# Is it too soon for agility training??



## Fenris-wolf (Apr 17, 2018)

I was wondering if it's too soon for Sisko to start training in agility because he still hasn't mastered all his basic commands and some other things. Maybe I should get the equipment and try it at home first?

Thank you!


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## fjm (Jun 4, 2010)

I don't think I would try at home - it is hard to get everything right without a lot of experience, and it can be difficult to retrain if you get it wrong. I would talk to your local agility training clubs and see what they think - perhaps visit a session with Sisko.


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## Fenris-wolf (Apr 17, 2018)

fjm said:


> I don't think I would try at home - it is hard to get everything right without a lot of experience, and it can be difficult to retrain if you get it wrong. I would talk to your local agility training clubs and see what they think - perhaps visit a session with Sisko.


Okay, thank you fjm! There's a agility club that's pretty far away from me, but there's a trainer that does agility that's closer.


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## scooterscout99 (Dec 3, 2015)

There are many foundation exercises that can be done in a small space. Agility is so much more than the equipment. Handling exercises teach you and your dog to navigate a course. Your dog will have to learn your signals and you’ll need to learn what signals to give, where and how. And, as with other dog sports, every dog is different and they change over time.









While Waiting Until He Grows Up . . . | Susan Garrett's Dog Training Blog


Susan Garrett talks about her 200+ behaviours to teach a puppy before agility.




susangarrettdogagility.com









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Puppy hundred | Susan Garrett's Dog Training Blog







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## Skylar (Jul 29, 2016)

I would take classes, you need a solid foundation done correctly.

Until the dog’ growth plates are closed there are a few things that are minimized or limited to teach such as jumping and weave poles. Puppies can jump, and they can jump high, however in training agility you don’t want to ask your dog to jump repeatedly. Puppies deciding to jump on their own is fine because they will stop when they need. I teach beginner agility and for puppies we keep the bars very low so there really isn’t any jumping involved. We do start puppies jump training with good technique and they learn to go through the jump posts and you can even start training some handling without repetitive jumping. We don’t want puppies twisting their bodies- fine if they do it in play, but not in repetitive training. I teach the 2x2 method which allows us to get the basics trained. You can work on entrances, and working independently but we don’t close the weave poles up, they are left open enough that a puppy isn’t twisting.

There are many activities you can train so your agility lessons are more effective and you will be a better competitor. Crate games.... when you and your dog are ready to run courses, your dog will have to be quiet and comfortable stay in a crate while you walk the course. Often clubs have crates in the facility to use so dogs need to be comfortable not only in their crate at home, but strange crates and their travel crate. If your dog isn’t solidly crate trained, you can work on it now. Your dog needs a solid sit stay that will allow you to walk away 10-15 feet in an exciting environment. Watch me games train focus on you. Crate games, sit stay and watch me etc. are activities that you will work on while learning agility. They aren’t requirements to Start training but they are things you will need and can train at home to prepare. It really helps to take a good general obedience class first....you will learn how to train a solid sit stay, watch me, loose leash walking and working in a ring with other handlers and their dogs. I can tell in the first class which dogs have had some obedience training, its easier for the handlers to work with their dog in class.


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## Fenris-wolf (Apr 17, 2018)

Skylar said:


> I would take classes, you need a solid foundation done correctly.
> 
> Until the dog’ growth plates are closed there are a few things that are minimized or limited to teach such as jumping and weave poles. Puppies can jump, and they can jump high, however in training agility you don’t want to ask your dog to jump repeatedly. Puppies deciding to jump on their own is fine because they will stop when they need. I teach beginner agility and for puppies we keep the bars very low so there really isn’t any jumping involved. We do start puppies jump training with good technique and they learn to go through the jump posts and you can even start training some handling without repetitive jumping. We don’t want puppies twisting their bodies- fine if they do it in play, but not in repetitive training. I teach the 2x2 method which allows us to get the basics trained. You can work on entrances, and working independently but we don’t close the weave poles up, they are left open enough that a puppy isn’t twisting.
> 
> There are many activities you can train so your agility lessons are more effective and you will be a better competitor. Crate games.... when you and your dog are ready to run courses, your dog will have to be quiet and comfortable stay in a crate while you walk the course. Often clubs have crates in the facility to use so dogs need to be comfortable not only in their crate at home, but strange crates and their travel crate. If your dog isn’t solidly crate trained, you can work on it now. Your dog needs a solid sit stay that will allow you to walk away 10-15 feet in an exciting environment. Watch me games train focus on you. Crate games, sit stay and watch me etc. are activities that you will work on while learning agility. They aren’t requirements to Start training but they are things you will need and can train at home to prepare. It really helps to take a good general obedience class first....you will learn how to train a solid sit stay, watch me, loose leash walking and working in a ring with other handlers and their dogs. I can tell in the first class which dogs have had some obedience training, its easier for the handlers to work with their dog in class.


Okay, thank you, Skylar! I knew about not letting puppies jump, but I didn't know about not letting them twist. The trainer that I'm looking into also does crate games and basic obedience ?


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## Fenris-wolf (Apr 17, 2018)

I emailed the trainer that I looked into and, I got a response from her, and I decided to go with her. She said Sisko sounds like a great dog and just needs extra work with impulse control, so we're going to start off with a private lesson and then go from there.

She also said Sisko would be great at agility. I was so happy to read that.


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