Cat Posted March 9, 2015 Share Posted March 9, 2015 as above. Does it matter how old a dog is as to whether they can do agility or is it just up to and individuals health and energy? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Spotted Devil Posted March 9, 2015 Share Posted March 9, 2015 On the lower end - flat work, rear end awareness and strengthening exercise only until growth plates are closed. On the higher end - definitely an individual thing. Zig is 8 and is in the best form of his life. However - he gets a heck of a lot more free running, swimming, flat work, strengthening, rear end awareness, joint supplements and massage than he does agility. We train most days for 5-10 minutes. I have always trialled him fairly sparingly and 4 runs per day with limited double weekends is my preference. Plus he gets multiple weeks off per year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kavik Posted March 9, 2015 Share Posted March 9, 2015 There is no upper age limit imposed for agility (there is a minimum age of 18 months) People retire their dogs at various ages, depending on the individual dog. I am probably retiring Kaos at the end of this year, he turns 9 at the end of the month. He is still fit and happy and actually running very very well at the moment! He jumps 600 and I would rather retire him while he is still running well rather than continue to compete with him and have him injured or show that he is unhappy to run, I want to finish on a high! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Spotted Devil Posted March 9, 2015 Share Posted March 9, 2015 And you have to know your dog too - some dogs will continue to fly around a course regardless of whether they are fit enough to do so. A big indicator for Zig in my mind would be if he started knocking bars regularly as it is such a rarity for him. At training we thought he was knocking bars but it turns out he was wrapping the upright so tightly he was knocking it over. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kavik Posted March 9, 2015 Share Posted March 9, 2015 Yeah bars would be an indicator for me too, as Kaos is not generally a bar knocker. As he is not the kind to fly around the course regardless of how he feels, I'm sure he would let me know if something was wrong :laugh: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tassie Posted March 9, 2015 Share Posted March 9, 2015 Agree - at the upper end - a lot depends on the dog, and how they are managed, and how well their jumping in particular has been trained. I've now retired my BC Kirra - her last trial was in December last year when she was almost 13. She has a light build by nature, and I've kept her lean (much to her disgust :laugh: ), and she has been on joint supplements for years, and managed by her acupuncture/massage vet. She's also had a fairly light training and competition load. I had people watching her closely for the last year or so, letting me know if they saw any waning signs that I was missing. If I thought a course was going to be problematic for us, I just wouldn't run her in that. Really the main reason for retiring her at this stage is that her eyesight is not what it was - cataracts developing , and that would likely contribute to jumping problems, and increase the possibility of injury. Having said all that though, she still insists on joining in training, and loves her runs. I am generally running her at 400 instead of her 500 though. I'm also very conservative at the younger end as well - in no rush to get them into competition. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cat Posted March 9, 2015 Author Share Posted March 9, 2015 That promising. Hamish is seven, eight at the end of the year and we have only just started agility and I think it will be a long road to get to trialling stage. He is pretty energetic, people are surprised at his age. I hope he counts as a 600. I'm not sure he could match border collies and kelpies for speed I saw my first trial yesterday. Wow some of those dogs are fast! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Spotted Devil Posted March 9, 2015 Share Posted March 9, 2015 That promising. Hamish is seven, eight at the end of the year and we have only just started agility and I think it will be a long road to get to trialling stage. He is pretty energetic, people are surprised at his age. I hope he counts as a 600. I'm not sure he could match border collies and kelpies for speed I saw my first trial yesterday. Wow some of those dogs are fast! In Vic we do have height placings for championship points but ribbons etc are all overall placings - makes a placing all the more sweeter up against 60 + dogs! If anything it's easier on your dog if he falls just into 500 rather than just into 600. Zig is well and truly 600 but I will sometimes train on 500 and he really adds speed. Have fun! Where are you Cat? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kavik Posted March 9, 2015 Share Posted March 9, 2015 (edited) That promising. Hamish is seven, eight at the end of the year and we have only just started agility and I think it will be a long road to get to trialling stage. He is pretty energetic, people are surprised at his age. I hope he counts as a 600. I'm not sure he could match border collies and kelpies for speed I saw my first trial yesterday. Wow some of those dogs are fast! I agree with TSD - 500 would be easier on your dog's body than only just making 600. And here placings aren't as important - you can still title your dog if you don't win or place, you just need to qualify, so you don't need to beat the fastest 500 jumping BCs to do well :) A placing is very sweet though! Kaos is also well into the 600s, and we often place in separate heights but very rarely in all heights. A lot of competitions in NSW are separate heights now :) Wonder the case will be after the rule changes come into place Edited March 9, 2015 by Kavik Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cat Posted March 9, 2015 Author Share Posted March 9, 2015 Oh ok. I just thought it was dependant on how tall the dog is as to which it went in. There wasn't really any yesterday to compare him to size wise. I guess it kinda makes sense now. It's a long way off anyways! I'm near newcastle. Thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kavik Posted March 9, 2015 Share Posted March 9, 2015 (edited) It does depend on how tall the dog is, you don't get to choose :) 545 mm is the height cutoff between 500/600, Kaos is 570 I would be hoping to be measured into 500 with an older dog starting out Edited March 9, 2015 by Kavik Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DeltaCharlie Posted March 9, 2015 Share Posted March 9, 2015 I was at the trial yesterday too :) Were you a steward? If so, I was the girl in the fluoro pink shirt who was organising everyone in the morning until Carmen arrived. We were running 6 border collies yesterday, aged 12, 8, 7, 4, 4, and nearly 2. We also have a 10 year old and a 13 year old small terrier mix who trial occasionally. Definitely no age limit if you keep them fit and healthy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cat Posted March 9, 2015 Author Share Posted March 9, 2015 Oh hi yep, I was in ring 4 taking the leads and helping set up the courses. Wow must be a lot of work training and running eight dogs! Pretty sure I'd be terribly confused having six in one show! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DeltaCharlie Posted March 9, 2015 Share Posted March 9, 2015 I thought it must have been you :) We have 12 altogether, 2 that are 100% retired, 1 that is nearly 2 and will hopefully start trialling this year and a 6month old puppy. They keep us busy, that's for sure! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cat Posted March 9, 2015 Author Share Posted March 9, 2015 Wow, I bet! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pretty Miss Emma Posted March 9, 2015 Share Posted March 9, 2015 My first dog was 9 when I got her and I started training ehr in agility when she was close to 10 years old. She was short which worked to our advantage as she ended up with a low jump height and extra time!!! We only competed in NADAC which has allowances for "vetrans" including lower heights, extra time and their own class. But even if she hadn't been winning ribbons we would have kept playing in agility because she just loved it!!! I retired her when she was 12 and it was only because she had lost most of her vision (her performance in agility trials is what alerted me to how bad her vision was!). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skip Posted March 12, 2015 Share Posted March 12, 2015 I was there too! Small world. Don't forget ADAA which has not for competition runs great for just starting and training. The height cut off are different and could suit your dog. My dog at 39.5 cm fitted in the Adaa class of mini as under 40cm. In ankc I was in with a lot more small bc's as the height cut off different. Not that I cared as I was running with more of my friends who had small bc'so so good for me. You can also choose to run as a regular dog and always run at one height lower. Great for older dogs who still want a go or some physically challenged dogs. It's all for a game u can play with your dog. Teaching your older dog is also a learning experience anyway. Newcastle has a good agility club too hasn't it. Have fun. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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