Dog Owner Chat V. 5

[liv :)]

Everyone’s dogs are so cute! I really need to get a good camera or something, it’s so hard to get a good photo of Blue.



I’ve shipped off Blue’s DNA test... I’m really hoping I got enough saliva on the swab. I think I did, but who knows? Anyway, I’m really looking forward to hearing her results. It won’t be for a while, but I’m hoping the wait will be worth it.

Anyway, now that she’s over a year old I’ve been thinking more about doing sports with her. Of course, I’ll be sure to clear it with a veterinarian before getting into it (to make sure she’s developed enough and is bodily sound enough to handle it). Blue is still young so I’m thinking we won’t be able to start for at least another 6 months. I know I’d like to get into agility with her... the extent of how far I’ll get into it is unknown. I guess it depends on if she shows aptitude for it or not. So I have a few questions that I’d like to ask anyone who has experience with training their dog in agility/doing agility with their dog.

What should a puppy/young dog know prior to beginning their training in the sport?

If someone has no intent on trialling with their dog, is it worth it to take an agility class? Or would doing backyard agility and teaching the dog out of your own home still provide the experience of an agility class (minus other dogs and handlers)?

What are pros and cons to agility classes? How do they compare to self-training?

What should one look for in an instructor?

Would it make sense to do at home agility training before going to a class? Or would this just confuse the dog if an instructor teaches a new method or something?

Would a dog be capable of competing if they’ve only been trained at home?

Thanks! All advice helps.

[ru.]

@doggas
I'm glad you asked these questions! I have a lot of the same questions as well so hopefully someone with the experience can give a good answer! :)


________________________________________

It is getting hot here and so is the gravel and the pavement.

Does anyone have experience with dog shoes/boots?

I have been using wax for Edgar's paws but I'd like to get him some shoes as well. I would also like to get my new pup used to shoes from a young and have some on hand for him too in a couple of different sizes since he will be growing.

What boots/shoes do you recommend?
What about temporary shoes for a puppy while their feet are growing before they have reached full size?

Thank you for any help!

[blueh]

Everyone’s dogs are so cute! I really need to get a good camera or something, it’s so hard to get a good photo of Blue.



I’ve shipped off Blue’s DNA test... I’m really hoping I got enough saliva on the swab. I think I did, but who knows? Anyway, I’m really looking forward to hearing her results. It won’t be for a while, but I’m hoping the wait will be worth it.

Anyway, now that she’s over a year old I’ve been thinking more about doing sports with her. Of course, I’ll be sure to clear it with a veterinarian before getting into it (to make sure she’s developed enough and is bodily sound enough to handle it). Blue is still young so I’m thinking we won’t be able to start for at least another 6 months. I know I’d like to get into agility with her... the extent of how far I’ll get into it is unknown. I guess it depends on if she shows aptitude for it or not. So I have a few questions that I’d like to ask anyone who has experience with training their dog in agility/doing agility with their dog.

What should a puppy/young dog know prior to beginning their training in the sport?

If someone has no intent on trialling with their dog, is it worth it to take an agility class? Or would doing backyard agility and teaching the dog out of your own home still provide the experience of an agility class (minus other dogs and handlers)?

What are pros and cons to agility classes? How do they compare to self-training?

What should one look for in an instructor?

Would it make sense to do at home agility training before going to a class? Or would this just confuse the dog if an instructor teaches a new method or something?

Would a dog be capable of competing if they’ve only been trained at home?

Thanks! All advice helps.

cutie!

i dont trail yet (puppy 2 young and he's not ready) but i've trained trailing dogs & i have several friends trailing

What should a puppy/young dog know prior to beginning their training in the sport?: the basics, being able to walk on a lead, sit on command, down on command. definitely have a SOLID stay, work on engagement, especially in a class setting. you want ur dog to be more focused on u than the other dogs. this goes double for trials. heeling on both the left and right side is also great to have. needs to have a FANTASTIC recall. work on toy drive because its easier to reward via toy than it is food (but not impossible).
u can also work on 2o2o even if ur plaining on doing running contacts bc u can practice 2o2o anywhere!
i teach my dogs cik & cap (and most of sylvia trkman's basics (because shes an amazing trainer and i highly respect her) + it's something u can start young!
also for the handler: know the basics of agility, go to as many trails as u can to get the feel for it, know the basic rules and signals (both verbal and nonverbal).

