Russian Vrs Irish Wolfhound :)

[Salukifan]

I suspect an unhappy IW would simply dig the heels in and stop trying. Lets hope the instructors don't tell the OP that her dog is lazy or blowing her off.

[persephone]

keasarge .. sorry if you are feeling 'attacked'- but , believe me , this is not an 'attack'.....

as said , if you have all arrangements in place, and are aware of all that goes into making up an IW ..then best of luck :)

[Diva]

In any case you may get the pup and find something else you like doing with it. Like others I struggle to think of a male IW doing agility safely but if you want the dog mostly for itself, and you seem to have had your heart set on it for years so I assume you do, you will soon discover what works for you both as a team.

Both breeds are certainly trainable in appropriate sports, one IW locally has dancing with dogs titles and a Borzoi in Queensland just got his rally novice title, every trial a place getter and his first pass at 6 months and one week old (it's not entirely relevant, but I bred him :D ).

[RallyValley]

To the OP, please remember the reason people are cautioning you is that it can hurt to have expectations and reality not match, especially when taking on a 10+ year commitment! There are many dogs that weigh under 20kgs who structurally break down from the stress of agility on their body.

Make sure you research, research, research with you dog! Here is a good point of starting info about large breeds in agility http://doubleqswissies.com/Home_Page.php

I suggest that you teach everything 'on the flat' first, find a contact method that uses planks on the floor, teach all the handling manoeuvres on the flat ect.

Please also find a good sports vet or bowen therapist (not a regular vet but one that sees lots of Greyhounds or agility dogs) and take your dog in for regular check ups once you start jumping.

Here is an excerpt from an article about boxers, it gives some food for thought (http://www.netplaces.com/boxer/other-advanced-training/special-consideration-for-canine-athletes.htm):

Assessing the Canine Athlete

According to Chris Zink, D.V.M., one of the leading national canine sports vets, in a canine athlete, the angle formed by a line perpendicular to the ground and the articulation of the scapula should be about 30 degrees. A well-bred boxer should have about this degree of angulation. Obviously, a boxer should also have good hips, but if he has poor shoulders, he will have almost as much trouble jumping and landing as if he has bad hips. In agility competition, he will have more trouble on the sharply angled A-frames.

Zink also mentions a weight-to-height ratio that is ideal in the canine athlete, particularly those that compete in agility. Her recommendation is to divide the dog's weight by its height at the shoulders. If the ratio is under 2.0, then the dog is at little risk of injury from repeated jumping. This is roughly equivalent to the ectomorphic type of human being who is very thin. This ratio includes whippets, Border collies, and Shelties, the last two of which are very good agility dogs.

The risk of injury increases if the ratio of weight to height is between 2.0 and 3.5. Most boxers fall into this category, so they are at moderate risk of injury with repetitive impact to their joints simply because of the ratio of their weight to their height. Boxers are fairly heavy dogs for their size. This isn't because they are fat but because they are generally very muscled and have relatively good bone density.

Zink says that if the ratio of weight to height is over 3.5, people should be very careful about jumping their dogs for fear of injury. Only an overweight boxer would fall into that category, and Zink recommends that dogs be very thin for performance. No performance dog should carry any subcutaneous fat, and boxers should never be fat.

[persephone]

RallyVally , that's all interesting stuff :) ..it actually made me think a bit more about certain working dogs we've had , and why they did what they did/worked comfortably for as long as they did (or didn't) .

[kinsella]

Sorry to be coming in late, I don't check in as often as I used to. To the OP-

I have had male IWs for nearly 20 years. When there is a distraction (prey or other dogs) All of them have been as deaf as posts with no recall whatsoever. At other times, they have all been quite obedient as defined by a wolfhound. The solution is to not let them off lead outside of a well fenced area.

Agility can be difficult for a dog this size and conformation. They aren't designed for much of the agility course and they don't enjoy repetitive sport. They have a low tolerance for boredom and will delight in embarrassing you by sitting down mid routine. IW are a dog that has evolved to think for itself - not conducive to some activities. They don't look up at you as their master but more across to you as an equal.

As for anything else, to me they are the perfect dog. They have a sense of humour that will show itself at the worst times. They will be too tired to go for a walk and then see a rabbit in the next paddock, jump the fence, catch it and eat it on the way back, as my lazy Humphrey did a couple of weeks ago. They are a fantastic companion without being as "needy" as some other breeds. It's more that you come to an agreement with an Irish and you are both trained simultaneously to get the most out of each other.

If I can help in your decision in any way, please let me know. They aren't a dog for everyone. Some of the points brought up are quite valid. A couple of years go I was in the position of having to move a boy who had collapsed. It took 3 of us and a stretcher (which he broke) to get him to the car. There's a lot to think about, as I said, if I can help just let me know.

