving to the Edmonton area in June though, so stay tuned. I do know there is a great agility club, but it is mostly out of the Edmonton area which is too far. I'm guessing you're probably more towards Calgary.

[Guest DogNewbie]

We are about an hour from the SK boarder so about 3 hours from Calgary. The only club is the one in our town and then the others are 2-ish hours away

[Guest DogNewbie]

So one of the dog training groups (non- AAC or agility specific) offers a beginner agility course on Tuesday nights. I was thinking of joining that and then doing the other course on Wednesday. I thought that was Wiley would get more exposure. Do you think that is too much? Will he be over whelmed?