Agility Run Throughs

[Raegan]

My club offers agility practice runs in the summer, and tonight I'm taking Marsh! I've been through agility classes with Gatsby, and Marsh has apparently had at least some work done with him because he knows to take jumps in his path. But with me he's had nothing except a little work with 2x2 weaves (he's working at 2 sets of 2, about seven feet apart and open at 7 and 1 o'clock).

These run throughs are the only chance he'll get to work on equipment for a while, since classes aren't an option at this point. What are somethings I can do to make the most of the time we have?

 

[Dekka]

From the sounds of it I wouldn't 'run' him. I might go out and practise contacts if he has learnt those.

I would be careful though. Will club members help you? If you are newish to agility you might not know of the pitfalls you can fall into with out help.

 

[CaliTerp07]

I would work what he knows--sounds like jumps. In a new environment, you have to make it much easier than in your backyard. The first few run throughs I took Lucy to, we ignored the course they had set up and practiced her start line stay (super reinforced with tons of cheese) and did her favorite obstacles--aframes, jumps, and tunnels.

You want him to be successful. If I could re do it, I would just pay cookies for attention on me rewarding after every single obstacle. I have a dog with severe focus issues that I wish I had worked harder, sooner.

 

[Raegan]

I should have made that clear, I don't intend to try to run a full course. I don't even intend to try to do more than one obstacle at a time. If I get nothing more done than a few gos through the weave poles and spend the rest of the time hanging out and getting him used to other dogs doing terrible things like moving, it will still be a productive night.

But since the equipment is there, I'd like to have a plan to take advantage of the fact.

Club members will probably help me if I ask for tips or to hold my dog for a second, but I probably wouldn't get coaching during my time on the field.

 

[Raegan]

I would work what he knows--sounds like jumps. In a new environment, you have to make it much easier than in your backyard. The first few run throughs I took Lucy to, we ignored the course they had set up and practiced her start line stay (super reinforced with tons of cheese) and did her favorite obstacles--aframes, jumps, and tunnels.

You want him to be successful. If I could re do it, I would just pay cookies for attention on me rewarding after every single obstacle. I have a dog with severe focus issues that I wish I had worked harder, sooner.

Oh duh, start line stays! That's great, there's a lot I can do with that and I have a handout somewhere that I should dig up. I need to remember to work him on my right a lot, we've been working a lot on heeling. Thank you.

 

[AgilityPup]

My advice to you? Don't run him at all. Work on paying attention to you in a higher stress environment, work on circle work, but if you have any intentions of doing agility at all with him, don't put him over full height equipment.

 

[MandyPug]

Make sure to clear with whoever is running the matches that you can just go out there and diddle around, often they have a lot of people that want to use them to get their dogs trial ready and those take priority over those who are just wanting to go out and play around on obstacles.

I know at my club, they wouldn't let someone who is not ready to run sequencing do the fun matches. There's just too many other people who are getting dogs trial ready that need that time more. Plus it's dangerous to have such an inexperienced dog out there regardless of you doing full courses or not.

 

[CaliTerp07]

Make sure to clear with whoever is running the matches that you can just go out there and diddle around, often they have a lot of people that want to use them to get their dogs trial ready and those take priority over those who are just wanting to go out and play around on obstacles.

I know at my club, they wouldn't let someone who is not ready to run sequencing do the fun matches. There's just too many other people who are getting dogs trial ready that need that time more. Plus it's dangerous to have such an inexperienced dog out there regardless of you doing full courses or not.

Really? I've never heard of that before! I've been to a dozen run throughs and you pay your $5 to get 2 or 3 minutes that you can do anything and everything with. People run 3 month old puppies to get them used to new environments alongside dogs that already have titles.

 

[MandyPug]

Really? I've never heard of that before! I've been to a dozen run throughs and you pay your $5 to get 2 or 3 minutes that you can do anything and everything with. People run 3 month old puppies to get them used to new environments alongside dogs that already have titles.

I think it depends on the club running it, but here you pay $5 for every run you want to do and that goes from start line to finish line (no real "time limit") and is only open to dogs that are already doing a fair bit of sequencing. Bad habits can be started VERY easily and they don't want people out there doing something above what they have trained their dogs for. Plus there's so limited fun matches here that the time is better spent getting dogs ready to trial rather than have brand new teams out there playing around on things.

