# Thoughts on agility course.



## WinnieThePoodle (Sep 1, 2020)

I was thinking of taking Winnie to agility classes in a couple of months and mentioned this to a friend of the family who is an animal physiotherapist and she said it was a bad idea because of the weakness that Poo's have with their knees. I have read online conflicting information that says it will help the muscles stay strong to keep the knee from popping out. I wasn't planning on her doing an SAS assault course, just some small obstacles etc for beginners and just for a bit of fun. What are your thoughts on this? Should I take her or not?


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## Basil_the_Spoo (Sep 1, 2020)

Can you remind us, is Winnie a toy, mini, or standard?

While your friend probably has a good heart and best intentions, "Pre" the poodle won 1st place at Westminster in the 12' class in the master agility arena... So, it can be done.


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## WinnieThePoodle (Sep 1, 2020)

Basil_the_Spoo said:


> Can you remind us, is Winnie a toy, mini, or standard?
> 
> While your friend probably has a good heart and best intentions, "Pre" the poodle won 1st place at Westminster in the 12' class in the master agility arena... So, it can be done.


Winnie the mini


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## Johanna (Jun 21, 2017)

My mini poodle, Zoe, like most minis, is very athletic. Patellar luxation ("weak knees") is something that reputable breeders test for and breed away from. 

It is important not to require puppies to jump at full height, but I see no reason whatsoever to limit adult minis. It is also a good idea to have a knowledgeable veterinarian check to be sure the patellar groove is well developed. You can actually have OFA certification for patellas. If you want to see what that looks like, you are welcome to check Zoe's record on OFA (her registered name is Donnchada Delightful). You'll see her certifications there.


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## Newport (Jul 16, 2014)

“the weakness that Poos have with their knees” <—- this is BS.

Any dog with a diagnosed orthopedic problem needs to be carefully evaluated for their fitness for activity.

Poodles, as a breed, are awesome athletes.


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## WinnieThePoodle (Sep 1, 2020)

Thanks, I didn't think this would be any different to her charging about when she chases birds and squirrels. She darts about like an olympian in all sorts of directions and jumps over obstacles in the woods and long grass.


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## Raindrops (Mar 24, 2019)

If she is cleared by a vet to have healthy joints and no suspected orthopedic issues, there is no reason to keep her from the fun. My mini loves agility. Poodles have always been great at the sport. Any dog with orthopedic issues should be kept safe from strain, but it's not breed based.


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## dogsavvy (Mar 6, 2015)

If you have cause for concern, this might be useful. I'm not a vet. I did go looking for a solution when our very active Chi had a problem

We have a Chihuahua with knee cap issues. I've experimented with supplementation which my vet said could help. Since my 2 chi girls are fiesty, I put both on the same stuff. At 2 months I'm seeing improvement. 

Every day they get 1/4 teaspoon each of collagen powder & MSM powder. Our little girl with the issue (Boo Boo) is back to running. I've wondered if this would be an aid to helping knees stay healthy. I don't know but thus far I haven't found data that it can do any harm. Boo is 5-6 pounds, Tinkerbell is a pound lighter.


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## WinnieThePoodle (Sep 1, 2020)

dogsavvy said:


> If you have cause for concern, this might be useful. I'm not a vet. I did go looking for a solution when our very active Chi had a problem
> 
> We have a Chihuahua with knee cap issues. I've experimented with supplementation which my vet said could help. Since my 2 chi girls are fiesty, I put both on the same stuff. At 2 months I'm seeing improvement.
> 
> Every day they get 1/4 teaspoon each of collagen powder & MSM powder. Our little girl with the issue (Boo Boo) is back to running. I've wondered if this would be an aid to helping knees stay healthy. I don't know but thus far I haven't found data that it can do any harm. Boo is 5-6 pounds, Tinkerbell is a pound lighter.


Useful to know thanks. I didn't have cause for concern it was only that I was put off by the comment that she shouldn't go to agility. She has never had a knee issue and she is almost 1 year old. Her mum and dad have no history of knee problems. She is very athletic and I thought she would love to do agility. She has a visit to the vet in July for a checkup so I can ask him to check her joints thoroughly.


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## PeggyTheParti (Sep 5, 2019)

Has your friend examined Winnie?


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## WinnieThePoodle (Sep 1, 2020)

PeggyTheParti said:


> Has your friend examined Winnie?


No. It's not someone who would come in to contact with Winnie normally but she said 'it's a problem poodles have' like its a weak spot for them.


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## cowpony (Dec 30, 2009)

WinnieThePoodle said:


> No. It's not someone who would come in to contact with Winnie normally but she said 'it's a problem poodles have' like its a weak spot for them.


A lot of small dogs have patella problems. It's not just poodles. These concerns are a reason to buy from breeders that screen their breeding dogs for orthopedic problems.


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## PeggyTheParti (Sep 5, 2019)

WinnieThePoodle said:


> No. It's not someone who would come in to contact with Winnie normally but she said 'it's a problem poodles have' like its a weak spot for them.


I wonder if she realizes how low the jumps are for toys and minis? It’s nothing like jumping off the bed or the couch.


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## WinnieThePoodle (Sep 1, 2020)

PeggyTheParti said:


> I wonder if she realizes how low the jumps are for toys and minis? It’s nothing like jumping off the bed or the couch.


Yes, I only want her to have a bit of fun not compete for the high jump at the next Olympics.


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## Johanna (Jun 21, 2017)

WinnieThePoodle said:


> No. It's not someone who would come in to contact with Winnie normally but she said 'it's a problem poodles have' like its a weak spot for them.


Poodles are no more likely than other dogs to have luxating patellas. Reputable breeders have their breeding stock evaluated by a qualified veterinarian and usually have the results reported on the OFA site.


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## Rose n Poos (Sep 22, 2017)

I don't remember if you have a private green space, but if you do, you can DIY portions of an agility course there and see how she feels about it. 

There are even kits available Amazon.ca : agility equipment for dogs 

I made my own what-to-do-to-keep-my-boys-busy-at-the-start-of-the-pandemic mini version out of dollar store pool noodles .


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## WinnieThePoodle (Sep 1, 2020)

Rose n Poos said:


> I don't remember if you have a private green space, but if you do, you can DIY portions of an agility course there and see how she feels about it.
> 
> There are even kits available Amazon.ca : agility equipment for dogs
> 
> ...


I do have a garden, its not huge but big enough to put out obstacles, only a bit of grass and mostly patio. I did put out some Amazon boxes around and played step up and go around them and she seemed to enjoy that, plus we play jump over my legs when I'm sitting on the floor with her. I did look on Amazon and saw a cheap agility set and tunnel that I thought about getting for her birthday. I am going to look at the agility class one day to see what they do and if I like what I see will go ahead with it. She will get excited getting in the car if she knows we are going somewhere fun.


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## Rose n Poos (Sep 22, 2017)

Oops, I meant to go here, drat me.
Amazon.co.uk : dog agility equipment


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