[Alin]

We might need a few more members to start joining into Groups before you see replies to this discussion.

I’ll try and get Janet aware of this discussion – if I’m not mistaken is does agility work.

[Donna]

By that age she should be ready for a facility. Guidance will help you not develop any bad habits. Good Luck!

[Joanna]

we have 11 month old female Mal, we built couple of agility toys for her so she can play in the back yard or even in the basement, but the goal is to join a club. Anybody knows of good Agility clubs in Chicago suburbs?

[Riggan]

D-D,

Unless you have a background in doing agility, you might want to get involved in a formal class, especially since you have one so close (assuming they have a solid reputation and fit with your training approach). If not done correctly, dogs can be injured doing agility, so it can help to be working with someone who knows safe ways to introduce dogs to the different obstacles. It also depends on what your goal is. If you would like to possibly compete at some point, working with someone who is experienced can help you avoid bad habits. I have never done competitive obedience, but we did train our Search and Rescue dogs on a variety of obstacles. We trained for stability, control, and confidence rather than speed. I’m just starting our newly adopted dog (had him 6 months now) on some obstacles, and my goal for him is to improve his confidence (he is fearful) and coordination. We go hiking in some heavily wooded and steep areas, and I want him to have good body awareness. Because of his personality, I know I will never compete with him. So you can use agility for many different reasons, and in some cases it can affect the approach you take.

I’d love to see Janet join in here with some hints and tips from her experience. It looks like Dwayne is becoming an awesome agility dog under her tutelage!

[Janet]

HI! Yes, by al means, enroll your ACD in a foundation agility skills group class if you can find one. You want to learn the contacts (teeter, dog walk, a frame,) in a controlled safe manner. Duane is my third competitive agility dog. Until the pandemic, we trained weekly in group classes and competed at the local level on weekends. ACD is a fantastic dog for agility, he’s going to love it, and you’ll have so much fun learning and playing together. Best of luck!

[Gary]

Thanks for the input gang! Sounds like the benefits go well beyond what I was initially aware of. The local facility requires an orientation/behavior evaluation step before enrolling. We’re really working on her play aggression currently. I’m shooting for late Spring/summer to have her ready to go; just gotta contain that prey drive!