If/When to start competitions?
We've been training Inca 'just for fun' in agility for the past 2 years now.. I say we.. I don't actually contribute much anymore  but I'm wondering if 'just for fun' should turn into entering her into competitions. We had planned to go to a fun show where we could get her measured last weekend, but she had to have a haematoma drained from her ear so we didn't get there. Now I'm wondering whether it was a good idea after all..  Anyone else just plan on doing it for fun and end up competing? |
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| Well, I did plan on competing in agility all along, but it's still just for fun as well!! If you are wondering if you and Inca are ready skill-wise as a team, your instructor should be able to tell you that. And this is of course assuming you are taking classes that are being taught in a way that is properly preparing you.  If you also are interested, volunteering as a worker at a trial is a great way to get an idea if you are ready, and will help you by being more familiar with the process and all that. I worked for years, even before I had started any classes. I knew eventually it would work out that I would be doing this and I found it very helpful! I learned a lot about what I would like to do ( & also not do) when I started my own dog, they appreciate the help, and it also calmed my fear of the unknown. |
Ive just started agility with bloo, we just want to do it for fun, but i do eventually want to start competing. At the momnt we are bearly doing the tunnel lol !  If you feel your sheepie is ready then i dont see a problem with giving it a go. Some people are very competitive but others like yourself who are doing it for the fun, just go and enjoy it! You never know you might win!!  Good luck! |
| Simon and I started just for fun. Yeah thats how it always starts. Then I got into a really good class and everybody was doing competitions. I happen to be very competitive and thought if they could do it, well heck so could I. It takes a lot of training and a good class. Do they have any run-thrus by you? |
We are lucky and are in a really good class and our instructor definitely teaches in a way that prepares for competition - at least three of the dogs in the class already compete (the border collies  ).. and Inca definitely holds her own which is why I think why shouldn't we give it a go! The only thing she sometimes struggles with is weaves.. and it's not missing them, but hitting them that's the problem. She goes through fast and it's an indoor facility, so if she hits them they move, and she comes out for that reason. But now the weaves have become wider (I'm not sure whether this is an international standard change?) she no longer has that problem.. kinda my thinking behind why now might be a good time.. Whether 'we' are ready as a team.. well I suppose I should define the 'team' as that does not include me at all. Although agility was originally my idea, when we started out a few years back it quickly became clear I was holding Inca back and so my partner took over, and he does really well with her (I do feel like a bit of a fraud now! ) - for that reason it's not really just my decision.. but the OH is super competitive (not sure whether that is a good or bad thing!) and he seems happy enough to give it a go.Volunteering at a trial sounds like a really good way of observing without any of the pressure! Will definitely look into that.. there are shows around about on a fairly regular basis that we could get to.. |
BlooBoo wrote: At the momnt we are bearly doing the tunnel lol ! I remember these days! I have a video somewhere of Inca when she first started out with many attempts of getting her to exit the tunnel from the opposite end.. rather than just turning around and coming back the way she went in!!  |
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