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View Full Version : The A Frame Scares ME!



Tanya
12-19-2006, 11:59 PM
Peaches will do the A frame in agility, but I am scared to death she is going to get hurt. She climbs up it fine, but she slides down it like she can't catch her footing. I can't stand to watch it! I just want to grab her every time. Anyone have any tips?

Thanks!

areese
12-20-2006, 12:36 AM
I would work her on it at a really low height until she learns how to handle it. Raise it gradually over time. What height is she doing it at?? What are you worried will happen to hurt her?
I'm trying to think how my dogs do it...maybe she's holding back and it's making her slide? A longer legged dog can lean back onto their hindquarters some but I don't think the weens can or should.. What do you have her do at the bottom? Does she stop or do you do running contacts? You can put food at the bottom to encourage her to keep her head down I think mine just run down. Laika does it in this video...
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=5508104789725102066&q=agility+dachshund&hl=en

Tanya
12-20-2006, 12:52 AM
Well, it looks pretty high to me in class...not sure how high. At least as high as in your video. I need to video tape her to see how she really goes down it. She is kinda hunkered down and sliding. I am scared she is going to catch a nail on one of the slats or scrape her paw. She does running contacts right now. Although she is not exactly running off of the a frame since she slides so much.

That is a super cute video of Laika! My favorite is her bouncing through the weave poles! :cheer2:

jenfer
12-20-2006, 02:08 AM
I want to say :wow: on the video!!!

Gigi is doing the full height on the A-frame... she does slide a little and usually we do a running contact (is that what it's called), but we do feed at the bottom of the A frame from time to time to refresh her memory, she does have trouble stopping... she slides... too steep for her?:scratch:

Patt
12-20-2006, 04:38 AM
I would be afraid of the A frame too, it does look rather high. Amy has good suggestions. I hope it works for Peaches. :crossfin:

Great video of Laika, so danity doing the pole weaving.

Tex
12-20-2006, 08:20 AM
I don't have any suggestions as mine are too lazy for agility (ok, so maybe I am too), but I loved the video of Laika!!!!!! I hope you get some good ideas for Peaches!!!!:banana:

areese
12-20-2006, 09:14 AM
Well, it looks pretty high to me in class...not sure how high. At least as high as in your video. I need to video tape her to see how she really goes down it. She is kinda hunkered down and sliding. I am scared she is going to catch a nail on one of the slats or scrape her paw. She does running contacts right now. Although she is not exactly running off of the a frame since she slides so much.

That is a super cute video of Laika! My favorite is her bouncing through the weave poles! :cheer2:


Did they start her out on it at full height?? Where we train they lower it way down for beginners...so their muscles learn how to handle it gradually and they also learn the best way to handle it for themselves. The A-frame in the video is 5'3" or so. In class ours is 5'6" which is the height for AKC and USDAA (USDAA Performance...in championship classes it's 5'10" which I won't do with my dogs!!!!) I went to a place just to practice the other day and the slats on their a-frame were really big and I didn't like that...it looked like a dog could catch not just a toenail but a toe!! Maybe their a-frame is too slippery??? It should be painted with sand in the paint or whatever it is they do to keep it not smooth and slippery. maybe it needs a new coat of that paint... And keep her toenails short?
That's a weird course on our video...it's CPE Fullhouse where you make up your own course, the goal being to get a certain number of points (depending on your level) and also having three single jumps, two "circles" (tire jump or tunnels) and 1 joker which are the contact obstacles, that double jump, and weaves. 1 point for jumps, 3 points for circles, 5 points for jokers. 35 seconds to get points and after the whistle blows, 5 seconds to get to the table and they start taking points away for every second you are over. So that's why there's no numbers like for a course and the judge is yelling out numbers as you do obstacles.

lotsadox
12-20-2006, 09:16 AM
Great video, Amy! :banana: :banana:

I would think that it would be much better to start them on the A frame when it's low. Especially for the smaller dogs. Going down is where they are more apt to hurt their backs, so I would think that it would be essential for them to learn to do it correctly.

areese
12-20-2006, 07:59 PM
I talked to my friend Pat about Peaches and the a-frame. Pat says if the a-frame has no slats and she is sliding down, that is really fine and it won't hurt her. Esp if her rear end is kinda down. BUT if there are slats on it she could jam a toe if she is sliding fast. She says even her big dogs slide down a-frames without slats though

oceangirls
12-20-2006, 08:24 PM
I am going to watch Laika's video when I get back to my home computer :cheer2: . DH and I saw some Agility on TV this weekend, but no dachshunds :sosad:. Amazing!

It occurs to me that if Cassie were on an Agility course and food was at the bottom of the A-frame ONE TIME, that would be the end of competition. She would have to stop every time and do a thorough search, just in case :D

Tanya
12-20-2006, 10:09 PM
BUT if there are slats on it she could jam a toe if she is sliding fast.
There are slats and that is my concern...catch a nail, jam a toe, scrape her foot on the rough paint. I think it needs to be lowered because it is only recently that she has really started sliding. Thanks for asking someone about her problem!

areese
12-20-2006, 10:12 PM
I am going to watch Laika's video when I get back to my home computer :cheer2: . DH and I saw some Agility on TV this weekend, but no dachshunds :sosad:. Amazing!

