Questions for those who do agility/performance

[Courtney]

Ok, does anyone have any A-frame tips, tricks? Thor is not very confident on it. At tonight's class it was 8 inches higher and he was not willing to try it on his own (we had to help him along). Our instructor said we could practice later with it lower - we didn't tonight but I am hoping we will later. I don't want to automatically have a chip on my shoulder, but I swear she is prejudiced against anything but the "traditional" agility breeds. Like tonight she said, well everyone who loves agility gets a border collie. They start with another dog, but then they see how easy the border collies are and they get one. Uh, no! They are great dogs, but I'll stick with my dachshunds, thanks.

ANYWAY...so the A-frame was a bust tonight. He is getting stubborn on the tunnels too. We did the closed chute and he was good, but only when the other trainer was holding it open. But it was so hot tonight and he got really tired. We did the dog walk for the 1st time and he did not even want to try it at first. We shaped him getting on and up it with the clicker, and luckily, he figured it out after that and was very willing - even hopped on a couple times when we were walking by!

Edit to add: He's also doing really well with the weave poles. We added another 6 tonight so he is going through the full 12. They are still a few inches apart so he is not weaving, but he is going fast down the center!

My other question - do those of you who compete take extra care to keep your dogs extra lean? Thor is probably between 17-18 right now and (I think) he is definitely a standard size dog. I agree he needs to slim down a little for agility, but the instructor thought by 3 or 4 lbs! That would mean he'd weigh as much as Po, and you can see how much bigger than Po he is, even in my sig. I think he'd be super lean at 15 lbs, and that should be enough. He is not a tweenie, but we will see what we can do on the weight! He is about 10 inches high by the way.

[Tex]

First, :congrats: to you and Po on the dog walk and weaves!!!!

Second, I don't have any real advice, as my only experience with agility came from running Zandra's Sophie a few times........but it sounds like your instructor is somewhat bias.....

It seems to me that Po would be awfully lean if he were to lose 3-4 lbs. JMHO. :goodluck: with the A-frame!

[Jill]

I'd definitely get the instructor to lower the A-Frame. Can you arrange to stay after class to do extra practice or maybe have a private lesson or 2 to get him working on these things? I know what you mean about the agility and border collies. The first class I took with Bailey was run at the daycare they go to, so they knew him. The second one was run by a woman who is competitive in agility and breeds borders. It was almost like she was put off by us being in the class and started off being like he won't be able to do this or that. But he showed her. She started using him for examples and stuff.

Anyway, how high was the dog walk? This was the first time you guys saw it? We started on planks. Walking planks first, that were on the ground. Then we gradually started on the walk and then it was raised to height. Do they have anything underneath to stabilize it? That could help.

As far as staying lean, I can't help you there. I am always trying to put weight ON Bailey. He's like a machine. I wish I had his metabolism. :rotfl:


I have been waiting to get into the advanced agility class where we train, and I think with the summer it just keeps getting put off etc. I was thinking about getting some private lessons and going right to intermediate with the trainer that we love. I need to talk to them about that.

[lotsadox]

Trainers do that c**p all the time. Sure they like to work with Border Colllies. They don't have to work! It's so annoying.

[areese]

How high was the a-frame??
If a dog is not wanting to do it, definitely it should be lowered. As low as it gets so they can race over it and it is FUN. Same thing with the dog walk.
And huge rewards and celebration when it is done :)
Then gradually raise it, by 4-6 inches at a time, over time. Make it the funnest thing ever.
I also conditoned my dogs rear ends for climbing it cuz I'd like to see them pushing up it, not just pulling with their front legs. We luckily have a steep berm around the pond I would have them run up and down and also I have them sit up, then go to a stand, then back down. Great for the rear end and stomach/back muscles.
I do also keep my dogs pretty thin. Laika lost 1.5 pounds and it made a big difference in her speed I think. But 3-4 pounds??? Perhaps she isn't understanding how much that would be on a little dog or how dachshunds are built. Laika is 13 pounds, O is 10.5 but he's definitely a mini. His body is different than Laika's too..he has a tuck up and a big wide muscled butt like a JRT or something! He's really strong..he likes the a-frame quite a bit.
But if you are going to seriously pursue agility, I'd keep them on the thin side. Because it's easier for them to jump and do the obstacles and safer I think for their backs with less weight in the middle. But not skinny skinny.
Neither of my dogs work well when it is hot and esp. humid. I was practicing with my friend's min pin Tuesday cuz I gotta run him in a trial sunday and he's a fast motivated dog but he got tired fast cuz it was so humid.
f-ing border collies. You couldn't pay me to have one. I get annoyed watching them LOL. Speed isn't everything. I'll never be some world clas competetor but who cares???
They should treat all dogs with respect and enthusiasm, IMHO.
Congrats on the weaves!

[Linus]

I don't have any tips for you about the obstacles. Bailey trained like a tried and true boy - busted right through and over everything the first time without fear....then developed issues later. (He HATES the teeter, and WILL NOT weave because of the metal pole on the ground. Weirdo.)

As far as the lean goes, It definitely helps with their endurance to not be overweight and to have developed muscles, plus there's that little extra support for their back. Rena's Lucy is a big ole stocky standard, built that way, not overweight, and she does just fine...a little slower than Will Em, but just fine.

I did think of one thing for the A-frame. Don't train him to stop at the bottom for a treat. They do this for bigger dogs to make sure they hit the contact, but unless Thor is a jumper, train him to keep going and put the treat a foot or so away. Bailey hated stopping at the bottom, and I think it was because it put his back at an odd angle and was uncomfortable.

[areese]

I
I did think of one thing for the A-frame. Don't train him to stop at the bottom for a treat. They do this for bigger dogs to make sure they hit the contact, but unless Thor is a jumper, train him to keep going and put the treat a foot or so away. Bailey hated stopping at the bottom, and I think it was because it put his back at an odd angle and was uncomfortable.

Yeah...I trained Laika to do a "two on two off" (paws) at the contacts but wished I didn't cuz it slowed her down too much. I don't think she was uncomfortable really but she would be thinking about what she was supposed to do and getting ready for that so she came down slow. And if they came down fast and planted their front feet..that seems like it would jar their backs too much.
Owen I did not teach anything at the contacts but then last summer he started LEAPING from both the dog walk and a-frame without touching the yellow section at all. No Q's all last summer cuz of that but I still did not want to teach the two on two off position cuz of his back..Finally started praising him each step he took that was not a leap on the way down and also had him lay down after he was off. So he was thinking of that, not about getting off and on to the next thing. So his treats were given away from the obstacle and when he was laying down. I faded the laying down and only go back to it once in awhile to keep him thinking.. I still say Good good good when he is on his way down to remind him. I hear a lot of people saying careful or slow or wait or whatever..I like "GOOD" cuz he is :)
Having an a-frame at home helps tremendously cuz you can easily make it into a really fun fun rewarding thing doing it daily or before meals or whatever..

[jenfer]

Agreed to start off low and slowly add the height.

When we first started contact, we did not do 2-on-2-off... she just stopped towards the end and that's it. But the trainer now wants us to do 2o2o... I don't know... and honestly I don't really care even though I can see her point.

BTW, the last time we went on a trial was like in January. lol.