new to agility
The instructors were very helpful, class size of 6 dogs, rubber flooring, huge area to work in, and they started with the basic foundation work with a bit of time with equipment. So all in all, the Training Center was great. Howie did okay. Mark & I have of areas where we need to improve our training with our pup. I left class with my tail between my legs.  I just felt like I was a lousy dog owner. Howie got lots of treats during class. After class, I was feeling a bit bummed, so Mark & I went for ice cream....now I am happier. We have a training plan for the week. Hopefully next class Howie & I will do better.  Any words of wisdom for an agility newbie? exhausted peg & sleepy howie |
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| The beginning is always the hardest...with everything you have to learn and teach your dog. Hang in there, it only gets better, and better, and hooked. |
| Like Pam said, learning a whole new sport is a process. You said you felt like a bad dog dog owner and had your tail between your legs... - that doesn't sound good.  Can you give more details? |
| Well, Howie is a bossy boy and VERY active. He has been handful from day one. He rarely settles down, always moving and getting into things. He really tries to push us around here at the house. And he talks back. We are firm with him, and he has improved. Howie was a biter as a little pup, now he snaps the air at us when he does not get his way. This we have almost under control. Really Howie is a great dog, he just needs us to be firm always. The instructor was pleased with Howie's willingness and ability to do all the different pieces of equipment. The instructor said that Howie should have been trained when he was smaller! Now at 11 months it is more challenging. We have done lots of work with him daily. I guess if the instructor could have seen Howie at 14 weeks old compared to now he wouldn't have said that. We do have a long way to go. I guess just seeing the 5 other well behaved, quiet dogs and I got wondering what we have done wrong. My goal with agility is not to compete, but rather as a fun way for Howie & I to work together and learn more fundamental skills. Like listening & following my direction. Any suggestions for us? peg |
| Try to take it as good test of where Howie is doing well (obviously his confidence is high, which is fantastic) and where he needs some work, so that it highlights things a bit for you and gives you some goals. I think the fact that he is a confident boy is wonderful. We took Mady to her first agility class and I realized that one thing we need to work on is, as dumb as it sounds, getting out of the car. She knows that going in the car is a good thing, that she will end up somewhere fun, so as soon as she gets out of the car she lunges forward, dragging me or David (well, David doesn't put up with it). All of the other dogs got out of the cars and waited patiently. So my goal for this week is to focus on Mady NOT pulling me to where the excitement is (you should see her when the mailman walks up the street!). That is how I am going to try to take it, but it isn't easy for me. Ice cream would have helped last night. |
Mady wrote: Try to take it as good test of where Howie is doing well (obviously his confidence is high, which is fantastic) and where he needs some work, so that it highlights things a bit for you and gives you some goals. I think the fact that he is a confident boy is wonderful. We took Mady to her first agility class and I realized that one thing we need to work on is, as dumb as it sounds, getting out of the car. She knows that going in the car is a good thing, that she will end up somewhere fun, so as soon as she gets out of the car she lunges forward, dragging me or David (well, David doesn't put up with it). All of the other dogs got out of the cars and waited patiently. So my goal for this week is to focus on Mady NOT pulling me to where the excitement is (you should see her when the mailman walks up the street!). That is how I am going to try to take it, but it isn't easy for me. Ice cream would have helped last night. "WAIT" This will be the most important word in your vocabulary. Especially for her safety. Whether riding in a crate or on a lead loose, she needs to know that YOU get out 1st to make sure everything is safe for HER. Use the word with a strong tone of voice. And using wait she will learn that it means she just has to be still for a few seconds & then she gets to enjoy what coming up, where as stay generally means they are stuck there while others get to "play". I had a girl in a show home that would bolt out of the crate as soon as the door was opened. She never went anywhere other than onto the ground to stand by me but I couldn't have that. What if a car decided to pull out of the parking spot next to us right then? She learned to have to wait even when I opend the crate door inside my garage with the garage door closed. When she calms down, even for a few seconds during the wait, be ready to praise her big time so she gets the idea of what you want her to do. |