[Salukifan]

To the OP, please remember the reason people are cautioning you is that it can hurt to have expectations and reality not match, especially when taking on a 10+ year commitment! There are many dogs that weigh under 20kgs who structurally break down from the stress of agility on their body.

Make sure you research, research, research with you dog! Here is a good point of starting info about large breeds in agility http://doubleqswissi...m/Home_Page.php

I suggest that you teach everything 'on the flat' first, find a contact method that uses planks on the floor, teach all the handling manoeuvres on the flat ect.

Please also find a good sports vet or bowen therapist (not a regular vet but one that sees lots of Greyhounds or agility dogs) and take your dog in for regular check ups once you start jumping.

Here is an excerpt from an article about boxers, it gives some food for thought (http://www.netplaces...ne-athletes.htm):

Assessing the Canine Athlete

According to Chris Zink, D.V.M., one of the leading national canine sports vets, in a canine athlete, the angle formed by a line perpendicular to the ground and the articulation of the scapula should be about 30 degrees. A well-bred boxer should have about this degree of angulation. Obviously, a boxer should also have good hips, but if he has poor shoulders, he will have almost as much trouble jumping and landing as if he has bad hips. In agility competition, he will have more trouble on the sharply angled A-frames.

Zink also mentions a weight-to-height ratio that is ideal in the canine athlete, particularly those that compete in agility. Her recommendation is to divide the dog's weight by its height at the shoulders. If the ratio is under 2.0, then the dog is at little risk of injury from repeated jumping. This is roughly equivalent to the ectomorphic type of human being who is very thin. This ratio includes whippets, Border collies, and Shelties, the last two of which are very good agility dogs.

The risk of injury increases if the ratio of weight to height is between 2.0 and 3.5. Most boxers fall into this category, so they are at moderate risk of injury with repetitive impact to their joints simply because of the ratio of their weight to their height. Boxers are fairly heavy dogs for their size. This isn't because they are fat but because they are generally very muscled and have relatively good bone density.

Zink says that if the ratio of weight to height is over 3.5, people should be very careful about jumping their dogs for fear of injury. Only an overweight boxer would fall into that category, and Zink recommends that dogs be very thin for performance. No performance dog should carry any subcutaneous fat, and boxers should never be fat.

Do this using pounds and inches. Poodles are also ectomorphs. :)

[RallyValley]

To the OP, please remember the reason people are cautioning you is that it can hurt to have expectations and reality not match, especially when taking on a 10+ year commitment! There are many dogs that weigh under 20kgs who structurally break down from the stress of agility on their body.

Make sure you research, research, research with you dog! Here is a good point of starting info about large breeds in agility http://doubleqswissi...m/Home_Page.php

I suggest that you teach everything 'on the flat' first, find a contact method that uses planks on the floor, teach all the handling manoeuvres on the flat ect.

Please also find a good sports vet or bowen therapist (not a regular vet but one that sees lots of Greyhounds or agility dogs) and take your dog in for regular check ups once you start jumping.

Here is an excerpt from an article about boxers, it gives some food for thought (http://www.netplaces...ne-athletes.htm):

Assessing the Canine Athlete

According to Chris Zink, D.V.M., one of the leading national canine sports vets, in a canine athlete, the angle formed by a line perpendicular to the ground and the articulation of the scapula should be about 30 degrees. A well-bred boxer should have about this degree of angulation. Obviously, a boxer should also have good hips, but if he has poor shoulders, he will have almost as much trouble jumping and landing as if he has bad hips. In agility competition, he will have more trouble on the sharply angled A-frames.

Zink also mentions a weight-to-height ratio that is ideal in the canine athlete, particularly those that compete in agility. Her recommendation is to divide the dog's weight by its height at the shoulders. If the ratio is under 2.0, then the dog is at little risk of injury from repeated jumping. This is roughly equivalent to the ectomorphic type of human being who is very thin. This ratio includes whippets, Border collies, and Shelties, the last two of which are very good agility dogs.

The risk of injury increases if the ratio of weight to height is between 2.0 and 3.5. Most boxers fall into this category, so they are at moderate risk of injury with repetitive impact to their joints simply because of the ratio of their weight to their height. Boxers are fairly heavy dogs for their size. This isn't because they are fat but because they are generally very muscled and have relatively good bone density.

Zink says that if the ratio of weight to height is over 3.5, people should be very careful about jumping their dogs for fear of injury. Only an overweight boxer would fall into that category, and Zink recommends that dogs be very thin for performance. No performance dog should carry any subcutaneous fat, and boxers should never be fat.

Do this using pounds and inches. Poodles are also ectomorphs. :)

Brittanys are right on the border :laugh: Mine scores under 2 when she is in peak condition but at the moment is closer to 2.1