Rotties and agility?

[MrsMozart]

Anyone done agility with their Rottie?

If yes, what age was the dog when you started? Any tips or suggestions?

A friend has suggested I take ours along with her two big dogs (roughly same age as mine, ten months), and her trainer. I've been reading up, but there's not a lot, that I've found anyway, on t'internet, so am looking for experienced bods views.

Both pups are good with others (dogs and humans), reasonable recall, heel, sit, stay. Both walked for an hour-ish a day, majority off lead.

 

[joosie]

I'm not experienced in the slightest! - but I would have thought all the jumping wouldn't be good for its joints, don't Rotties tend to have joint problems?

 

[cava14una]

I would be very careful with Rotties as they shouldn't be doing any jumping or weaving at that age. I would wait until they are about 18 months before you start anything like that.

You can start doing lots of control training also tunnels. You can do a bit of contact equipment with a ramp from the dog walk on the ground.

I have been out of agility too long to say much about training as methods will have moved on but basic safety should be the same.

I actually started agility training with the Scottish Rottweiler Club although I had a Boxer

 

[3Beasties]

I don't know about rotties doing agilty specifically but I would find a local club that offers foundation classes. At their age the shouldn't be jumping but there is still no reason why they couldn't start learning about agilty now - ground work, tunnels, target work etc. There is plenty to work on without having to jump a jump or any other high impact work.

Be warned, it's addictive

 

[Cahill]

i have a agility rottie,i didnt start until he was 4.

 

[nikicb]

I don't know anything about rotties or agility, but this happened to pop up on my newsfeed this morning so thought I would share..... https://www.facebook.com/Rottweiler13/videos/1020654398065485/ xx

 

[3Beasties]

I don't know anything about rotties or agility, but this happened to pop up on my newsfeed this morning so thought I would share..... https://www.facebook.com/Rottweiler13/videos/1020654398065485/ xx

What a lovely, fit looking dog!

 

[Cahill]

he`s my first agility dog and has taught me so much.
these are our last 2 years results.

 

[cava14una]

Well done boith!!

 

[PapaverFollis]

You could certainly start training towards doing some agility but really don't be tempted to do high impact or sharp turn stuff until they are 18 months. With smaller dogs 12 months is ok to start. But yes. If the club is good they'll guide you well and will help you work on the foundations until the dogs are physically ready to progress.

 

[Cahill]

i do not train over competition height,maybe one full height session in the week before a comp.
there is so much you can learn without even using poles but just the wings,focus,driving to a toy,2o2o a step and sending around a post/tree.
agilitynet on FB has all the answers x

 

[jedjelly]

Definitely! But not till mature. So much can go wrong with large heavy dogs until they are matured. It's a pain in the bum but these are the rules we follow with all our pups: 5mins exercise per month of age, no twisting turns, no stairs, no jumping in and out of cars, no rough play with dogs, no physically exhausting walks until after 12mths. Then no real jumping until @2 yrs. A large male Rottie is not finished until around 3 yrs old.
It may seem extreme, but you only need the heartache of one dear dog with shot joints to focus your mind. We aim for our Rotts to be in hard physical condition at about 18/24mths. All achieved with structured lead walking below 12mths.
Have you seen youtube videos of Schutzhund?

 

[cava14una]

Definitely! But not till mature. So much can go wrong with large heavy dogs until they are matured. It's a pain in the bum but these are the rules we follow with all our pups: 5mins exercise per month of age, no twisting turns, no stairs, no jumping in and out of cars, no rough play with dogs, no physically exhausting walks until after 12mths. Then no real jumping until @2 yrs. A large male Rottie is not finished until around 3 yrs old.
It may seem extreme, but you only need the heartache of one dear dog with shot joints to focus your mind. We aim for our Rotts to be in hard physical condition at about 18/24mths. All achieved with structured lead walking below 12mths.
Have you seen youtube videos of Schutzhund?

