Agility Training Talk Thread

[RubyStar]

Woohoo, go Elsie!!!!

[megan_]

SG has a whole new set of verbal queues to deal with distance handling when the dog is sooooooo fast it is impossible to get into position. This includes queues to jump long vs do a hairpin turn.

When you look at the masters and masters challenge courses that they are doing in the US for regional comps (not even nationals) our courses ate super simple by comparison. I'm not trialling yet but I love courses that really challenge you and the dog, regardless of Q's or not. I love the technical nature of agility so maybe those courses appeal to the nerd in me.

SG's nana/lala and sylvia's sic/sac are simple things we can all teach our dogs to navigate a course quicker and safer. Hope that doesn't sound preachy :).

DD - you MUST bring Elsie to the nationals - row a boat over if you have to! Personally, if she was my dog and running around the odd jump I'd just run on to keep the enthusiasm and speed up.

[RubyStar]

SG's nana/lala and sylvia's sic/sac are simple things we can all teach our dogs to navigate a course quicker and safer. Hope that doesn't sound preachy :).

More info please! Perhaps a link? :)

[Podengo]

She's awesome. Love it.

Thanks! :D

Thanks for posting discodobe! She's adorable - she has to jump so high compared to our dogs!

Yes the jumps are very big, I think she would be a 400 dog in Aussie, so would get to do a lot lower there!

Woohoo, go Elsie!!!!

:D

DD - you MUST bring Elsie to the nationals - row a boat over if you have to! Personally, if she was my dog and running around the odd jump I'd just run on to keep the enthusiasm and speed up.

Thanks - yes that is what I generally try to do, and I had planned to do that! I should have just kept running! Hopefully tomorrow will be a slightly twistier course as she will be less likely to go crazy and do a runner around them!

I SO want to come over, after speaking to the team that went over last year, it looks to be about $5000 all up to take a dog over for it, maybe $3000 if I can find a friend to stay with in Brisbane and drive me places to save me hiring a vehicle hehe.

Oh and two photos from today :)

[megan_]

I'm on the iPhone so linking is hard, but if you look at susan's YouTube channel apparently there are list of examples posted there. Some of the stuff you just wouldn't see on an australian course yet (eg lala which is run towards jump, handler runs straight, dog takes back of the jump, twists around the pole then runs towards the handler who is now past the jump). She teaches this via "noodle work".

Sylvia trkman's (sp) site has basic stuff on sic and sac and she offers online courses. Another good resource is "ann croft agility coach"'on FB. She has courses and posts free "happy hurdlers" courses and then people from all over the world post running these and you get to see their handling and what works and what doesn't.

[Agility Dogs]

Thanks for posting discodobe! She's adorable - she has to jump so high compared to our dogs!

What height is it that she is jumping - I didn't even notice, she does it so easily!

[Podengo]

Thanks for posting discodobe! She's adorable - she has to jump so high compared to our dogs!

What height is it that she is jumping - I didn't even notice, she does it so easily!

Elsie is a midi here, so that's a 570mm hurdle

[Agility Dogs]

Thanks for posting discodobe! She's adorable - she has to jump so high compared to our dogs!

What height is it that she is jumping - I didn't even notice, she does it so easily!

Elsie is a midi here, so that's a 570mm hurdle

What are the cut-offs for midi? Sorry for 1000 questions, I'm just interested.

[Agility Dogs]

The other interesting thing about SG's new handling is that she has jokingly labelled it the 50/50 handling method. (50lbs over weight or over 50.) I like a lot of the stuff in it, but for now won't be teaching a lot of it simply because I'm lucky enough to be able to get to where I need to be on course.

What I am using has given my boy a LOT more clarity and really improved a few things - I'm not sure if it is making me be clearer or whether the verbals make it easier for him. I suspect the former at this stage, but whatever the case we are having heaps of fun with it!

My favourite is the lalala cue. :)

[Podengo]

What are the cut-offs for midi? Sorry for 1000 questions, I'm just interested.

Our heights:

Micro - 325 and under

Mini - 430 and under

Midi - 520 and under

Maxi - Over 520

[Agility Dogs]

What are the cut-offs for midi? Sorry for 1000 questions, I'm just interested.

Our heights:

Micro - 325 and under

Mini - 430 and under

Midi - 520 and under

Maxi - Over 520

:) Thanks. They are similar to ADAA, the jump heights vary a bit too.

[Podengo]

:) Thanks. They are similar to ADAA, the jump heights vary a bit too.

Yeah our jump heights are a bit all over the place too.

Are you thinking of coming over for NZDAC in 2014? Apparently there are quite a few Aussies jumping the ditch for our nationals next year = very exciting, I don't know if Aussies have competed here before??

[RubyStar]

I'm on the iPhone so linking is hard, but if you look at susan's YouTube channel apparently there are list of examples posted there. Some of the stuff you just wouldn't see on an australian course yet (eg lala which is run towards jump, handler runs straight, dog takes back of the jump, twists around the pole then runs towards the handler who is now past the jump). She teaches this via "noodle work".

Sylvia trkman's (sp) site has basic stuff on sic and sac and she offers online courses. Another good resource is "ann croft agility coach"'on FB. She has courses and posts free "happy hurdlers" courses and then people from all over the world post running these and you get to see their handling and what works and what doesn't.