 

[AgilityPup]

... 3 month old puppies? Typo? Seriously. That's 12 weeks.

Another question would be, are you a member of this club? We're hosting a fun match this weekend, and it's a members only thing, but even if it wasn't, unless you're a member of a local club, or are trialing your dog, we wouldn't let someone with no training on their dog do it.

As for the dog having to have had training because it takes jumps in front of them, that doesn't mean the dog has had a lot of training.

 

[Raegan]

It may have changed since last year, but normally it's the same 3-4 people who show up every time. I am well known to these people, I'm the Correspondence Secretary for the club and I've stewarded for agility trials and course built etc. I'm one of the most active members because I'm not showing my dogs in anything so I'm always free on trial day.

Compared to the real fun match (which was like a real simulated trial) I have attended, this is totally different and much more relaxed, they just set up a standard and a JWW course and have people take turns.

I just got a reply from the person who organizes them, they said it was fine if we just went out and did simple baby dog stuff.

 

[AgilityPup]

Oh, man, I'm sorry! I just read that they're "run throughs" from what I understand, those are different from fun matches.

That said, still, though, I wouldn't put the dog on full height contact equipment. Some easy jump stuff, tunnels, and a table, sure, but no contacts or weaves, especially if you're not through with weave training.

 

[Raegan]

No worries! I need to be more clear in what I'm writing. It's a really relaxed affair, my club is very small and mostly conformation folks.

As for the dog having to have had training because it takes jumps in front of them, that doesn't mean the dog has had a lot of training.

I'm sure he hasn't had a ton of training, I was actually dumbfounded when I saw what was happening. I had a jump set out for Gatsby and hadn't put it away when I switched dogs. I was just chucking balls for Marsh and he was quite deliberately going out of his way to take the jump on the way out. I'm not suggesting that because of that I'm going to skip jump training totally or assume that he fully understands what he's doing, it was just neat to see.

 

[CaliTerp07]

... 3 month old puppies? Typo? Seriously. That's 12 weeks.

Maybe I'm exaggerating--but I've met people who have suuuuuper young puppies that are out and about as soon as they've had all their shots (so 4 months?) These are people whose puppies sleep on a-frames and in tunnels from the time they can safely explore and people who are super serious and want their dogs to have agility experience in dozens of environments.

 

[MafiaPrincess]

Smudge hit his first trial at 14 weeks. I'd had him 2 days when we packed up with Dekka and went to a trial way up north for the weekend. He didn't get ring time, but he got to swim, interact with dogs and people. In the next few weeks after that he was getting part of Cider's private lessons to explore the tunnel and foundation basics.

Wasn't till he was 8-9 months old he hit a fun match though. I use them to run fairly complete runs.

 

[Dekka]

Dekka and Snip went to trials that young. They just chilled on the grounds and got used to spending time in the expen and walking politely around other dogs.

 

[Raegan]

Well we're back, and it's official. Marsh is a perfect dog.

It turned out to be just me and the guy organizing it, so we had all the time we wanted. I was really proud of myself, I remember ALL the things I needed - water, bowl, treats, wire kennel, targeting lid, tennis ball - which has never happened. We played a little crate games, a little handling over a jump (VERY little, since I really don't know how to handle), recalls, stays, a barrel without the chute, and the table.

He's been through at least one really good agility class, because he was very comfortable around the equipment and at one point ran up the dogwalk. I didn't want to call him off (feeling that was more dangerous than letting him finish something he was obviously comfortable about) so I let him finish and he went all the way to the bottom, but there was no contact behavior and he wasn't moving very fast. After that we stayed away from that end of the course.

But mostly I'm just full of <3 for this dog. He's going to be super consistent when we get to trial and super responsive, if I don't mess him up of course. He didn't have a ton of speed, but it was pretty hot and I was just using food. When we switch to using his ball as a reward I'm sure he'll pick up speed. I'm using Agility Right From the Start as my main textbook so when I get home I'm going write up a more comprehensive training plan.