Advice needed - JRT & agility.....

Fiona

Fiona

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Hi there

Hoping for some advice from anyone who does dog agility (esp with a small dog, but any dog at all really)..

I have always wanted to try it with my mini JRT (she is two in May), but there wasn't a club closer than about 25 miles, so I just couldn't commit to the time required.

However... our local horse XC schooling venue has recently opened again for the summer, and they have as well as the XC...

A doggie fun park, which has three enclosures, one of which is set up with a full set of agility fences, seesaw, tunnel etc.

I can't wait to take P over to it (next weekend that it doesn't rain), but (apart from bring a lot of treats in my pocket) can I please have some advice for a fun first time agility session.

-she jumps horse XC fences, but isn't keen on showjumps, so how do I encourage her to jump the little fences.

-if she won't go through the tunnel, will I crawl through first.

I am really hoping someone will use it as a base and set up a club, so we could get some proper training, but in the meantime please give me some advice on handling so P (and us) can have a fun time.

This is P..

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She is fixated on sticks (being thrown for her) and food, recall is good but doesn't like being shouted at (she lies down).

Fiona
 
Did mini agility many moons ago with my lancashireheeler. Couple of tips, use a fixed collar not a slip collar,you don't want to jerk her as she jumps. Start with jumps really low and jump with her. If she is toy motivated use a toy to encourage her, or food. Be very careful over the dog walk, be prepared to catch her if she tries to jump off, and I was always taught not to go on the seesaw until they are confident on dog walk. ANd yes, crawling through a tunnel often helps
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Sorry, there is probably more but just caught your post as I was about to log out and would have felt mean to ignore you
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ETS Keep forgetting to go out of daughters log in and come back as myself, its Murphysminder.
 
Thanks murphy88..

Your reply prompts another couple of questions.

1. do I keep her on the lead then at the start. I had assumed not, but I have only ever seen fully trained dogs doing agility at shows.

2. would watching another dog show her what to do, prob not as she would be too busy playing with the other dog and not concentrating.

Anyone else - I am so looking forward to this, so want to get it right
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Fiona
 
Hi
I read this and didn't reply as wasn't sure what to put. I do agility but don't do equipment straight away - I do about 6 to 12 months foundation ground work first - but this is because I do it competitively.
So I'd say just make sure it is fun for your dog, always reward stuff no matter how small it seems, if she likes toys really use that to your advantage - throw it over jumps, through tunnels to encourage her.
If there is a certain bit of equipment she can't get to grips with don't dwell on it - go back to something she found fun
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Oh and yes I've seen a few people crawling through tunnels too
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We always kept on the lead until they were sure what they were doing,that is why it is better to jump over the jumps with them,less likely to pull them back or get caught on wings. It can help to let them follow another dog through tunnel, but apart fromthat it is more likely to distract them.
ANother thing re tunnels, it is best to get her conifdent going through the rigid tunnel before you ask her to push through the canvas one.
By the way I think your JRT is really cute, and I must go to bed now!
 
oh and.......With tunnels push the rigid tunnel up really short to start with so she can easily see the light at the other end
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and throw a toy or food through, gradually lengthen as she gets her confidence.
Agree with MM do the rigid tunnel until she is confident with that then try the cloth tunnel - get someone to hold the end open and slowly hold it up less and less until she pushes through it herself.
 
I know I prob sound like an idiot in my original post, but I've never had the change to do agility before (disadvantage of living in the back of beyond). This is literally the first chance ever to try it.

WHat do you mean about foundation groundwork? Recall, sit, down etc, or more advanced training???

Should I not go then, until she is better trained.

Fiona
 
Fiona - no that is not what I meant at all, sorry
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To be honest it is probably more how I trained my first dog, but nowadays everyone is very competitive and foundation training is seen as a way to teach your dog the basic rules that you can use throughout your 'agility career' with your dog!

Things like I would teach a really good 'go on' over poles on the ground to a toy placed at the end, I would teach lefts and right round wings, I teach position on the contact equipment, I run them over flat planks on the floor to get speed before doing the actual contact equipment, I shape weave entries to get a consistent and independent weave entry.

All these things aren't essential to having fun with your dog using agility equipment or even to competing at agility - they are just ways to be better at it and to teach your dog rules of ways to go - for example my dog knows if I say go on and there is line of jumps he knows to take it.

If you have a recall.sit and wait that is all the foundation you need really for learning agility
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pmsl..if you crawl can you video it
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I have no 'proper' agility experience, only what we do over showjumps, we have two similar sized to your poppy (or own poppy! too) will she be enthusiastic about a ball/toy? We generally throw these over the fence.
Also, lead over a pole on the ground, then over a tiny jump, with treats/toy as reward, they generally get the idea after a bit.
On tunnels, we used to just throw a toy through/put it halfway through and direct the dog through (can you tell our dogs groan when we take out anything 'fun' looking lol)
 
Don't always do the same routine or keep your dog on the same side of you at every obstacle - jump in both directions over the fence so that the dog learns variety.

Make everything as fun as possible and utilise everyday objects out on walks - I use a duckboard over a ditch left behind by the local pheasant shoot in preparation for the cat (dog!) walk, so that he won't be alarmed when he first has to use it.

Bad thing is that dog thinks it is his role in life to jump everything - including tables and beds!
 
1.Keep the jumps small for a JRT.
2. Have you got recall? If so sit your dog one side of the jump and tell him to wait. Go other side of jump yourself and recall over then loads of praise.
3. Tunnel-- have a helper to hold the dog at one end. You go to the other end, let him see you through the tunnel and call him through. I always use different words for different pieces of equipment e.g. Over-jump; through-tunnel; walk on-dog walk etc.
4. Soft tunnel--similar to the rigid one but you need someone to hold the tunnel open while the dog goes through to begin with.
5. dog walk---if there is a low one use that first--keep the dog on the lead and have a titbit in your other hand to "guide" him along. Make sure you get him to "wait" at the end on the coloured end of the dog walk. In competition they MUST touch both the up and down ends of the equipment.
6. please don't do the seesaw until he is really confident on the dog walk.
7. Body language is so important in Agility as much as your commands. It is hard to explain in words but the dogs do follow the way you are positioning your body.

there is loads more, but hopefully this will get you going. Do try and join a club. it is so much fun for you and your dog, as well as being good excercise for you both.
 
So much fantastic advice - thank you ALL. I will read it over again before we go (hopefully this weekend).

TripleS&H - I will video it all, and give you a laugh.

Goya - I really hope that P enjoys it, then if there is a club set up at this venue I will certainly be joining.

As I know from horses - having a good trainer is key, just in this situation I will be 'going it alone' at the start.

Thank you again.

Fiona
 
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