pegspup wrote: The instructor was pleased with Howie's willingness and ability to do all the different pieces of equipment. The instructor said that Howie should have been trained when he was smaller! Now at 11 months it is more challenging. peg OK, I'm confused. Instructor likes his willingness and ability to do the equipment - excellent! Now, what behavior is it that the instructor doesn't like and felt should have been dealt with at an earlier age? Oh, and various instructors have made me feel bad about my dogs, my training abilities, and everything else under the sun over the years. I take what's useful for me and let the rest roll off. We all come to the game with our own biases. I can't stand reactive dogs and wish them banished from the planet. Instructors who have worked through issues of that nature simply take that challenge in stride. Was there anything constructive mentioned in conjunction with whatever the instructor took issue with? Because, obviously, you can't turn back the clock, so shoulda, coulda does you no good, you know?   If nothing constructive was said, pin the instructor down and point out the obvious: this is the dog we have - what do you suggest?  Kristine |
Mad Dog wrote: If nothing constructive was said, pin the instructor down and point out the obvious: this is the dog we have - what do you suggest? Kristine Exactly! You are paying for these classes so they need to let you know this information. If they are not adept at letting you know what you need to do to get rid of that behavior, them ask them who they recommend so you can seek them out. Otherwise you will be  |
| After having time to replay the class in my head, and reading what you gals wrote, the point is to take baby steps and learn. Mad Dog wrote: OK, I'm confused. Instructor likes his willingness and ability to do the equipment - excellent! Now, what behavior is it that the instructor doesn't like and felt should have been dealt with at an earlier age? Howie head bopped the instructor once, tried to snap at him, and jumped up gave him a big wet kiss! These behaviors are not appropriate. It was near the end of class and Howie was over tired...you know that stupid puppy behavior. I think we need to take a few more little breaks through the class. He seemed to get over stimulated and became yappy. As for feedback from the instructor, he told Mark & I we need to speak in a more stern voice, and don't allow Howie to win...ever. We woke up this morning with that being our job for the day...be FIRM and mean it. Mark was standing back during the class and said that each dog/handler had their own little issues. I thought I was the only one! In hind sight I also realized I was a bit nervous in class...that more that likely led Howie to be jumpy too. Mad Dog wrote: Oh, and various instructors have made me feel bad about my dogs, my training abilities, and everything else under the sun over the years. I take what's useful for me and let the rest roll off. Thanks...next week I will be calmer and not so self conscience. Kim & David...Did Mady do great at her class? Did you have fun? I really appreciate the help, this is all new to me. peg |
| [quote I can't stand reactive dogs and wish them banished from the planet. Kristine[/quote] Oh man Kristine, I didn't know you didn't like Simon. He's very reactive unless I'm shoving treats into his mouth. |
| Peg, Tiggy and I have been doing agility (intermittently due to rain and hip etc) for 9 or so months now and we've had all the same issues and comments from various instructors. Take Kristine's advice! It helped me to not feel so bad. Every dog is different, every owner is different and you can't go back anyway. Also nothing to say for sure that if you did go back whether anything would change. The two things that helped me most were Kristine's constant joking with me about dog trainers who have breeds who just LOVE to please, so what would they know about bossy, independent sheepies and also taking Tiggy to a couple of herding days. It seemed to me that all the things that my obedience and agility instructors don't like about Tiggy are the things that the herding instructor LOVES.   And being at a venue with all working dogs made me realize what Kristine meant by her tongue in cheek comment about dogs who live to please their owners. Working dogs are different! They are very energetic, very independent, very bossy and very smart. They can also be very movement reactive, very "alpha dog" and very annoying. The herding instructor had a look of amazement, awe and pleasure on his face when he saw Tiggy go in hard, loud and bossy on the sheep. I was worried for the sheep and asked if I should not let her herd in case she hurt the sheep. He said "no way, she is great! You just need to work with her so she can learn to self control." He told me that you can teach self control much easier than you can teach a dog to like their work.The funny thing is that I've heard agility instructors say that too but then they don't like Tiggy's independent nature. Go figure!! It's taking time and work but Tiggy is getting better, slowly. At our new agility school it's taken 3 weeks for everyone to work out that Tiggy is very enthusiastic about life, the universe and everything and now they take it in their stride and actually comment that they like her energy and enthusiasm. |
Simon's Mom wrote: [quote I can't stand reactive dogs and wish them banished from the planet. Kristine Oh man Kristine, I didn't know you didn't like Simon. He's very reactive unless I'm shoving treats into his mouth.[/quote] I think we have a different definition of reactive. I'm not talking about dogs that are turned on by movement - i.e most herding dogs Basically that's about overstimulation and (some times) a lack of impulse control, though in Simon's case he is controlled - I've never seen him display "reactive" behavior. I'm talking about fearful/insecure dogs who seek to "control" their environment by "attacking" first and asking questions later. It's most likely a learned behavior and it can certainly be "fixed", but it's a basic temperament flaw and an aggravating one for the rest of dogdom unless strictly controlled.Kristine |
