Would anyone try to train a young pup to do agility, cani x ? Agility

Not teaching you to suck eggs, but weave poles are as bad as jumping to young dogs, so stick to basic weave introduction training! Im sure you will, but just incase someone who dosent know sees the post & misinterputes it

We only started agility at 18 months for fun and exercise. I don't think we will ever excel at it.

thats totally right- weave poles can be worse than jumps for a young dog- ive had to be really careful with yoda as he picked up weaves really quickly and now flys through its blink and you miss it stuff and you can see his body taking the strain of it from the turns even now at 19months i only allow him to go fast through in competition.

No jumping and nothing that would be hard on the joints, but I think there are some things you can do to get a younger dog ready for agility...like going through the tunnel, or doing the dog walk (low to the ground, my place just would use a wide piece of plywood laying on the ground and teaching the dog to walk the length of it), jumps that just have the bars on the ground...so you practice sending and calling back...if you want to work with targets, practicing that...if you have the staggered weave poles, you can practice those....there are a lot of basic things that someone can work on without putting the dog through any physical exercises…and the whole time there are the other socialization skills that the dogs are learning…listening to all the sounds, seeing all the strange equipment, being around large groups of people and dogs….I guess it would depend on how intense the people wants to be in agility…someone who wants to compete would probably do well by getting in some early socializations and basic tasks…they would probably know what kinds of activities they can practice, but if you just want to do it recreationally, it would probably be best to wait until you are sure the dog is ready…especially as those basic tasks are not as fun as learning how to use the bigger equipment and how to make those fun jumps, and an early learner might get impatient with the “boring” parts.

How young are we talking, though? I think that the pup should have basic obedience and a decent recall before starting agility...I think it would be too difficult/frustrating without some commands to build on…and agility is (should be) all about the fun

GSDMad: I wish I could get my Ami to pick up the weaves...I can only get about 2-3 before she just walks away from it with a look like "what next"...but we haven't been training in a while...thats a goal for this summer (turn my new back yard into an agility course...shhhh...don't tell the OH he wants it to be a "hang out" pad for him and all his buddies...lol)

LK have you tryed training on Channel weaves or V weaves?, these should get the concentration & stamina & understanding for a line og weaves. Apolgises if you have.

I totally agree, 18 months but preferrably 2 years with a long backed large dog like this and bones still developing!

lunakitty- I taught my dogs using footwork to guide the dog in and out of the correct weave and also used a clicker so i clicked everytime they went through the weave and the click encouraged their head to turnback towards the noise and therefore through the correct weave(if you get what i mean-its quite hard to explain on here!!)
Yoda, my youngest boy who has just started competing loves the weaves- he has done a line of 60 weaves perfectly and beat all the faster collies at training(a little club comp game!!) but I have only ever done that once as hes still young.

Hi Shona

Can you tell me who has said this?

On the other thread it was said that a person was advertising pups as potential agility dogs because the bitch had done agility- yet at only 18 months and having had a litter

I must have missed that post.

Right so it hasn't come directly from the owner of this bitch? Do we know who the owner is?

errr- you know full well which thread it was from as you were heavily involved in it!!

Yeah your mate SC its part of the sales pitch for her litter

The pups are 2 days old now I wonder if they can do the weaves yet?

I guessed which thread you were on about yes, but as I said I must have missed that post, it can happen. I'm only trying to find out who it is that you are all talking about, as I don't know anyone that would do agility with such a young bitch?

Oh so it's say's on there that the bitch excels in agility does it? Maybe you should look at her website and read it properly.

I don't think it said the bitch excelled in it, but the advertizing of the pups said they should excel in these things. That would make me think that the sire or the dam does, otherwise why would the breeder say this?

Should or could?

Well we would love to do caninx and agility with Ela but we are not going to even start her until she has been hipscored and we get the results back. Then i will start going to the club and get her used to the whole thing but she will not be joining in the jumps and full course until she is at least 2. this is of course dependant on the hipscores being good and that she enjoys it.

I think any younger and you are risking ruining the dog and causing problems in later life. I also wouldn't want to use a dog in aglity that hadn't been hipscored in breeds such as the GSD ect.

I agree with this, if you see an ad thats says a dog could or should excel in these things then you would expect it was because at least of of the parents have proven themselves. Just like with working dogs say.

Im not very "up" on Agility atm, but i dont believe there are any AG CH NIs yet???
What is the highest level they are working at?
Or maybe they are doing well in the ABCs???Against the kelpies & the BSDs.

For pups to be told they should or could "excel" at a dog sport at least one if not both of the parents or line/siblings should be proven, ie winning, getting good places at shows.

There are NO NI or 'northern breed' such as them that are AG CH.

The highest competing NI I have heard about is competing in G2 KC.
I dont know various results or how consistent they are but imo the sire or dam of the litter must be competing consistently with good placings for a litter to be advertised as agility potential.
Personally I wouldnt advertise pups out of any agility dog of mine as potential agility dogs until they were competing at G5 consistently being placed- almost any dog can compete at the lower levels with a good handler. but thats just my personal opinion.