At what age did your dog start trialing?

[DJEtzel]

And in which sport, of course?

Frag started trialing in CPE agility right about the time he turned three. He started trialing in UKC Dock Diving at 2.

Recon probably won't start trialing in CPE until he's 1.5-2 if we're lucky, but I'm not looking to beat any records with him, and to be honest, I'm lazy and cheap so we train a lot, but it's just for fun and I frequently don't feel like actually going to trials and spending the money on them.

But, we have a few dock diving events where I work each year and I'd love to start trialing Recon this spring, if applicable. I haven't even read UKC's rules for age of entry for DD competitions... and I don't know if it's frowned upon or rare for young dogs to enter? All the dogs I know from DD are much older; 2-7 years old usually. Recon would be 9-11 months this spring... but I can't see any reason NOT to enter him if it's allowed? There's not nearly as much training involved as agility, for example, that you need to prep before showing.

 

[k9krazee]

Jack & I started trialing in agility when he was between 1.5-2. By the time we got to higher levels I had moved away to college and we no longer were in classes. But we still did & do a couple trials a year--it's just evident now that we aren't at the level we should be and he doesn't really enjoy it anymore.

I hope to start trialing with Crossbone in agility Winter 2013/Spring 2014-- he'll be about 2.5. I'm not in too much of a hurry, though. Whatever happens, happens.

 

[Panzerotti]

I entered Pan in her first agility trial at 20 months. I really shouldn't have because we weren't close to being ready, but my club only hosts one trial per year. It was good in a way, the trial was small, with good vibes, so it was a good introduction for her, but it was also bad because it totally screwed up her contact training.

 

[AdrianneIsabel]

My dogs started dock diving at 10 months, maybe? But that IMO isn't trialing. It lacks pressure, or should.

They did start at about 1.5 for obed and I should have held Backup off until he was... now.

 

[CaliTerp07]

I didn't even get Lucy until she was 3 or 4. We started trialing around 6.

A friend I train with regularly tells of how she didn't enter her first trial with her dog until the dog was 11. She still made it to elite everything before she had to retire her.

 

[Shai]

Kim and Webster were both ~2 year -- rally. Granted I didn't decide I was going to compete with them at all til the night before the trial lol.

With Mira I made the arbitrary rule that we wouldn't do competition training til she was a year old. She didn't see a jump over 4" til she was 17 months. So she earned her novice obedience at 15 months when I felt she was ready per my obedience standards/while we were waiting for her to physically mature enough to do agility and her first agility trial was when she was 23 months old.

 

[MandyPug]

Izzie was 3 years old for her first agility trial. We didn't start training until close to her 2nd birthday.

Rally she was 3.5.

Scenthurdle she was 4.

 

[Keechak]

Hawk's first title was his tracking TD at 2 years and a few months old, then his AKC CD shortly after tho I don't remember the exact day. Then several years later and he's got one mess of a name now.

Lark is almost ready for her CD and she is 16 months old so I may start trialing her this year if she's good enough to get in the 190's for a score.

I don't remember how old Kechara was for her first agility trial but I think it was around 2-3 years old.

My old boy Jack, RIP, was 11 for his first obedience trial!

 

[stardogs]

Agility: Maggie was about 2yo, Ziva was 22 months iirc, and Kes was about 20 months.

Schutzhund/IPO: Kes went for his first BH at 3y but didn't get it until a trial about 6 months after that, Aeri trialled for her BH at 2yo and got it.

Dock Diving: (Dockdogs rules state 6 months old min) Kes was about 20 months, Aeri was about 7 months but didn't actually jump until the next trial around 10mo, Snipe was about 16 months.

Disc: Kes' first, and so far only, trial was right around 18 months.

Rally: Z was 4yo, Kes was 3yo.

Obedience: Aeri has just been entered in her first trial at 28 months and it's more for experience than thinking we'll Q.

 

[BostonBanker]

Meg was about 2/2.5 when she did her first agility trial (CPE). I got her at about 1 year.

Gusto I got at about 7 weeks, and he did his first USDAA trial at 19 months or so. He'll do his second later this month, at 22 months.

