Agility Training Talk Thread

[The Spotted Devil]

Ziggy was so over the top at training tonight - he was the best fun I tried to stop baby-ing him and run harder and he really surprised me. I should trust him more He blew me away with his independent weavers...so much so that I completely stuffed the serp into the next jump. Twice A huge night for serps and I really like them but had my arms all mixed up. So guess what we're practicing this week

[Flick_Mac]

Hi all!

Im just starting my boys out in foundation parts of agility - we'll get back to a club when it starts soon! (I'm so excited!)

Does anyone have links for the 2x2 technique? And any other helpful links for send aways to objects or anything else that might be good for us?

Thanks!!

[OSoSwift]

Finally getting my bum properly into gear regarding agility training.

I have picked up our dog walk and seesaw. So know I have the AFrame, dog walk, seesaw, pause table and training tunnels and some bar jumps oh adn weavers, but I need to repair one.

Now I have no excuse to not have brilliant doggies :D well only as brilliant as there challenged handler can get them, but we try hard

[J...]

I have received a spare copy of January's Clean Run magazine. If someone would like to give it a good home I'm happy to put it in the mail.

[ness]

I would be keen Jess if nobody else has grabbed it.

[Toujour]

Hi all!

Im just starting my boys out in foundation parts of agility - we'll get back to a club when it starts soon! (I'm so excited!)

Does anyone have links for the 2x2 technique? And any other helpful links for send aways to objects or anything else that might be good for us?

Thanks!!

Here you go: best link that i found and are working for me

Click here -

Click here -

This is my star weaver Cynder:

She is up to

(Click) currently very happy

[Amerykus]

I would be keen Jess if nobody else has grabbed it.

and send it my way when youve finished

[ness]

At least my see-saw is now completed but typically so much for thinking I actually needed one for practising - dog was perfect . I am sure I will find ways to break it later.

Edited February 24, 2011 by ness

[aussielover]

Could someone please tell me about the different height classes?

If I have a dog that is 22 inches at the shoulder, which height will she be jumping?

What class do most of the borders and kelpies jump?

[GoldenGirl85]

Could someone please tell me about the different height classes?

If I have a dog that is 22 inches at the shoulder, which height will she be jumping?

What class do most of the borders and kelpies jump?

That depends on which association you join, I couldnt tell you ANKC, for ADAA if your dog is over 500mm (50cm) they are in the highest height category and would either jump 550 or 650mm depending on which programme you register them for

[kelpiechick]

I'm not good with inches but the cutoff between 500 and 600 for ANKC is 545mm inclusive for 500.

Having consulted my trusty tape measure it looks as if that puts it around 21 and a half inches so you would possibly be borderline between the 2 heights and would need to get an accurate measure to find out. If the 22 inches is accurate then you will be jumping 600.

There are BC's jumping 400, 500 and 600.

There are kelpies jumping 500 and 600 and a lot of the smaller kelpie cross type dogs also jump 400.

[B-Q]

GUess its time I finally get into this thread after a lot of lurking. Quinn and I officially start our agility foundation next week and start Pre Agility at Suncoast Fundogs at the end of March. I'm so excited its ridiculous, after 5 years of wanting to train a dog for this I'm finally getting to.

[Henrietta]

Mmmm, I have a noob question about 2 x 2s. I'm teaching my girl to weave for fun and I've decided I'd like to give the 2 x 2 a crack. But I've fallen at the first hurdle. When I go place a reward in the correct reward position, she has started to look back at me whilst she is going through the 2 x 2. Waiting for me to throw the toy/food I suppose. Shaping her through it wasn't a problem. What can I do to encourage her to just drive straight through without looking at me? I figure I will have to practice this exercise separate to the 2 x 2.

Edit - She is happy to focus on a toy that is ahead of her after a jump... perhaps if I practice throwing it after a jump, she will get the hang of what I am after for the weaves? I am liking how this seems to be building value for the weaves - she is just so excited.

Edited March 6, 2011 by Henrietta

[Kavik]

My large Kelpie jumps 600 in ANKC (he measures 570) , a couple of other large Kelpies and BCs do too, and I know a couple who jump them up a height class on purpose. He also jumps 650 in ADAA. I couldn't believe the cutoff for ADAA though - some of the dogs which have to jump 650 are not very big

[sheena]

Mmmm, I have a noob question about 2 x 2s. I'm teaching my girl to weave for fun and I've decided I'd like to give the 2 x 2 a crack. But I've fallen at the first hurdle. When I go place a reward in the correct reward position, she has started to look back at me whilst she is going through the 2 x 2. Waiting for me to throw the toy/food I suppose. Shaping her through it wasn't a problem. What can I do to encourage her to just drive straight through without looking at me? I figure I will have to practice this exercise separate to the 2 x 2.