Mim, thanks. How you described Tiggy is is exactly how Howie was acting. Almost " I'm here let's get the party started!  I guess the instructor may have felt up staged ...no, really Howie was a bit much.Howie does have the a larger than life personality and sitting next to the calm little whippet, Howie looked like a bratty little kid. I am looking forward to Howie meeting sheep in April, hopefully he will be appreciated for his enthusiasm. Mad Dog wrote: I'm talking about fearful/insecure dogs who seek to "control" their environment by "attacking" first and asking questions later. It's most likely a learned behavior and it can certainly be "fixed", but it's a basic temperament flaw and an aggravating one for the rest of dogdom unless strictly controlled.  I am glad Howie is not reactive as you have it defined. He is many things, reactive is not it.Well, I am feeling more positive about class next week. Thanks. I'd love to hear more stories of your experiences (good and bad) at agility classes! peg and party animal howie |
| Peg~~~ We are beginning this agility thingy too!!! I think finding a trainer who understands the various breeds and how they re-ACT is the key to success. Add to that the personality of the human is just as important. Since this is a TEAM sport, BOTH members are equally important to SUCCESS!!!!!! Howie's 'happiness' will be an asset in the ring in time...Of course he is excited and joyful!!! He is with this fellow puppers, has a big roomful of toys, his mommie, and well...LIFE IS GOOD!!!!! Just from watching Agility for the last 3 years, I can see things from a newbie point of view and I am always in awe of all the teams that enter a ring.... This is the most difficult dog sport, if done right!!!~~~~the hard work !!! So many things to do at once!! So much to think about at once!!  In regards to TEAM SHURTLE!!!~~~~ I find is amazing that Heart is so much like me!! She has very little stamina, when she is DONE, she is DONE...She is easy going and not much of a high energy sheepie. She loves her treats and will do most anything for a bit of chicken. She is very slow, but precise, except when she gets to the jumps and tunnels..then she is fast, or as fast as she can be! Try as I might, I cannot get her to show any type of excitement or drive!!! My goal in this journey is to have some fun.....do some bonding....and build some memories...and .... I would like to go into the ring at some point in the far, far future and ....................... |
pegspup wrote: Mim, thanks. How you described Tiggy is is exactly how Howie was acting. Almost " I'm here let's get the party started! I guess the instructor may have felt up staged ...no, really Howie was a bit much.Howie does have the a larger than life personality and sitting next to the calm little whippet, Howie looked like a bratty little kid. I am looking forward to Howie meeting sheep in April, hopefully he will be appreciated for his enthusiasm. Mad Dog wrote: I'm talking about fearful/insecure dogs who seek to "control" their environment by "attacking" first and asking questions later. It's most likely a learned behavior and it can certainly be "fixed", but it's a basic temperament flaw and an aggravating one for the rest of dogdom unless strictly controlled. I am glad Howie is not reactive as you have it defined. He is many things, reactive is not it.Well, I am feeling more positive about class next week. Thanks. I'd love to hear more stories of your experiences (good and bad) at agility classes! peg and party animal howie Bad experience: You go hither and your dog goes yon and you meet somewhere in the middle and go splat(on the floor, been there, did not enjoy it). At my age I don't bounce as well as I used to. |
Simon's Mom wrote: pegspup wrote: Mim, thanks. How you described Tiggy is is exactly how Howie was acting. Almost " I'm here let's get the party started! I guess the instructor may have felt up staged ...no, really Howie was a bit much.Howie does have the a larger than life personality and sitting next to the calm little whippet, Howie looked like a bratty little kid. I am looking forward to Howie meeting sheep in April, hopefully he will be appreciated for his enthusiasm. Mad Dog wrote: I'm talking about fearful/insecure dogs who seek to "control" their environment by "attacking" first and asking questions later. It's most likely a learned behavior and it can certainly be "fixed", but it's a basic temperament flaw and an aggravating one for the rest of dogdom unless strictly controlled. I am glad Howie is not reactive as you have it defined. He is many things, reactive is not it.Well, I am feeling more positive about class next week. Thanks. I'd love to hear more stories of your experiences (good and bad) at agility classes! peg and party animal howie Bad experience: You go hither and your dog goes yon and you meet somewhere in the middle and go splat(on the floor, been there, did not enjoy it). At my age I don't bounce as well as I used to. Hahaha I haven't gone splat in agility training yet, mostly because we are still too beginner. Tiggy has gone yon and run into trouble from a grumpy little terrier who bit her face though. Sadly she hasn't learnt from the experience and still thinks everydog wants to party with her I have gone splat at herding though. |
