Star of the Class! (Agility questions at the end)

[Linus]

Bailey and I had agility tonight, sequencing 1. I didn't really think he took to the whole agility thing, and just did it for the treats, but man was I WRONG!

He is AMAZING!!! The teacher said he is so fast that I will start being taught to work him at a distance, because there isn't anyone who could keep up with him! He is already only on leash during the waiting times in class...which I am AMAZED about. 10 dogs on a field and he doesn't run off or try to eat any of them!

In the beginning of every class we do sit and down stays - we missed last week where apparently they progressed to off leash/owner 6 feet away down stays...he did it perfectly!!! His eyes were on me the whole time!

He only has one problem...right now they are requiring everyone to stop at the end of the A frame and after the dog walk (mainly so the big dogs get the contact). Well, he is so fast, that when he stops, his front end does and his back end keeps on going! :lol: I can get him to slow down on leash, but off I can't! Any suggestions agility folk?

[Goob]

Go Bailey!!!! :cheer2: :cheer2: :cheer2:

That's so great Lins. I love to hear he's taken so well to agility!! :appl:

[jenfer]

We started learning contact first. We didn't do A frame immediately. But the contact equipment is like a "mini-me" a frame. We spent a lot of time with a contact plate at the end and have them touch the plate rather than run off. Does it make sense. So at the end of the A frame, Gi would stop and just do a bunch of touch (with her nose) on the contact plate until I release her. And then after awhile, once she is walking on the A-frame, I just tell her touch, she would stay at the end of the A-frame and bunch of touches. And then in time they know they are not suppose to run off.

Not sure whether this make any sense to you. :P

[Linus]

Fur, it totally makes sense. He gets the contact part fine. We learned how to "spot" (a treat on a yogurt lid) after a contact and he'll stop, but the momentum keeps going in his back half and his rear end flies off!

[jenfer]

haha. Gigi is fast, but not that fast. It will be something you have to work on. Maybe do a bunch more on touching the target plate, so he will eventually knows not to go so fast.

[alfina]

I do contacts running. Our guys are pretty small and the yellow zone is pretty large. Chances are one paw will end up somewhere in that zone. As long as they do not try to jump off the obstacle.

Plus our instructor recommends doing running contacts vs. two on two off style for our lowrides. The reason for that is the back issues. There are articles out there that say two on two off method is bad on the joints.

[Linus]

Yeah, she talked about me doing running contacts..but said she'd also like him to learn to stop. I'll talk to her about not stopping since he has no problem getting in the contact zone.

[Tanya]

Way to go Bailey!!! :cheer2: :cheer2: :cheer2:

Peaches does running contacts too. However, she flew off the teeter totter tonight, and the two on two of method was suggested. I think it was just a fluke though. She got super excited and took it at full speed. Normally I run beside her and just kind of put my hand in front of her (without touching her) to slow her down.

[Sophie and Lili's Mom]

Bailey and I had agility tonight, sequencing 1. I didn't really think he took to the whole agility thing, and just did it for the treats, but man was I WRONG!

He is AMAZING!!! The teacher said he is so fast that I will start being taught to work him at a distance, because there isn't anyone who could keep up with him! He is already only on leash during the waiting times in class...which I am AMAZED about. 10 dogs on a field and he doesn't run off or try to eat any of them!

In the beginning of every class we do sit and down stays - we missed last week where apparently they progressed to off leash/owner 6 feet away down stays...he did it perfectly!!! His eyes were on me the whole time!

He only has one problem...right now they are requiring everyone to stop at the end of the A frame and after the dog walk (mainly so the big dogs get the contact). Well, he is so fast, that when he stops, his front end does and his back end keeps on going! :lol: I can get him to slow down on leash, but off I can't! Any suggestions agility folk?



Well... I would not teach him the stop. We train with Gerry Brown and he is cool with us not stopping as are most instructors. In fact, Gerry recommended it for us. If a doxie is going to get a back injury from agility it will most likely be from a stop on a frame, or walk.

[jenfer]

We only stop at the beginning of learning contacts. Now we just to running contacts. :)

[Patt]

Sounds like Bailey is going to be an amazing little guy with agility. :cheer2: :cheer2: :cheer2:

[Tex]

I have no suggestions on the stopping (however, I do have a mental pic of him going end over end....:rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl: ).
:congrats: to you both!!!!!!!! Keep up the good work Bailey!!!!!:appl: :appl: :appl:

[areese]

Fur, it totally makes sense. He gets the contact part fine. We learned how to "spot" (a treat on a yogurt lid) after a contact and he'll stop, but the momentum keeps going in his back half and his rear end flies off!
I don't have my dogs stop at the end. I did with Laika, but wish I didn't, I dunno if you are doing a full height A-frame yet but I don't like the way it jars their back planting their front feet at the bottom of a 5'6" A-frame....
Of course leaping off wouldn't be good either. But I've always done running contacts with Owen cuz he's so fast and I don't want to slow him down...and he has no inclination to launch himself off...runs all the way through the contact zone.
Since Bailey IS stopping and targeting, the only thing that is gonna solve the problem is if you slow him down and do you really want to do that?
It's SO awesome that he is loving it!!!!