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Agility.....


Taurus and Jada

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Jada just finished her Grade 3 at the obediance school we go to.... it is alot of fun, and she ( as well as I ) enjoy going. Our instructer is starting another agility class in July, and I was considering going to it with her... ( I realize it will just be for fun as Jada is a small-horse...lol ).

Could anyone who has done the agility thing share any pros/ cons of it with me? I am just looking for something fun to do with my dog that will get her out , and socialized, and create an even stronger bond between us.

Thanks,

Kara

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Guest Anonymous

[quote name='Taurus and Jada']Jada just finished her Grade 3 at the obediance school we go to.... it is alot of fun, and she ( as well as I ) enjoy going. Our instructer is starting another agility class in July, and I was considering going to it with her... ( I realize it will just be for fun as Jada is a small-horse...lol ).

Could anyone who has done the agility thing share any pros/ cons of it with me? I am just looking for something fun to do with my dog that will get her out , and socialized, and create an even stronger bond between us.

Thanks,

Kara[/quote]

Agility is a ton of fun. I am not sure what your comment about how "Jada is a small-horse" means, but virtually any sound dog can compete in agility. Competing in agility is "just for fun," too. Agility competitions are about having fun, after all.

primrose

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Jada is a small horse means that she is 11 months old and around 26"-27 " tall allready. She is a big girl, and she reminds me of a small pony sometimes... lol

thats all I meant... I wasn't sure if she could compete in competitions because she was so big... I didn't know if she could even fit through the tunnels???

I am just looking to do something fun with my dog.... :D

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Guest Anonymous

Because she is a large breed and only 11 months old, i am sure you know not to let her do anything serious in agility, like no jumping and stuff until at least 18 months old.

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oh yes, I talked with the trainer about that. I wasn't sure exactly when they started jumps and things, and she said because she was so large that she wouldn't have her jump for at least 6 more months....

But that we could start learning everything else.... Im just not sure what everything else is yet... he he he Im sure Ill find out though...

Thanks for the concern though, I appreciate it!
Kara

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[quote name='Taurus and Jada']Jada is a small horse means that she is 11 months old and around 26"-27 " tall allready. She is a big girl, and she reminds me of a small pony sometimes... lol

thats all I meant... I wasn't sure if she could compete in competitions because she was so big... I didn't know if she could even fit through the tunnels???

I am just looking to do something fun with my dog.... :D[/quote]

So Jada's about the size of my male Dobe, Mason. He's running in masters level agility. Mason went into the season as a very green dog and finished with a very high qualifying rate. I expect him to make the Doberman top 20 for the 2004-2005 year.

Mason loves agility and size isn't a problem. He fits through the tunnels and tires just fine. Heck, I've seen Great Danes at agility trials that get through them too although I have no idea how they do it.

Running a large dog in agility has some additional challenges that don't apply to small dogs. It also has a few advantages.....sending a large dog "out" or away from you is a lot easier. What my dog covers in two strides might take a little dog 10 strides!

Agility is tons of fun and yes, promotes a closer bond between you and your dog. Mason LOVES agility!

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Big dogs can certainly compete in agility... just ask Morgan:

[url=http://www.morgandane.com/home.asp]Morgan's site[/url]

Start slow with your young'un. There's lots of low impact stuff she can learn. You could start with [i]very low[/i] jumps. But do check with your instructor.

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As the others said, you need to be careful. The growth plates take longer to close in a large dog than they do in a small dog so yeah certainly go along to the class and get him used to the equipment by letting him sniff around and also you can do things like the tunnels and contacts laid flat on the ground, so that he gets used to walking over planks of wood. As far as jumping goes please do wait for another few months and let his bones fully mature as even small jumps still require impact upon take-off and landing. Good luck. Its great fun and you will both become addicted! :wink:

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Guest Anonymous

My biggest warning about Agility which is very serious and you need to take into full account before participating...

[size=6][color=red]IT IS HIGHLY ADICTIVE [/color][/size]

Now that that's out of the way...

Agility is SO much fun!
If you just google it you will find a LOT of good information, but here are my bookmarked sites if you wana check them out :wink:

[url]http://icomplus.com/spotc/agility.htm[/url]

[url]http://www.creativeindulgence.com/Master_Events_2003/08_2003_GRC_Agility/GRC%20Agility,%20Saturday%2008_23/MEGA/GRC_Agility_Saturday_08_23_MEGA_page_01.htm[/url]

[url]http://www.adsc-agility.com/news.html#what[/url]

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Agility is SOOO much fun! We have big dogs in the class I'm in. The training school Vicki and I go to has different classes according to the age of the dog. Vicki is in the 12 month class. They also have puppy agility, and beginning agility for older dogs. Check with your instructor for the best class for Jada. And have fun!!!

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