If someone has no intent on trialling with their dog, is it worth it to take an agility class? Or would doing backyard agility and teaching the dog out of your own home still provide the experience of an agility class (minus other dogs and handlers)? yes yes yes! take the agility class, even if u dont trial. agility is still super fun & a great teamwork exercise. agility calss teaches u the basics so u can expand upon it! and its really fun!

What are pros and cons to agility classes? How do they compare to self-training? if u have no background experience in agility, it would b very hard to self train!
pros: gives u access to agility equipment, great for beginners, teaches u the basics, usually a good learning environment, teaches u how to handle ur dog
cons: not as much 1v1 time unless u take private lessons, $$$$$$$ can be expensive, usually only teaches u the basics so if u want to advance, u have to find an advanced level course which not ever facility has!

What should one look for in an instructor? one that has trailed before with multiple dogs, one that is a good communicator, one that is open to talking to u about how u want to do things. bonus points if the dog they've trailed is not a border collie (kidding, kidding, i love bcs they great).

Would it make sense to do at home agility training before going to a class? Or would this just confuse the dog if an instructor teaches a new method or something? would probably confuse the dog, especially if u dont have any background in agility! u can introduce him to some backyard agility equipment & build his confidence on him but i wouldn't teach him cues until ur instructor explains what to teach and WHY theyre teaching it.

Would a dog be capable of competing if they’ve only been trained at home? some fo the best agility dogs are trained at home, but its very very hard for someone who is not hardcore into agility to get up to trailing-level. this is mostly because of equipment; proper equipment (which is essential for ur dog to learn on) can cost thousands of dollars. i havent found a good aframe or dog walk for less than $2000 a piece. not to mention all the jumps, tunnels, etc. it adds up!

hope this helps!

[ru.]

________________________________________

It is getting hot here and so is the gravel and the pavement.

Does anyone have experience with dog shoes/boots?

I have been using wax for Edgar's paws but I'd like to get him some shoes as well. I would also like to get my new pup used to shoes from a young and have some on hand for him too in a couple of different sizes since he will be growing.

What boots/shoes do you recommend?
What about temporary shoes for a puppy while their feet are growing before they have reached full size?

Thank you for any help!

[taurus ;]

________________________________________

It is getting hot here and so is the gravel and the pavement.

Does anyone have experience with dog shoes/boots?

I have been using wax for Edgar's paws but I'd like to get him some shoes as well. I would also like to get my new pup used to shoes from a young and have some on hand for him too in a couple of different sizes since he will be growing.

What boots/shoes do you recommend?
What about temporary shoes for a puppy while their feet are growing before they have reached full size?

Thank you for any help!

Ruffwear boots!! They’re kinda pricey for some, but they’re amazing and long lasting. And the best part is that they work. Muttluks are good too, they’re on sale now.

[Luzien]

Everyone’s dogs are so cute! I really need to get a good camera or something, it’s so hard to get a good photo of Blue.
I’ve shipped off Blue’s DNA test... I’m really hoping I got enough saliva on the swab. I think I did, but who knows? Anyway, I’m really looking forward to hearing her results. It won’t be for a while, but I’m hoping the wait will be worth it.

Anyway, now that she’s over a year old I’ve been thinking more about doing sports with her. Of course, I’ll be sure to clear it with a veterinarian before getting into it (to make sure she’s developed enough and is bodily sound enough to handle it). Blue is still young so I’m thinking we won’t be able to start for at least another 6 months. I know I’d like to get into agility with her... the extent of how far I’ll get into it is unknown. I guess it depends on if she shows aptitude for it or not. So I have a few questions that I’d like to ask anyone who has experience with training their dog in agility/doing agility with their dog.

What should a puppy/young dog know prior to beginning their training in the sport?

If someone has no intent on trialling with their dog, is it worth it to take an agility class? Or would doing backyard agility and teaching the dog out of your own home still provide the experience of an agility class (minus other dogs and handlers)?

What are pros and cons to agility classes? How do they compare to self-training?
What should one look for in an instructor?

