Agility help and advice!

N

NellRosk

Well-Known Member
Joined
7 May 2013
Messages
2,726
Location
West Yorks
Visit site
Hello all,

I have enrolled myself and my little terrier x for a 10 week beginners agility class and we're very excited! It said on the online registration form that basic training would be necessary... I'm just seeking clarification on what this is? She has good recall and is good off the lead and will do anything for treats. Her stay command is questionable, does this need to be impeccable before we start? I have a good month or so to improve this. Is there anything else I need to be aware of? And if anyone has any tips for a beginner I would love to hear them!

Thanks :)
 
Good recall and good off lead are the main requirements so I would think you will be fine. A good wait is useful as training progresses but you have plenty of time to work on that. I did agility over 20 years ago and have just started again this year, and everything has changed so I am like a complete beginner! The dog is far better than me as I am having to learn new handling techniques and forget old ones, no real tips, just go prepared for your dog to make you look a total idiot (or is that just mine) and enjoy it!
 
MurphysMinder said:
Good recall and good off lead are the main requirements so I would think you will be fine. A good wait is useful as training progresses but you have plenty of time to work on that. I did agility over 20 years ago and have just started again this year, and everything has changed so I am like a complete beginner! The dog is far better than me as I am having to learn new handling techniques and forget old ones, no real tips, just go prepared for your dog to make you look a total idiot (or is that just mine) and enjoy it!
Click to expand...

Thanks MM, I'll try improve this command over the next few weeks then! Hahah no Ruby's favourite pastime is making me look a complete fool and embarassing me at every opportunity... :D We can't wait to start!
 
A good wait is really important, it doesn't have to be very long but you need to be able to set the dog up and get in front of it to progress to little sequences etc. Also I would try to get your dog keyed into a toy and really wanting to work for you to throw that toy before you go.
 
A decent stay and drive for a toy or food bag would be really advantageous. That said I compete with a dog who never goes off-lead anywhere else due to complete lack of recall (it's a breed thing). :p


Take plenty of high value treats in a bumbag or pouch, a plain collar and lead only (no harnesses, flexi leads etc.) and a good sense of humour.
 
samlf said:
A good wait is really important, it doesn't have to be very long but you need to be able to set the dog up and get in front of it to progress to little sequences etc. Also I would try to get your dog keyed into a toy and really wanting to work for you to throw that toy before you go.
Click to expand...

I'll definitely improve her wait then! As it's not that great at the moment... Unfortunately she's never been that fussed for toys :( She soon gets bored of them and is much more food orientated!
 
blackcob said:
A decent stay and drive for a toy or food bag would be really advantageous. That said I compete with a dog who never goes off-lead anywhere else due to complete lack of recall (it's a breed thing). :p


Take plenty of high value treats in a bumbag or pouch, a plain collar and lead only (no harnesses, flexi leads etc.) and a good sense of humour.
Click to expand...

I've bought a little pouch that clips on a belt loop for treats so I'll that with some cat biscuits (she goes insane for them!). How do you compete with the dog on the lead without tripping yourself up?! I'm far too clumsy for that!
 
I suspect Blackcob's dog behaves fine in the ring as he's focused on the agility. You can't compete with a dog on lead in agility, and in my experience its easier to start them off lead from day 1. Even if they bog off, its only an enclosed field so they'll come back. If you've got tasty treats you can use a furry zip pouch or something and throw that. Even if it just encourages him over a jump in front of you its enough. I've got a ball mad cockapoo so its as easy to train with toys as it is with treats with him.
 
NellRosk said:
I'll definitely improve her wait then! As it's not that great at the moment... Unfortunately she's never been that fussed for toys :( She soon gets bored of them and is much more food orientated!
Click to expand...

Just adding (hopefully not to confuse!) I have a 'wait' and a 'stay' command that are totally separate. The wait (for agility stuff) will mean that the dog temporarily has to stay in one place until I tell it to do something else. The stay is for the super-fun obedience and I never call the dog out of it. Might be worth thinking about if you plan on doing other stuff with your dog to have two different commands.

As for toys.... different dogs like different things. I normally have certain 'training toys' that the dog only has access to when I'm training, so they're already more interesting than anything else.... and introduce them to the dog by simply bringing it out, acting like it's the greatest thing in the entire world, and then putting it away again WHILE THE DOG STILL WANTS IT (that's the important bit ;) ) and will repeat this a number of times to increase the dogs interest and enthusiasm. I find terriers tend to love tug games when they get the hang of it! Just need to teach them how to 'drop' also :) I've explained that horribly I think, but still, you can get toys that you can wrap food into (I think someone mentioned that already) you just need to make sure they bring it back and don't wander off and bury it for keepsakes.
 
