My daughter's agility classes on Wednesday for 4H, we will be bringing Loki even though he will not be old enough. I figure he can at least get some good socialization out of it, and he can play around in the tunnels.

The head trainer has had over 30 years of sled dog training so we are hoping to get some good tips on getting started with training Loki to pull!

I thought agility looked fun and did some with Kenzi but she didn't think it was as fun as I did. She would do the tunnel but she doesn't jump. I think if she had been exposed to it early enough in life maybe she wouldn't be quite so unsure about some of the obstacles.

I would love to start agility but I'm waiting for Cora to be over a year old to start. I think she would like it we do little jumps and such while on our hikes.

CoraTheHusky wrote:

I would love to start agility but I'm waiting for Cora to be over a year old to start. I think she would like it we do little jumps and such while on our hikes.

I wouldn't wait that long. She can start doing some things now like tunnels and walking on low planks and weave poles. Jumping is fine as long as it is no higher than the elbow. I have found that the longer you wait to expose them to the equipment the less excepting they are to it.

Of coarse I am used to training shelties, they take to agility like a duck to water. I am sure Loki is going to be more of a challenge!

I do agility with Orion and it is mandatory in our club that the dogs must be over a year old to start to make sure all the growth plates on a dog are closed and there is no inadvertent damage done to the dog especially for the bigger breeds. Weaves are not taught until at least 6 months after the dog starts and it has full control on a wobble board showing it has built up core strength. I have had to work really hard on core strength with Orion since as a breed they are designed to move forward powerfully so getting the dexterity in him to race through weave poles like a working border collie is hard work for him.

Waiting to start him until he was older hasn't affected his enthusiasm he is still ridiculously excited every week waiting at the door to leave for class it really is such great fun