 

[Beanie]

Auggie was just over 2.5 years old for agility. He was definitely ready at that point though I didn't believe it. He was just over a year old when we started training with weekly-ish classes (I took some time off there and again because I was still in college taking night classes at the time.) I THINK he was four for rally - his first rally trial was on his birthday and I'm pretty sure it was when he turned four rather than when he turned three. He was five at his first obedience trial.

Payton will be two May 16th; so far he had a disastrous debut in rally when he was 14 months old, got his CGC a few months ago with pretty much zero incidence (on Auggie's birthday in fact), but he has not played anything else yet. Dock Dogs will hopefully be sometimes this summer and I'm hoping agility in the fall, but I'm very very cautious and won't start him in agility until I know he's ready.

Georgie will be two at the end of July, July 25th I think, and she hasn't done anything yet and who knows when she will be ready - she is further behind than Payton.

Pepper is four and has yet to do anything. Poor girly. I'm not sure if she'll ever do anything besides be a snuggle-lump though so I don't care.

 

[momto8]

Courtney started Lure Coursing around the age of 5, we've been at it for about a year now.
And she started doing juniors with my son at close to 6.

 

[Aleron]

Whimsy was about 20 months and her first trial was a UKC one at the UBSDA National. She won HIT Belgian for one of the trials. Her next trial was a couple months later and an AKC one - she Q'd with 1st place in everything. Whim is just such a good dog

Savvy was around 18 months, also a UKC trial. He Q'd and placed on both runs and got a Total Dog award. He was pretty wild though LOL His next trial he was at 21 months and CPE. He Q'd in Level 3 Jackpot and got 1st place...against Whim :O He ran in a few other things but he isn't trained for weaves just yet so no other Qs (he was only supposed to be entered in the non-weave classes but it filled fast, so I just entered him for practice in what I could on the day I was able to get in). He isn't really ready just yet but he's close enough to have some fun at trials with him. He takes direction well, has fun and needs contact practice in trial settings so I opt to run him. He's entered in a few CPE (non-weave option classes) runs in March too.

 

[Kyllobernese]

Remmy started trialing in Agility at 20 months. In 6 trials he got 10 Q's and got his SGDC (Starter Games Dog of Canada) ADC (Agility Dog of Canada). That was his first year of trialing. Took a little longer to get his AADC (Advanced Agility Dog of Canada) and we still need two more Advanced Snooker to get his Advanced Games Dog of Canada, then he will be in Masters in everything.

 

[Saeleofu]

Gavroche started in rally at around 2 1/2ish. He started lure coursing at 4 1/2ish.

Logan started in rally at around 1 year, and lure coursing around 3 years. He'll be starting traditional obedience this year around 4.

Honestly, those timelines have more to do with my finances than my dogs' readiness or anything else.

 

[GatorDog]

Aiden trialed for his BH at 15 months and his IPO1 at 2 years. I kind of rushed for the 1 though and wish I had waited a little bit longer. We trialed for his IPO2 after his 3rd birthday.

 

[FG167]

Kastle started conformation as a puppy.

A one year he went for his CGC, started competing in U-Fli flyball, Dock Jumping and Lure Coursing.

At 1.5 he got his AD. Aiming for his BH around 2 and to start competing in agility around then as well.

I got Eden at 13 months and y the time she was 2 we had achieved our CGC, a flyball title, a lure coursing title, and two AKC agility titles.

Limit's got nothing yet lol, 9 months old.

 

[~WelshStump~]

Never made it to trialing with Jinj.
Enda was about 9-10 months for her first UKC show, I think? Didn't get her paperwork for AKC till the end of the year so her first AKC show she was over a year. Her first Herding and Rally trials were last year, AKC, she was over 2. Haven't started Agility yet but hope to later this year.

 

[BoandAbby]

Abby was 6 when we finally were able to start Agility classes and she had her first trial a couple months before she turned 7.

Twister turned one in January and will either be debuting in agility this fall or sometime next year. We'll see how it goes...

 

[the dog lover]

When I started training

I started a few years ago when I was about 7. I am eleven now but I still train a extremely hard dog to handle. He attacks other dogs. I love him though, he and I also do Jr. Handling with him, we are a great teen!!