Wiz201 said:
I suspect Blackcob's dog behaves fine in the ring as he's focused on the agility.
Click to expand...

That's exactly it - we train in an indoor arena or a fenced paddock so recall not a problem there, then for competitions we can manage 60 seconds worth of work off lead. Her first few competitions we had club members positioned strategically around the ring ready to catch her just in case. :o Happily they were never needed.

Food drive is fine to work with, you can get various velcro pouches, mesh bags, furry pencil cases etc. that you can put food in and throw for the dog for a remote reward in the same way you would with a toy.

Echoing MM the emphasis is very much on training you how to direct the dog, not the dog's behaviour, so just a basic level of obedience will be fine. You will however forget your rights and lefts and trip over your own feet. :p
 
Wiz201 said:
I suspect Blackcob's dog behaves fine in the ring as he's focused on the agility. You can't compete with a dog on lead in agility, and in my experience its easier to start them off lead from day 1. Even if they bog off, its only an enclosed field so they'll come back. If you've got tasty treats you can use a furry zip pouch or something and throw that. Even if it just encourages him over a jump in front of you its enough. I've got a ball mad cockapoo so its as easy to train with toys as it is with treats with him.
Click to expand...

Ahh that would make more sense! Thanks for the tips, very helpful!
 
stargirl88 said:
Just adding (hopefully not to confuse!) I have a 'wait' and a 'stay' command that are totally separate. The wait (for agility stuff) will mean that the dog temporarily has to stay in one place until I tell it to do something else. The stay is for the super-fun obedience and I never call the dog out of it. Might be worth thinking about if you plan on doing other stuff with your dog to have two different commands.

As for toys.... different dogs like different things. I normally have certain 'training toys' that the dog only has access to when I'm training, so they're already more interesting than anything else.... and introduce them to the dog by simply bringing it out, acting like it's the greatest thing in the entire world, and then putting it away again WHILE THE DOG STILL WANTS IT (that's the important bit ;) ) and will repeat this a number of times to increase the dogs interest and enthusiasm. I find terriers tend to love tug games when they get the hang of it! Just need to teach them how to 'drop' also :) I've explained that horribly I think, but still, you can get toys that you can wrap food into (I think someone mentioned that already) you just need to make sure they bring it back and don't wander off and bury it for keepsakes.
Click to expand...

No you've explained it all very well! Ruby loses interest in toys after she's desqueaked them and ripped them to bits so a super fluffy/ high pitched squeaky one will appeal to her a lot more than a pile of rags! And then I'll put it away in an industrial style vault between agility sessions so she can't destroy it :D
 
blackcob said:
That's exactly it - we train in an indoor arena or a fenced paddock so recall not a problem there, then for competitions we can manage 60 seconds worth of work off lead. Her first few competitions we had club members positioned strategically around the ring ready to catch her just in case. :o Happily they were never needed.

Food drive is fine to work with, you can get various velcro pouches, mesh bags, furry pencil cases etc. that you can put food in and throw for the dog for a remote reward in the same way you would with a toy.

Echoing MM the emphasis is very much on training you how to direct the dog, not the dog's behaviour, so just a basic level of obedience will be fine. You will however forget your rights and lefts and trip over your own feet. :p
Click to expand...

Haha that's great that you didn't need them to do a quick grab! I have a little pouch for treats but will also try a squeaky toy. I'm impatient to start now!!!
 
You may find squeaky toys are not allowed at your club, most don't like them as they can wind up all the dogs. Tuggy toys are good, Pickle has a ball on a rope but can get a bit silly and over the top with toys so I mainly use treats.
 
I did agility with my terrier for a year (I stopped because morning sickness meant I couldn't run!).

When we first started he was the only dog that would not still and wait on his own on the start line! We also had a couple of incidents of him running off to introduce himself to the room but he soon picked it up. He wasn't too fussed about jumping but he loved doing exciting stuff such as the tunnel, dog walk and A frame, I think he liked being up high so he had a good view!
 
We used treats a lot in our training, a Pringles lid with a bit of sausage on it is handy at the end of the dog walk or A frame to stop them running off the contact. Also a small tupperware clip pot with his treats in that can be thrown over a fence to get them to really shift, he knows that he gets a treat from the pot!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top