| We were at class again tonight. Howie did all the equipment just fine. Problem...he is SO distracted by the other dogs and any movement. The worse times seem to be when everyone is standing around listening to the instructor. Howie is ready to go, and we all are doing nothing but listening. Howie barks. When we are all busy Howie barks at the other dogs. The instructors keep telling me to distract him. I am so new at this that while I am distracting my dog I am missing everything that the instructor is saying If we could stop the barking we'd have a great agility dog. Me, I not sure there is much hope for me as a handler...maybe Mark would be a better one  Any suggestions /exercises/training methods I could use to stop Howie from barking at other dogs while on leash? peg & howie the yapper |
| Suggest you consider confining him in a crate and cover it with a blanket. Yes, you need to work on him being able to pay attention to you and ignore the distractions, but you also need to be able to listen to the instructors and watch your classmates (we all learn from each other) and it's impossible to do both at once. For my rescue dog I actually got permission to attend a few other classes just to work on her manners. We weren't running in the class, just on the sidelines working on her reactivity. That way I could focus solely on THAT. It has nothing to do with you being new to agility - doing both things at once would be hard for anybody! Pardon the emoticons below. i know they have no bearing on this thread but my 6 year old niece is watching me type and she wants to see some of her favorite ones in action        Kristine |
| I agree with the crate and cover...and perhaps another option would be to have hubby hold/entertain him while you listen to the instructor. He will eventually need to learn to settle and behave, but this may help in the meanwhile. |
Thank you for the suggestions. The plan for tonight was to have Mark hold/distract Howie while the teacher gave instructions. We also had a soft crate in our trunk if we needed. I am thrilled to say Howie behaved! He did not bark this week during the 'talk time'. This is a huge step for us.  He barked wild at one dog twice tonight rather than the past weeks of constant barking while we were working. Howie is awesome with all the equipment. He goes up & down the A frame without prompting. He can go over a jump right to a curved tunnel. He is very good.  Too bad he has a mom that just can't figure out which way to move or how to give out treats. I suck at this agility business. I am so happy tonight that I am getting him under my control on leash with other dogs around. Small steps. I am exhausted now. Are you tired after your classes?? peg & howie |
 Yea Peg and Howie Sounds like class is beginning to click with Howie. Perhaps the more he conquers, the better his concentration and attention will be? Good job both of you!! |
pegspup wrote: Thank you for the suggestions. The plan for tonight was to have Mark hold/distract Howie while the teacher gave instructions. We also had a soft crate in our trunk if we needed. I am thrilled to say Howie behaved! He did not bark this week during the 'talk time'. This is a huge step for us. He barked wild at one dog twice tonight rather than the past weeks of constant barking while we were working. Howie is awesome with all the equipment. He goes up & down the A frame without prompting. He can go over a jump right to a curved tunnel. He is very good. Too bad he has a mom that just can't figure out which way to move or how to give out treats. I suck at this agility business. I am so happy tonight that I am getting him under my control on leash with other dogs around. Small steps. I am exhausted now. Are you tired after your classes?? peg & howie I'm right with you at the "I suck" phase...its a good thing that Simon knows this and forgives me. As for tired...we are both fried after class. |
LOL......and we've progressed to the "sometimes I don't suck" phase....meaning the greater % is still the other way  I'm usually tired too, but I don't know if it's due to class, or the fact I work 7am to 7pm, then have class at 7:30. We are also the last class of the evening, so we tear down, and I usually get out and on the road about 9pm. I have found the McDonalds about half way home to be a handy stop to get supper for me and a bed lunch for Chewie...... |
| Yes I'm always pretty tired after class. I'm like you I still suck at handling. I think it's concentrating on so many things at once that makes me tired. There's what is Tiggy doing and is she about to chase some dog, what is the instructor telling me, what am I doing, which hand should I have the treat in, where should my feet go, where am I, who am I?? Well you get the picture.  I hoping that one day my training mechanics will be a bit more second nature and I won't have to concentrate quite so hard.  |
| Reverse effect for me. Class energizes me. I come home from work zonked, leave class all jazzed up. Well, depends on the instructor. A boring instructor can put me to sleep. I have one instructor who really pushes us, but she also sets you up to be successful, so you leave class on a mental high. A lot of the exhaustion in agility actually comes from the mental exertion - surprisingly for the dogs as well. The newer you are to the game, the more there is to figure out It gets easier and therefor less tiring. Kristine |
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