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josie · Posted: Wed Apr 12, 2006 12:33 pm Post subject: who does agility?

Does anyone else do agility here? Question

I've just started it & we've just finished our first 10 wk course. Smile

I'd love to know what other people get up to in their agility training sessions, what kind of "exercises" you do and how they're run, because I've nothing to compare ours to Very Happy

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Allyson · Posted: Wed Apr 12, 2006 1:03 pm Post subject:

I competed a bit a couple of years ago and have been placed in the top 10 several times in elementary and starters with my weimaraner.

I don't go to club any more because my job means that I can never tell when I will be "at home" to attend.

Although I went to a very very good club I personally do not feel that enough time is spent on the very basics of control and people want to rush into competing before they or their dogs have mastered certain principles.

But then again, realistically, there is never enough time at most clubs to get the depth of training which is ideal.

Fortunately for me, my dog was pretty well trained prior to going to agility and so I only had to teach specific things like weaves and contacts.
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josie · Posted: Wed Apr 12, 2006 1:58 pm Post subject:

I don't really understand anything yet of the competing side of it, like the different classes, how you move through them and the difference between KC shows and independent shows, I would like to know more about all that.

Our club meets on 2 different evenings - Tues evenings for beginners (which is split into a further 2 groups) and Weds evenings for people who are ready to compete. They have their own award scheme which is a bit like the KC Good Cits awards, but for agility - with increasingly hard agility exercises to go through.

Usually the instructor sets up a course - which for the beginners is really easy - 4 jumps and a tunnel for eg - and we just practise that in turn. Then he changes it round and puts the equipment in a different place and we practise the new layout in turn. I wish that he would break the exercises down further - like if your dog does 2 great jumps, and then leaps at you and leaves the course on the 3rd, you can't reward that then - but the dog did do 2 consecutive great jumps which have also not been rewarded either. I think we should spend more time going over 1 jump, rewarding every time, then 2, rewarding every time, then 3 and so on. I was just curious what other people's experience of agility has been?
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Alkemist · Joined: 11 Apr 2006 Posts: 135 **Breed:**

Both Duncan and I have done competition agility - proof that really anyone can do it hehe. Amber and I even got a trophy for most improved handler and dog for the whole year with our club - we must have been bad hehe, and I think we came 5th in the first ever weim agility league - and I think Dunc was 6th or 7th, can't remember as it was 6 years ago ! We have both 'won out' of elementary - which means that we can only ever compete in starters classes or above in the future, but when Jensen got ill we gave up everything, agility showing the lot...

Word of warning though - ALWAYS watch your dog where other dogs are concerned, some dogs get so hyper with agility that even queuing to take your turn can be dodgy....

Hope you and your little girl enjoy it though

Nina

Vital K9 · Posted: Thu Apr 13, 2006 11:01 pm Post subject:

I compete in agility with my Vizslas! In the UK I used to train in agility, but never tried to compete. The trials were too big, the wait too long and the competition with those Collies too boring
Wink

However the Canadian system is great. Many different levels from beginner through to expert and different organisations hosting trials, even in a small place like Vancouver Island (OK, it's as big as England, but small in the grand scheme of things!). The trials are much friendlier and you have a titling system, so the only person you are really competing against is yourself. You can get all excited and enter all the trials and move on quickly (assuming you and your dog are good enough) or you can do it a bit here and a bit there and get there gradually.

We don't have the time nor money to enter every trial, but we do what we can do and have already attained our AGN (novice) titles on 2 dogs and nearly have their AGIs (intermediate) with the CKC. We also run in AAC trials, where lots of "games" are played (not just standard rounds) and my Cirrus is one leg off his Master Jumpers title!!

My dogs certainly LOVE agility and I get a big kick out of it too. Yes, a huge amount of discipline is involved and fitness (mine is often lacking!) and the atmosphere here at trials is informal, supportive and fun, fun, fun Very Happy

Could rattle on forever, but won't bore you unless you are interested in learning something specific.

May the course be with you Cool

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Chrissie & The Vitali Vizslas
Vancouver Island BC

Marjolein · Posted: Thu Apr 13, 2006 11:26 pm Post subject:

I've just had the first agility lesson and it was great. For Mowgli, it wasn't the first time, I think we've already had like 8 lessons 3 years ago, but for Daan it was all new.
They did well. Mowgli is too fast and too hyper, I just cannot keep up with her. She really needs to become a bit calmer, or I have to be faster, LOL! Anyway, she likes it big time.
Daantje did well too. She did all the different jumps and see-saw and things like that! We had a great night out and maybe, one day, we will enter them in a trial... Fingers crossed it'll work out!
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josie · Posted: Fri Apr 14, 2006 10:29 am Post subject:

Excellent, glad other people are doing agility - let's get the agility forum rocking like the gundog one now Very Happy

Chrissie - I have asked some specific questions on 2 other threads & would value your opinion Very Happy

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Cindy · Posted: Fri Jun 09, 2006 3:48 pm Post subject:

I've been doing agility with Hector my five year old Weimaraner on and off for nearly two years now. I say on and off as we have had issues along the way with health (both his and mine) and behaviour - he was attacked by a Black Labradour and I had to make sure he was sound to take into a highly charged enviroment such as agility.

He loves it and I have found it to be of more advantage that going to regular obedience classes. In Jersey they are a bit stuck as to how to direct such breeds as Weimaraners and tend to think the choke chain is the way to "train" them.

It took quite a few people to realise my dog was called Hector at first as I am so spatially and directionally challenged I kept shouting "bigger" everytime I ran the wrong way or into something that they thought his name was bugger Embarassed

There is nothing like picking up the jaws of the sceptics as you come out of your round Wink

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To own a Weimaraner is to fear nothing and anticiapte much

Marjolein · Posted: Fri Jun 09, 2006 5:19 pm Post subject:

We've had 6 lessons so far and we have improved big time. Besides the weaves, they do everything without a single problem. Mowgli is still really fast, but we've learned how to handle that now. Just make sure she keeps working in front of you and she does a great job.
I on the other hand still have difficulties with the courses I have to run. I keep confusing my dogs big time, but I'm sure I'll learn that in time, hehehe.
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Cindy · Posted: Fri Jun 09, 2006 8:17 pm Post subject:

Have faith Marjolein as I use to be very dispondent with my attempts and, like you, kept confusing Hector to the point he would just walk off the course and go and lay down whilst I decided on what I was actually doing Rolling Eyes

I found it was a case of one day the penny would drop and it would all come together and boy did it make you feel good Very Happy

Its becuase these dogs are so athleletic they make you feel like you are ten tons and have two left feet and a a memory problem Wink

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To own a Weimaraner is to fear nothing and anticiapte much