Dog agility, what age to start?

Fools Motto

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Is there a set age for pups before they start agility? I appreciate that each breed is probably different, and you can slowly introduce them to little aspects of agility along the way. Rosie has good recall, (when she isn't eating horse poo!) and seems to want to please. I'd very much like to either do agility or fly ball (but she isn't yet excited about tennis balls) when she is mature.
Took her to work today for the first time, and this happened;

First take off!!
rosie%20jump1_zpsexyupohb.jpg


She was very pleased with herself, but was she trying to be too advanced?! She is 4 months old.
 

bonny

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The same as Amymay, they need to be a year old before starting classes, but there is a lot you could do between now and then to prepare her.
 

MurphysMinder

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As above, most classes won't let you start jumping until a year. You can work on the basics from an earlier age, tunnel, walking over planks on the ground etc .
 

sam-b

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No jumps/contacts/weaves until 12 months. Lots of foundation work you can do before then. Have a look on the agilitynet.co.uk page for clubs or the agilitynet fb page for recommendations. Where abouts are you? Trust me the foundation work is so important.
 

Bellasophia

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I'd get her enrolled into a basic obedience class,work her through the courses up to a year and then start her on her agility .Jumps and weaves are high impact on young joints to best to wait till her growth plates close before you start with the demands of an ability course.
 

Echo24

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Most have a minimum age limit and you don't want to start any earlier than a year. I knew someone who took their 6 month old to agility classes and dog was crippled with arthritis by the age of 3! Obedience classes would be a good thing to do in the meantime to keep her mentally stimulated :)
 

Oenoke

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She shouldn't be jumping fences at 4 months, I know puppies do things naturally, but it's a whole different thing asking them to do it. I compete at agility and flyball with my older dogs and have a 9.5 month old, I have taught her a good wait, recall, I'm working on direction commands, she's only gone over poles on the floor (agility poles, so she goes between the wings, the highest has been 3 ") about 5 times, nothing higher.
 
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