Edit - She is happy to focus on a toy that is ahead of her after a jump... perhaps if I practice throwing it after a jump, she will get the hang of what I am after for the weaves? I am liking how this seems to be building value for the weaves - she is just so excited.

The food or toy is meant to be thrown AFTER she has gone through the set, not used as a lure. You throw the food/toy along the line of travel so that she learns to keep going in that direction....does that make sense sort of throw it as she is coming out of the weave & if she goes forward to get the food, then she wont be looking back at you.

[Vickie]

GUess its time I finally get into this thread after a lot of lurking. Quinn and I officially start our agility foundation next week and start Pre Agility at Suncoast Fundogs at the end of March. I'm so excited its ridiculous, after 5 years of wanting to train a dog for this I'm finally getting to.

How excitng!!!! You guys are going to be great!

[Staff'n'Toller]

Mmmm, I have a noob question about 2 x 2s. I'm teaching my girl to weave for fun and I've decided I'd like to give the 2 x 2 a crack. But I've fallen at the first hurdle. When I go place a reward in the correct reward position, she has started to look back at me whilst she is going through the 2 x 2. Waiting for me to throw the toy/food I suppose. Shaping her through it wasn't a problem. What can I do to encourage her to just drive straight through without looking at me? I figure I will have to practice this exercise separate to the 2 x 2.

Edit - She is happy to focus on a toy that is ahead of her after a jump... perhaps if I practice throwing it after a jump, she will get the hang of what I am after for the weaves? I am liking how this seems to be building value for the weaves - she is just so excited.

Do you have a copy of the dvd? You really need to have it if you want to teach 2x2 method.

[RubyStar]

My large Kelpie jumps 600 in ANKC (he measures 570) , a couple of other large Kelpies and BCs do too, and I know a couple who jump them up a height class on purpose. He also jumps 650 in ADAA. I couldn't believe the cutoff for ADAA though - some of the dogs which have to jump 650 are not very big

Which is the reason why I probably won't enter ADAA. I still don't completely understand the jump heights and classes, though. Both my dogs measure 530, so do they jump 550 or 650? If it's 650, we won't ever enter ADAA, my Labs just aren't built to be jumping that high and I wouldn't ever ask them to do that, even though they are on the lighter side. And 550 is pushing it also.

[Agility Dogs]

My large Kelpie jumps 600 in ANKC (he measures 570) , a couple of other large Kelpies and BCs do too, and I know a couple who jump them up a height class on purpose. He also jumps 650 in ADAA. I couldn't believe the cutoff for ADAA though - some of the dogs which have to jump 650 are not very big :D

Which is the reason why I probably won't enter ADAA. I still don't completely understand the jump heights and classes, though. Both my dogs measure 530, so do they jump 550 or 650? If it's 650, we won't ever enter ADAA, my Labs just aren't built to be jumping that high and I wouldn't ever ask them to do that, even though they are on the lighter side. And 550 is pushing it also.

ADAA has two 'programmes'. International and regular.

With your dogs measured at 530mm they are in the Maxi height class. This means that you have the choice of jumping them at 550mm (Regular programme) or 650mm (International programme).

My boy who measures 520mm runs at 550mm in the Regular Maxi class.

My girl measures 465mm and also jumps 550mm, but that is in the International Maxi class.

They don't compete against each other, because they are in different classes.

The other difference is that 'Regular' dogs don't have to jump the spread hurdle (it is replaced with a single hurdle) and the a-frame is lower than the International programme. Course times are a touch easier for the regular class as well.

Hope that helps.

ETA: Kavik, when ADAA first started out they had two height classes - Maxi and Mini. Mini's jumped 400mm and Maxi's jumped 760mm..... ;)

T

Edited March 7, 2011 by Agility Dogs

[Mrs Rusty Bucket]

When I go place a reward in the correct reward position, she has started to look back at me whilst she is going through the 2 x 2.

The dog will look back if you're late delivering the reward. It has to be there as the dog arrives after a correct run. If you're late, they will turn back to you looking for it. It's almost better to occasionally reward early by accident for a slighty incorrect run than to be late with a correct run.

If you "place" a reward before you send the dog on the run, it's hard to remove it if the run is not correct.

Part of the DVD instruction involves getting the trainer to practice throwing the reward at a target until there is a reasonably reliable placement and timing.