Ixion

Was curious at what age with a toy, do most people wait to start truly training them til a year like the big guys or can you start sooner with them because they stop growing earlier? Right now Ella will be 8 months old on the 20th and I have been mostly doing flatwork and mini courses with hoops with her so far for really short sessions and just trying to figure out when and what I can start working with her on.....she is so much fun to work with and seems to be catching on to the training really quickly! :-D

fjm

I waited till Poppy was 12 months - and even then am starting her gently. Why run the risk for the sake of a few weeks? There is so much to do in training directions, and manoeuvres, etc that I feel jumping and impact work can wait until 12 months at least. It is huge fun doing agility with a toy poodle, though - we have only done a little, but she is so FAST!

Ixion

I've just read conflicting things on a couple places and trying to figure out where to go....she's having so much fun so far and I love the hoops, a way to teach the concept of obstacles with no impact just run through the hoop, LOL. She just is getting so frustrated when I'm doing more advanced work with my afghans, standing at the slider letting me know that she wants to try it too, LOL. Other then the basic flatwork, we've been preparing her for the show ring (first show next month, woohoo! ) Just with the little bit of work I do with her, I can tell that she'll be a blast in the ring, she zooms through hoops and tunnel and thinks it's great fun!

Thanks for the imput!

debjen

you will definitely find conflicting ideas on when to start dogs in agility..when I started my lab 12 years ago I didn't know anything and the trainer I was going to was basically just learning..I just wanted to wear out a 6 month old lab puppy and did a lot of things I now know better (putting a 6 month old puppy over a full size a frame ).. however I do start my puppies out from the time they come home...I generally have a play tunnel down a tippy board of some sort so they can use to the feel..I also start their foundation work along with their basic obedience..I start jump training without a bar and will progress to a bar on the ground and then a 4 or 8 inch bar as the dog progresses I start contact training with a flat 3 foot board and walking/running across a longer board on the ground..I start the bang game on the teeter..also I do a lot of ground work teaching front and rear crosses on the ground ..left and right..touch games..etc..so there is a lot you can do without stressing the dogs joints..and of course everthing is in very short increments..

MericoX

I started doing some training with my guys once they hit around 6-8 months. I felt it was okay to start at 8 months with my mini, as he does a heck of alot more harder jumping then going over a 4" jump. LOL.

Cdnjennga

Darcy is almost 6 months and we are in week 3 of a 4 week puppy gymboree class (basically puppy agility). The rule of thumb for jumps is nothing higher than the knee until a year. So Darcy has jumped over bar jumps at the lowest level and the tire at the lowest level. He has also done a low teeter, tunnel and tables. I'm really happy we've started now as he loves it and I wanted to have him get somewhat used to the equipment while he was still young.

We can't start the actual agility class at our school until he has completed both a basic obedience and mid level (off leash) class. So our next class probably won't be until he's a year old.

fjm

Very good point about off leash work - agility is SO much easier without a leash to manage!

Ixion

I agree.....without the leash is much eaiser. All my training in the yard has been off leash so far, she thinks it's great fun to run with me wherever we go. With her only being a little over 9 inches tall.....jumping a bar on the ground is as high as we get til January, LOL. Not a problem tho! ^.^ I wish I knew of a place locally that did an agility class geared towards puppies but haven't found any locally. So the instuctor I'm working with my afghans has given me a couple tips for what I can work on that I have at home currently.