Oh yes!!! Such common sense

 

[cava14una]

i do not train over competition height,maybe one full height session in the week before a comp.
there is so much you can learn without even using poles but just the wings,focus,driving to a toy,2o2o a step and sending around a post/tree.
agilitynet on FB has all the answers x

Exactly what I did with my Border/Beardie x we both learned so much. Just realised that was 20 years ago!!!

 

[MurphysMinder]

As others have said , definitely no jumping until at least 18 months. When I did agility with my Gsd's I always x rayed and scored before starting agility.

 

[CorvusCorax]

Have you seen youtube videos of Schutzhund?

Known as IPO since 2012 and as of 2019 is changing again, to IGP

Agree, nothing high impact until about 18 months. Like MM I didn't jump my dog until I saw his x-rays at 12 months.

 

[Sarah_K]

My club run Puppy Agility, up to 12 months for small dogs and up to 18 months for larger ones. No jumps or weaves and lower height contact equipment. It's all about making it the funnest thing ever and developing drive. Even without the jumps/weaves there's still so much you can teach them. Once you've got direction and control moving on and introducing jumps should be easy

 

[skinnydipper]

Well done, Cahill. What an achievement. He looks as if he is having so much fun.

 

[Cahill]

Well done, Cahill. What an achievement. He looks as if he is having so much fun.

thanks x he`s a bit of a steady-eddy in that he doesn`t hurry himself but is very careful and only had 2 or 3 poles down ever also he is quite long so no really tight turns. most of our e`s are handling errors lol x

 

[MrsMozart]

Thank you all

Wow Cahil. A clever beaut indeed!

I thought it would be the 18-24 months. They're both big lads and just starting to show signs of a bit of shape change. I really don't want them to be hurt or compromised. If it's okay for a looksee and walking over poles and that sort of thing then I'd be happy, and they'd enjoy it.

 

[Pearlsasinger]

Ours love tunnels!

There is someone who parks a car with an 'Agility Dogs in Transit' sticker at a local tack shop. They have Rotties in the car but unfortunately I haven't been able to talk to them.

 

[blackcob]

Agree no jumping until 18 months plus but there's tons and tons of foundation work that can be done before then. I am another that rarely trains over competition height anyway.

Gradually working towards this kind of stuff - not necessarily these specific exercises but in the way that suits your dog starting to build drive and establishing cues

[video=youtube;C3Ztm4qPie8]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C3Ztm4qPie8[/video]

 

[MrsMozart]

Tunnels! We have one of those somewhere... Not sure they'll fit through, but will dig it out and see You must make contact lass!

Love the video, thank you I think I'm going to have to work on my fitness...

I'm also thinking about what else the Rotts could do. They've been used as therapy dogs, and serach and rescue, both of which wounds interesting and I think they'd be good at either (or both?). I thought about the GSD doing search work, but she's such a stresshead I don't think she'd like it.

 

[maisie06]

Like others said - wait until 18 months to start the high impact stuff, but I see absolutely no reason why a rottie cannot do agility - after all they are a working breed!!

 

[Pearlsasinger]

I believe in Germany they are used as guide dogs. I was talking at Cheshire show to a Rottie fan, who apparently holidays in that area of Germany and was singing their praises as guide/assistance dogs, having seen them working.
I can certainly believe it, when I broke my foot and came home from A&E with my foot in a 'support boot' with crutches, as I wasn't allowed to weight bear for the first week, 'the responsible one' walked backwards in front of me into the living room, circled several times to ensure the space was clear and then walked backwards again to my usual seat - completely off her own bat! 'The clown' just got in the way!



ETA, the girls loved tunnels when they were small enough to fit in the Pets at Home one - we gave it to a neighbour when they outgrew it but now they love to make their own inside a tarp round a hay bale! The bale isn't usually as enthusiastic!

 

[1rocky1]

I'm not experienced in the slightest! - but I would have thought all the jumping wouldn't be good for its joints, don't Rotties tend to have joint problems?

so true .

 

[MrsMozart]

Thank you all

We're going to go along for a looksee next week. Will keep all activities low key and no jumping, etc. Will let you know how it goes