It occurs to me that if Cassie were on an Agility course and food was at the bottom of the A-frame ONE TIME, that would be the end of competition. She would have to stop every time and do a thorough search, just in case :D

I saw a dachshund one time on tv doing agility...must have been AKC. But usually we are the only doxies at trials although we have a friend, Beamer who does CPE and AKC. He's more short-legged than my dogs but he has a lot of heart and runs really well. I really want to get a title for each of them in USDAA cuz they would be the first weenies to get one. Owen could do it I think...not yet. But soon. Laika has one USDAA jumpers Q and if she got two more, she'd have herself a title :)
There is never food on the course or handler during competition. It's funny, gut I've not had my dogs go nuts searching for treats....But you use treats randomly during training after they are sequencing obstacles. So they never know quite when.... And if you always reward one obstacle and work really hard on that one, you are often surprised when your dog runs out on the course during a trial and performs that ONE obstacle (beautifully) for you REPEATEDLY and ignores all the others...so you gotta remember to randomly reward ALL obstacles when training. Dogs are so cool. I just love them.

areese
12-20-2006, 10:27 PM
There are slats and that is my concern...catch a nail, jam a toe, scrape her foot on the rough paint. I think it needs to be lowered because it is only recently that she has really started sliding. Thanks for asking someone about her problem!

I wish I could be more helpful..I keep thinking on it... Mine have never gotten hurt on the a-frame but the one we practiced on last week had BIG slats and I didn't like it at all. They didn't even help in climbing the up side cuz they were far apart and my dogs didn't seem to know how to come down either cuz they were worried about the big slats. Small slats aren't a problem for them and they haven't ever caught a nail or scraped a foot. I do trim Laika's hairy feet so she won't slip but the smooths don't have that problem... Owen has recently gotten afraid of the one where we trial cuz he had to struggle over it (the course was set up so it was really hard to get a good running start). NOw he approaches it hesitantly and that makes it hard to climb and reinforces his problem. I'm gonna go to a fun match there and work it with treats cuz he does it fine in class and other places..he just thinks that a-frame is evil. he's such a goof. He knocked a bar there during a trial and now when he gets around that area where he knocked it, he gets all slow wondering what's gonna get him this time. And this was 3 trials ago! hopefully at the fun match I can get him over that too. I hope so..as I am driving 80 miles to go there :rotfl:
I'll keep thinking on it...

Michelle
12-22-2006, 01:42 PM
My girls don't do agility, so I have no idea how to help, but I am just amazed at the doxies that do it!! :appl: :appl: to all of you that do agility with your dogs!!, It is so cool to watch and Amy I just loved the video too!!,
Very cool!!!, I also just love watching Peaches flyball videos, those are way cool too!!!!

I think that Heidi would be good at agility, but I have no idea where to even find a place in my area to try things out with her..

Heidi is our ball chaser and loves to leap up into the air to try and catch it when I throw it, and she always seem to love playing ball. Princess on the other hand could really care less about chasing the ball..

Tanya,, any info on where i could find agility stuff in my area of the south suburbs????

Tanya
12-22-2006, 02:04 PM
Since I live so far Northwest, I have no idea. :confused: I did a google search, but I didn't find much of anything. Do you see anything close to you here (http://www.chicagocanine.com/listings.htm#Trainers)?

Good luck! That would be a great activity for Heidi! :banana:

jenfer
12-22-2006, 03:10 PM
Last time when we went to our first and only trial, Gigi was the only doxie there. :) There aren't much 8 inch jumpers. There is a pappion (sp!) who won all the first prize. But we only did the jumper courses though. I think I want to try out again. It brought back fond memories. :D

Michelle
12-22-2006, 03:26 PM
Since I live so far Northwest, I have no idea. :confused: I did a google search, but I didn't find much of anything. Do you see anything close to you here (http://www.chicagocanine.com/listings.htm#Trainers)?

Good luck! That would be a great activity for Heidi! :banana:

Thanks for looking,, I did not really see anything close to me in that link, I will keep looking though, and talk to some pet stores near me,, I think Heidi would really enjoy doing this..

areese
12-22-2006, 04:11 PM
Last time when we went to our first and only trial, Gigi was the only doxie there. :) There aren't much 8 inch jumpers. There is a pappion (sp!) who won all the first prize. But we only did the jumper courses though. I think I want to try out again. It brought back fond memories. :D
ONe good thing about running a doxie in agility is that the majority of the dogs jump higher. So your chances of getting a placement (1st, 2nd,3rd,
4th) is greater. Of course, if you don't qualify, the placement doesn't mean much of anything...
We get beat by papillons regularly. AND my friend Janet's pug beats us too, quite often....
I've started Salsa on some obstacles-just jumps, tunnels and the tire jump. She did the dog walk Tuesday. She really has no fear. Of course the dog walk is like wide as a ROAD to her!

jenfer
12-22-2006, 04:35 PM
Yea, Gigi got 2 seconds but no Q. It was a good experience though and a great self-esteem booster. :D

areese
12-22-2006, 05:01 PM
Yea, Gigi got 2 seconds but no Q. It was a good experience though and a great self-esteem booster. :D

I think trialing is addicting!! You should do it again soon! I'm going to another trial next Friday and Sat. It's a 4 day trial but I'm not that addicted (or that rich)