Agility Competition Styles

[Kowai]

Hey guys

I've heard theres an agility competition division thats for older dogs, and that it has lower jumps? I was wondering if anyone could give me any information on the type of obstacles involved and if theres also a division for dogs with injuries?

Zach loves agility and I'd love to be able to compete with him, but he's been banned from the weave poles due to bad knees. He's allowed to do everything else though - just nothing that involves such twisting and turning.

[poodlefan]

What's wrong with his knees Kowai?

[kelpiechick]

NADAC runs agility trials in Victoria with a veterans division. (Dogs 7 years +)

Check it out here:

Veteran dogs jump lower plus there are two 'streams' ,where in one you can nominate an even lower height again.

NADAC also run games such as tunnellers so you have a wide variety of choice.

[Kowai]

Thanks guys

Zach has a degenerative problem with his knees.. ("Footballers knee"?) They've been damaged and theres a risk that if he continues to damage them he could tear his cruciate ligaments. The vet told me that he can't be allowed to have heavy impacts on his knees, from jumping down from high places, and he's not allowed to do alot of twisting and turning motion on them - like you'd get from weave poles or if he was chasing a toy around.

The vet told me he should be allowed to continue doing agility, except maybe we shouldn't be using the weave poles. He said that the jumps are fine but of course I'd want to minimise the impact by having lower jumps.

[sidoney]

In NADAC you also get special classes that have no weaves like tunnelers and so on.

[Vickie]

Kowai, as other have said NADAC offers veterans with lower heights.

Bear in mind the impact on his body will depend on other things as well as jump heights. eg The difficulty or flow of the course, his speed & enthusiasm, your ability to give him advanced warnings of turns etc.

I retired my older dogs from agility because I was concerned about injury. The problem with them was that although their bodies were slowing down, their minds were not, so there was no real option to take it easy to protect their bodies. I also didn't have the precue commands on them that I have since adopted with my girls so they were no nearly so graceful around the course.