# Agility at home



## wingsandpaws (Oct 28, 2020)

we can’t take agility classes because of quarantine but we can improvise! Mia is loving it so far, she’s very excited to jump. You would be surprised at how high a toy poodle can jump. We’re also practicing waiting properly before starting the course as well as impulse control.


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## purplelullaby10 (Oct 25, 2016)

She is gorgeous! And I love your setup 🙂 I was only able to teach my poodle to sit and give paw 😞 lol


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## Eclipse (Apr 26, 2010)

wingsandpaws said:


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> we can’t take agility classes because of quarantine but we can improvise! Mia is loving it so far, she’s very excited to jump. You would be surprised at how high a toy poodle can jump. We’re also practicing waiting properly before starting the course as well as impulse control.


Your dog is very cute. Please be careful about jumping her too high, especially if she is young, and also jumping her on improper surfaces. Looks like you have hardwood there and no matter whether it is on the landing or the takeoff side, it is too slippery to let a dog jump on. If they slip on takeoff, they can crash into the jump. If they slip on landing, they can injure themselves. When we train indoors, we only jump on cushioned matting that has traction so the dogs don't slip. If you are going to jump indoors at all, I would keep the jumps low, only do it on carpeted areas and not overdo it as to frequency or repetition.....


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## wingsandpaws (Oct 28, 2020)

She’s 1 years old. I will keep that in mind the next time, thanks!


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## Skylar (Jul 29, 2016)

Mia is adorable. 

I agree with Eclipse, only jump her on carpet or outside on grass..... you want a cushioned non-slip surface. The goal is not to jump too high, it’s proper form so she is using her hind legs to push off and her head down as she comes over the jump. Some dogs naturally jump with good form but others need to be trained. so drop the bar and only a few repetitions.

Smart to be working on impulse control and a solid start line sit (some people leave their dog standing or laying down). Add hind end awareness to your training.


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## wingsandpaws (Oct 28, 2020)

We do work on impulse control, wether it be when playing fetch, going outside or opening doors. I usually get her to sit and wait before making her start the agility, she does get excited sometimes but i don’t let her start if she doesn’t sit and wait. Usually she is good at home and is learning to wait before bolting outside when I open the door. Yesterday she tried to run outside but i did not let her, and she eventually got into a sit! I’m proud of her progress, although she does need a bit more training when there are toys or cats around. She LOVES chasing and barking at cats. I’ve had a few successes, but only with treats in my hand lol. And she is definitely a jumper. When she gets the zoomies she runs onto the couch, pushes her toys off of it and jumps down to get it. Rinse and repeat. The climbs up to the rocky area in our garden to look for cats too. She has recall training, but it’s not %100 reliable. She will usually come when i have a treat OR if she thinks I have a treat, but i still do try to give her a small treat every time because i want her to have a solid recall no matter where she is.


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## Skylar (Jul 29, 2016)

When your puppy makes the choice to jump it’s okay. What isn’t okay to to ask your dog to jump repetitively too many times.

it may seem counterintuitive but there’s several things you can work on that would be more productive than asking your dog to jump.

You mentioned recall is iffy. Keep working on that because it’s very important. Agility class is exciting and highly distracting. Many times you have to work off leash and you want a dog with a good recall in case she zooms around.

When you walk your dog spend half the time with your dog on your right side and half on the left so she’s used to both sides.

Run with your dog by your side both right and left. Do it with a leash and if safe without a leash when she understands what you are doing. Treat randomly to keep her following you. Make circles then random patterns. Keep eye contact with your dog.

there are cheap tunnels for kids you can buy to have her run through a tunnel. But you need to secure it so it doesn’t move. I have 4 gallon jugs of water that sit on either side or the entrance exit. I have a rope tied to the jugs that sits over the tunnel so it doesn’t budge.


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