# Agility before any puppy obedience?



## Tryin (Oct 27, 2013)

I am new to agility and would like to have my 10 yr old handle the 3-month old puppy. I would also like to put the 7- month old in obedience (tons of energy). I would be handling. Neither have had any obedience classes, although i have taught them sit, stay, down, shake. We are working on come, lol! They are not good with leash walking, esp. the older one, so really want a class for that one. 

The owner of the agility facility says puppy can start agility (intro to equip-on leash) without the obedience class first. She is a pretty good listener and follower right now. The agility would be at a facility that specializes in agility. Obedience would be at Persmart due to cost and location.

Agility starts tomorrow, so not much time to decide. Do you think t could just do agility for one or both, without the obedience classes first? No weave poles, yet, if that matters. I am pretty uncoordinated and not athletic, so i dont think i'm a good candidate for agility, but my daughter would do great. 
Longterm goals-agility for one or both, cgc, but no obedience competitions.


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## Quossum (Mar 18, 2011)

Sure, you can get started in Agility without doing obedience first. My training center does this, too, though we encourage the students to get busy with things like Stay and Come right away. Our beginners class is all on leash, very positive and motivating.

Good luck!

--Q


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## lily cd re (Jul 23, 2012)

You can certainly do foundation work (which is really about obedience anyway), but if I understand you correctly you have two dogs both under one year old correct? If that is the case, they shouldn't be jumping full height, if at all, just put the bars on the ground and get them used to going through the stanchions and understanding there will be a bar.


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## Jility (Jul 6, 2011)

For what it is worth, we never train agility on leash. We never start the dogs on the equipment until they are focused and driven with plenty of self control.
We teach them foundation for at least a year before we even start to train the end behaviors for the contacts. We never teach them to weave until they are at least 18 months old and jumping won't start until they are at least 16 months old.
Everything we do is positive and we never ever use corrections, verbal or physical! THe only consequence to a wrong choice is withholding of reward.
I suggest you join Stacy Winkler's Foundation 1 class Home 
It is almost over but the material will be up for two more weeks and you can download it. That will give you enough to do for many many months!
If we push our young dogs on equipment too soon, we can damage soft tissue. That is not mature enough to withstand agility training until they are 15 or 16 months old.


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## Tryin (Oct 27, 2013)

Thank you all for sharing your knowledge. We just signed up both for obedience instead. I wasnt sure how comfortable I was yet with the agility program. I have not had a chance to see the facility and it is much farther than i thought. Also, it is over 100 degrees out and i think it will just be too much for the pups and my schedule. I will try again when they are a bit older and stronger.


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## lily cd re (Jul 23, 2012)

I was just thinking about the title of your thread and was going to say get the younger puppy to puppy class for socialization experience.

Anyway the most important thing is that you will be spending time with your pups and your daughter doing activities that will build bonds all the way around. I do agility, but my foundation for everything and my true love is obedience. I am sure you will have a great family experience and there will always be other opportunities.


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## Minnie (Apr 25, 2011)

I think you made the perfect choice! Although it may seem otherwise when doing the initial training the equipment is a very small piece of agility. The obedience / foundation training is the most important thing you can do to prepare for a lifetime.


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## Rocketagility (Apr 27, 2010)

*agility before obedience*

I always want dogs without obedience training first reason is I don't trust how a obedience trainer will train. Second who want a agility dog that heels around a ring sorry I want speed. Third I teach you how to train a dog with positive reinforcement and shaping and once you know how to do that you are now equipped to train your dog to do anything even obedience. So those are my reasons and I also try and get your dog out of a leash as soon as possible usually on the second or third class. Or sooner


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## lily cd re (Jul 23, 2012)

The two are not mutually exclusive. Believe me I have no problems with Lily thinking she is supposed to heel around an agility ring. She is a rocket. If I hadn't done obedience I would just have a wild dog running around taking any obstacle she wanted. Because of her obedience training Lily has excellent start line stays and knows how to be in her crate without lunging and barking at passing dogs and I have a lot easier time on deck and in the chute than many people I see. I use rally exercises as tricks to keep her focus at those times. Being able to heel her down the gauntlet row of crates with snarling dogs in them that I had to walk past this last weekend was also very helpful.

Additionally all of her obedience is off leash and now in utility is at distance too. It is helping her to understand distance handling in agility too.


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## poolann (Jan 31, 2013)

It really is too hot for new dogs/people to start agility in the summer unless you have access to an indoor facility which we don't have here. If the bug bites and you become a diehard like myself 

Many times it is better for dogs that don't have a lot of formal obedience under their belt as they have less of an issue working on your right side. (In agility they work on both sides of you) Being that it is off leash a solid stay and come is incredibly helpful but that being said I agree with Lily you can certainly start groundwork with the puppy. 

I agree with you that I would want to visit the facility and also watch a class to get a feel for the trainer's style and make sure that it works for me. 

So happy that your 10yr old is going to get involved! In my experience the young folks are often great trainers.

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