Thanks, megan! When I get a decent amount of time to sit down and read about it, I might just look this up :)

[Agility Dogs]

:) Thanks. They are similar to ADAA, the jump heights vary a bit too.

Yeah our jump heights are a bit all over the place too.

Are you thinking of coming over for NZDAC in 2014? Apparently there are quite a few Aussies jumping the ditch for our nationals next year = very exciting, I don't know if Aussies have competed here before??

Oooooooh that's the million dollar question. I'd LOVE to, but the IFCS WAC is in Netherlands next year and I'm off to the IFCS CCOA next weekend - the budget and the boss' understanding/leave balance will only stretch so far!

It will also depend on what my girls are doing by then. I have one I wouldn't travel with yet and one who is a week to week proposition - she's just coming back from an 18 month break after she injured herself on some dodgy equipment and I'm still paranoid about her fitness. I love my boy to bits, but he can be quite nervey so I wouldn't risk an OS trip with him - flyball or frisbee maybe, but not agility.

Now you've got me thinking even more though.......

[Podengo]

Oooooooh that's the million dollar question. I'd LOVE to, but the IFCS WAC is in Netherlands next year and I'm off to the IFCS CCOA next weekend - the budget and the boss' understanding/leave balance will only stretch so far!

It will also depend on what my girls are doing by then. I have one I wouldn't travel with yet and one who is a week to week proposition - she's just coming back from an 18 month break after she injured herself on some dodgy equipment and I'm still paranoid about her fitness. I love my boy to bits, but he can be quite nervey so I wouldn't risk an OS trip with him - flyball or frisbee maybe, but not agility.

Now you've got me thinking even more though.......

Well, FWIW, it will be on 24-27th October 2014, and it is going to be in Gore, Southland (bottom of South Island) :)

You can check out general info for this years one on http://nzdac.org.nz/

Hoping to see a few Aussies, it's so difficult for our countries to compete over in Europe etc. so we really need to make the most of each other!

[RubyStar]

she's just coming back from an 18 month break after she injured herself on some dodgy equipment and I'm still paranoid about her fitness.

Sorry to hear this

This got me thinking, what do people do for fitness for their dogs outside of agility training? Do you have a fitness routine? I'm planning on taking Pippa out jogging with me to increase her fitness, but she's not a swimmer so that is out.

[Podengo]

This got me thinking, what do people do for fitness for their dogs outside of agility training? Do you have a fitness routine? I'm planning on taking Pippa out jogging with me to increase her fitness, but she's not a swimmer so that is out.

I don't really have a routine, we teach lots of body awareness tricks, I always make sure I warm her up well with circle work, starting on low jumps and doing tricks. Every day she walks off-lead for a couple of hours and plays fetch, and once or twice a week I bike somewhere and she will come with me. We also go to the forest where she runs off lead crazy fast through the forest

[Agility Dogs]

Oooooooh that's the million dollar question. I'd LOVE to, but the IFCS WAC is in Netherlands next year and I'm off to the IFCS CCOA next weekend - the budget and the boss' understanding/leave balance will only stretch so far!

It will also depend on what my girls are doing by then. I have one I wouldn't travel with yet and one who is a week to week proposition - she's just coming back from an 18 month break after she injured herself on some dodgy equipment and I'm still paranoid about her fitness. I love my boy to bits, but he can be quite nervey so I wouldn't risk an OS trip with him - flyball or frisbee maybe, but not agility.

Now you've got me thinking even more though.......

Well, FWIW, it will be on 24-27th October 2014, and it is going to be in Gore, Southland (bottom of South Island) :)

You can check out general info for this years one on http://nzdac.org.nz/

Hoping to see a few Aussies, it's so difficult for our countries to compete over in Europe etc. so we really need to make the most of each other!

Hmmmmmmm.......that's in the same month as our Grand Prix. Will definitely try and work it into the plan. I just have to see what the bank balance is like and whether I end up with a handlers position on the team for WAC next year.

[Sayreovi]

Yes the jumps are very big, I think she would be a 400 dog in Aussie, so would get to do a lot lower there!

Looking at those jumps, if you take the top one off it's roughly the bottom one she'd be jumping!

I was watching the video thinking geez she looks the same height as my girl but jumping so much heigher looks like our 600's!

Curious why haven't NZ lowered the jump heights?

[Agility Dogs]

she's just coming back from an 18 month break after she injured herself on some dodgy equipment and I'm still paranoid about her fitness.

Sorry to hear this

This got me thinking, what do people do for fitness for their dogs outside of agility training? Do you have a fitness routine? I'm planning on taking Pippa out jogging with me to increase her fitness, but she's not a swimmer so that is out.

Like DD we do LOTS of body awareness/fitball type work. We also stretch every day - but I get the dogs to stretch themselves (bow, nose to tail, extended sits and drops - where they get into postion and I lure them forward, but they are not allowed to move their butt, not where we push and pull them (although there is a bit of that). Hill work and free running is also excellent.

We're super lucky - we have a vet who has rehab quals from the US and she gives us a heap of exercises to do with our dogs when they have anything wrong with them. She'll also vet them out VERY quickly so we are managing quite small things so they don't turn into big things. :)

Just on running - don't forget to think about how your dogs are 'built'. eg: BC's will run a LONG way, but when you look at how they work/what they are bred to do it is often work/stop/work/stop, not a consistent 5 or 10km. I don't know other breeds so I can't comment, but just something worth thinking about when designing your dogs fitness program.