Agility

Does anyone do agility with their Staffy?

I have just started and am realising the key is obedience. However, Eric is disobedient! :roll:

All the collies are putting him to shame!

Has anyone given it ago?

I am going to move this to training an obedience. That was so freaky i started excatly the same topic at the same time there!!

No i don't but really want to start but not sure if Roxy is obedient enough yet!!

I have with Tia, we passed our beginners course last week! Tomorrow she is up with the big guys! It is absolutely brilliant, both Tia and I thoroughly enjoy it! It took a while to get Tia to pay attention to me when she was off lead, all she wanted to do was mug everybody! For the last 2 weeks she has only mugged them once and came back as soon as I called her! Tia does obedience as well but that went out the window for the first few weeks of agility!
Pic of Tia in her agility harness!

I'd die if Roxy did a disappearing act which is what I think she will do everyone else is more interesting if shes in a stubborn mood. She was really good until recently (although this week she has been back on form - monster!!)

Most clubs will start you off onlead to start with, then when you are confident enough you can try off lead. they build you up gradually. We started off just doing little bits but the 6th week we were doing courses, you'd be surprised how quick the dogs pick it up! Tia absolutely loves contact equipment and often buggers off to do her own course, much to everyones amusement and my embarrassment!

Kane is a social butterfly and would never come back to me if there were other dogs and people to see. He can do all his training perfect till he sees a potential playmate, then i don't exist. I have even tried working him on a longline but he knows when its on he has no chance but as soon as I try it without......gone!

Not sure I could keep up anyway at the moment!! Must be great exercise though.

Jade has never done agility but I think she'd be quite good at it - even for a larger lady! :oops:

The only reason I haven't looked into it further is because of how protective she is of me when there are other dogs around - I'd probably spend most of my day chasing her around and breaking up fights - shes not the most sociable doggy when I'm around but is a little tart when I'm not!! :lol!:

Engladian - I have the same 'problem' with mine! He also doesn't realise that not everyone wants to play!
When I used to take him out he wouldn't respond to me at all and if he saw a dog he'd be off but using sausage treats he will now focus on me a lot more. However, I do spend hours having to cook sausages!

I thought Eric would be really good because he loves jumping and is pretty agile but he has a really low attention span. I think maybe he has a brain the size of a pea or something!

I might try working the recall with Kane using a clicker and treats. Maybe then when he starts to run off I can click and he will think food. Just might work because there's nothing he won't do for food.

I'd love to start Tess on agility but
1. she absolutely hates going in the car and pukes everywhere
2. i still canny get her to stay on command as soon as i walk away she runs after me....lol
3. when ever she see another dog she always wants to go and play with them

so once i'd cleaned up all the puke in the car i'd probably spend the rest of the night chasing after her....lol but i really do think it's something that she would love doing, as long as i could find a course that was in walking distance away from me :roll:

Poor Tess!!

I have found a site/shop where you can buy plastic agility jumps and hoops. I have two jumps for Eric in the back garden and I find doing it for 15 minutes is really good exercise for him!

I either place them in a row so it's just a simple or in a line so he has to go over and 'weave' in or around as he jumps! It's good for practising a wait too. I will try and remember the site and post the details.

http://www.robinsons-uk.com/products/ProductCategory.asp?topGroupCode=007

I think this should work!

Rocco and I have been doing agility for just 6months now and the only thing he needs assistance with still is the weaves. Some dogs take years to master the weaves on their own.

Rocco's sit and wait at home or out is excellent, but when we do agility he can't sit still! He is getting there though and when we took part in a display recently he sat and waited till I insrtucted him over the 1st jump.

It is great fun and our bond is a lot stronger and we have fun first and foremost!

x

Lily does agility and loves it, although she's not very good at the weave but she's only been doing it for about 6 weeks. Only one dog at a time is permitted in the agility compound so there is no danger of them running off after other dogs. She does an hours obedience first before the agility and all for 4 quid - great value!