Would it make sense to do at home agility training before going to a class? Or would this just confuse the dog if an instructor teaches a new method or something?
Would a dog be capable of competing if they’ve only been trained at home?
Thanks! All advice helps.

your dog should follow sign or call or whistle more or less asap...like finger or hand sign for different directions or moves,
sit, stop, right, left, wait, turn, up, under, go go or faster, slow, back... are the most basic used from what i did see.

you can do train for this sport even with pro help or at home even when you dont want to go to Trials, the agility classes are also for fun and simply training an working the brain of the dogs

the best is when you visit some basic lessons with your dog so that you learn all what is needed and then can work on a place there or at home after this....or do home training and go to class every other week or so.

in the classes you learn what you need to know, they tell you asap when you do something wrong and clean out mistakes that you dont see on your own, they can help you with new things, or even with working your dog free near other dogs and human and sounds and such....
you also could do a video each time you go to a lesson and also do one when working alone, to look at it and see where it did go well where there was a problem and how to change it in the next training or lesson.^^

i would only teach the dog the basic commands and signs you may need and that the dog follows under distrction when free...when you try agility at home bevor class you can train the dog wrong and put mistakes in you can have trouble working out of the dog...atleast when you never trained for this or an other sport.
bevor the lesson, but they will help you with them too when you really dont know how. but sit stay and follow should atleast work a little bit


Did you ever think about dog triathlon or such..? run-swim-bike

[liv :)]

@blueh @Luzien Thank you so much for the advice! I’d love to take Blue to agility classes... I’ll have to look into it. I’d need to perfect and proof Blue’s basic commands and solidify her recall first, but I’d be super interested in it.

Problems of course would be distance (there’s no classes right near us) and $$$ (as mentioned, they’re not cheap lol). The closest training facility to us that trains agility is over 20 minutes away. It isn’t that bad, really, but since I can’t drive yet and play competitive ice hockey, it isn’t convenient at all.

If I happen to start Blue in agility classes, I’ll let you guys know. If not, I’ll have to do a lot of research and will definitely try some recreational backyard agility just for fun. I don’t think Blue and I will trial, but it’s good to keep an open mind. Thank you so much for your advice, it was super helpful.

@Luzien I’ve never heard of a dog triathlon! Sounds super fun! I don’t know if it’s something Blue and I would be able to do, but I would love to.

Blue’s super uneasy around bikes that are moving near her and unsure of going into water (let alone swimming). While I’m sure that she could potentially be encouraged to at least tolerate both of those things, I don’t know if she’d like it enough to compete.

Running, however? I’d love to compete in canicross, as I’m sure Blue would excel at that. Even if we didn’t enter any races, there’s lot of trails right outside of our property, and she’d be able to enjoy that sport recreationally.

[.Animal.]

I got Angel a few shirts and a new toy today! PetSmart had a TON of of dog clothes and toys mark down for a dollar, so I had to get him some, even if he didn’t like them lol. I was going to get him a couple more toys but I forgot them so he just got one >.< The Guardians of the Galaxy shirt just barley didn’t fit him but his “small, dark, & handsome” one fits perfectly! (I also got him a Spider-Man one one size up)

[cosmic-quark]

Does anyone have any tips on how to work on training a good recall? We've let Charlie go off-leash before with minimal problems and he does know "come" fairly well. He'll mostly just follow me around off-leash; I have a specific release command so he knows he can wander, and I'm confident that he'd never run off. The problem is that he gets distracted fairly easily. Now that it's summer, we have a lot of rabbits and deer wandering around, and it's almost impossible to get his attention once he sees one. He's also extremely friendly, so he has to say hi to every person and dog he sees. I can't let him go off-leash until I know he'll listen to me 100% of the time, not just when there's no one around.

He's clicker trained, food-motivated, and responsive to both verbal commands and hand gestures, if that helps. Any help or advice would be appreciated! <3

(Also long time no see guys!)

[taurus ;]

Does anyone have any tips on how to work on training a good recall? We've let Charlie go off-leash before with minimal problems and he does know "come" fairly well. He'll mostly just follow me around off-leash; I have a specific release command so he knows he can wander, and I'm confident that he'd never run off. The problem is that he gets distracted fairly easily. Now that it's summer, we have a lot of rabbits and deer wandering around, and it's almost impossible to get his attention once he sees one. He's also extremely friendly, so he has to say hi to every person and dog he sees. I can't let him go off-leash until I know he'll listen to me 100% of the time, not just when there's no one around.

He's clicker trained, food-motivated, and responsive to both verbal commands and hand gestures, if that helps. Any help or advice would be appreciated! <3

(Also long time no see guys!)

I’d say e collar unless you’re opposed to that. It’s really an invisible leash and I know at the press of one button I can call all 5 of my dogs back to me. I honestly can’t even think of the last time I really walked any of my dogs on a leash. But if no e collar, then high reward treats are good to keep on you. A high reward treat as in a treat that is more rewarding and interesting than chasing a rabbit or deer.