Do any of you do agility ?

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I've been doing Agility with Rupert since we moved to the area at the end of last summer and recently started competing, Rupert is a Cocker Spaniel (workingXshow) and rather laid back so he's not the fastest and whilst he is technically very good at the courses and contacts etc, i'm afraid his nose gets the better of him and we are yet to get a proper clear round. But its all good fun hey LOL.
He is not motivated by a toy at all and its all food, food, food with him.

Last week whilst at Dog Vegas show, they had a practice ring and I decided to take Pippa in for a play. She has been coming along to competitions with us for experience for a couple of months now and is quite happy being out and about. She's now a year old so we've only recently progressed from groundwork & contacts, to putting some poles and tunnels together. In the practice ring she did just as I asked of her, some lovely wing wraps and handful of jump-tunnel combos, Didn't get distracted whatsoever and really follow my shoulders. On our way out a lady we know of came over and said its time to get her into a class as she looked good. So Pippa had her first agility lesson yesterday :)

I took her along to Rupert's class for a trial and it was a bit hard work dealing with 2 as Rupert hates being left, but the bits we did were amazing and we even got her through the channel weaves a few times before ending on a good note and calling it a day. Next week I shall taken them to separate classes that's for certain. Learnt loads and lots to practice at the field which is great and it gave me a real buzz (and I was pretty tired after running two dogs LOL)

So, anyone else? tell me about your agility dogs and their personalities'.
 
I do agility with Pickle, a Lancashire Heeler, there are very few of them competing. He thinks he is a spaniel as his nose often takes over, but he is usually very accurate though not the fastest. We have won up to Grade 6 but very much doubt we will progress further as no way can he make the times now. I really only go to local shows but we both enjoy it, though I am useless at remembering courses ! 1E043356-8A6A-4C46-9C6D-7D36D8EF6533.jpeg.
 
Mrs Spaniel and I have been playing with agility since the winter, Flyball is our No1 sport and we've been out pretty much every weekend since Easter, but I've bookmarked early August to make our agility debut! Tunnels are more exciting to sit on, than go under still and weaves can be hit and miss but she's having a ball in training classes!
 
I haven't tried yet but I am hoping to do some soon with my newest Rough Collie because he's quite athletic and I think he will enjoy the challenge. I am going to an obedience trainer with him this weekend who also teaches agility. My other collie is far too lazy and stubborn for it!
 
MurphysMinder said:
I do agility with Pickle, a Lancashire Heeler, there are very few of them competing. He thinks he is a spaniel as his nose often takes over, but he is usually very accurate though not the fastest. We have won up to Grade 6 but very much doubt we will progress further as no way can he make the times now. I really only go to local shows but we both enjoy it, though I am useless at remembering courses ! View attachment 34251.
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Pickle’s ears are just the best 😊😊😊
 
I have Dax, a Siberian husky competing in grade 6. At nearly 10 years old this will be her last agility season and I hope to finish her silver agility warrant before she retires.

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I also have Ricoh a Siberian husky who competed in grade 3, he retired last year due to degenerating eyesight. He was always faster than Dax and won a few jumping courses in his day but struggled with contacts.

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Last but not least I have a baby schipperke just starting out. :)

 
we does gility :)

big dog my first agility dog and we played about before having proper lessons hence not a lot of drive or maybe just laid back ? lol
he is steady and v rare to have a pole.he often has a perfect round but with a second or two timefaults.he is nearly 9 and still competing but only 2 runs a day.
little dog a rescue,so keen to do a job,he has been easy to train now i know more about it.
 

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I do with my cavaliers - one at a time though. Young Charlie gets most time while Izzy is on the subs bench for when his brain is blown (most weeks!! He tries SOOO hard). She is the tortoise to everyone else's hare but she has won and placed in in house comps because she doesn't go her own line. I don't compete - some do but it seems to be an all day job on most venues, we just have fun and they learn to focus on me (and the sausage segments too of course).
How do you all teach the weaves? Our instructor doesn't, she just kind of expects them to know it. I took a tip from a friend who was taught to use two words - weave and come - and that works well until we have to do a right side entry. Then we both get confused lol
 
JillA said:
How do you all teach the weaves?
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My older dogs learned with luring on V-weaves which is very old fashioned now! Puplet is doing 2x2 method, by which you teach them to go through 'gates' of two poles, then gradually bring the poles together and in line. I have done very little of it with him due to his age but the results are remarkable, his entries are already completely independent of me.
 
agree with blackcob...2x2`s....i think it cant be a `once-a-week-at-club-job`, needs to be few mins every day.
2x2 teaches independence and the dog searches out the entry.j wvs.JPG
 
Rupert started on luring at my firet club but was never very reliable on his weaves, until I was told to try channel weaves to create drive and independence. He cracked it properly in just a coupe weeks of me doing it every day. His weaves are now our best bit :)

I’ve started channel weaves with Pippa too and she’s learnt a lot in her first week
 
I love doing agility with my oldest GSD. He's 8.5 years old and I run him in what the AKC calls "preferred." It is one jump height down and you get an extra 5 seconds. I didn't get serious with agility until last year when some friends opened a training facility with a full sized floor and excellent instructors that also compete. The place I trained before was OK but there wasn't enough space and the instructors don't compete much. Rudy had finished his AKC obedience and tracking titles before we got serious with agility. It has been both a blessing and a curse. He has great attention on me but not always the obstacles and doesn't work as well off of my right side. However, from the beginning I practiced off sides weaves so he is good with his weaves.
I have a youngster, she's just 13 months old and we're doing little bits and pieces. My 7 year old bitch never saw the point of agility. She would do 3 obstacles at class and then go visit the instructor for petting.
 
I've been competing at agility for 19 years with 6 Border Collies over this time, I currently compete with Star (grade 5) and Tayen (grade 4), my youngster (now 17 months) is a Lurcher and challenging, but we are getting there slowly. This is the highlight of my agility career, Skye (now 13) at Crufts 2011, competing in Novice Agility.
 
I started competing in agility in 2000, now on my 5th collie now 2yrs old just starting out and still have my 4th too, an 8yr old G5. Mine have all worked sheep too, or at least they help me with the sheep, not exactly One Man and His Dog but we get the job done.
Absolutely love agility, brilliant for keeping fit and getting the brain working. Love the fact that so many older and far from 'sound' people are able to do it.
 
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