Starting in agility

Are you taking lessons with anyone or working on your own? I would suggest lessons so you learn the safe way to teach obstacles. Your instructor (or the agility club giving the lessons) will have sturdy, safe equipment for you to use.

At this point, keep everything very upbeat and encouraging with your obedience work. (Don't forget to get her used to walking and trotting on either side of you for agility work. With obedience, the dog is on your left side only.) Dogs starting agility need to know 'come', 'sit', 'down' and 'stay'. Unless you have an enclosed area, I would keep her on leash for now. I wouldn't correct her at this point, just ignore any mistakes, show her what you want her to do and praise her to the skies when she even makes the attempt. Does she have a favorite toy that can be used as a reward? Will she work for treats?

I'd even be tempted to treat her as a puppy when it comes to obstacles. You can get PVC pipe (3/4 inch, about five ft. long) to use as jump bars, set them on cinder blocks for low jumps (you'll be jumping with her at this stage, being VERY happy when she comes over the jump with you.) A 4x4 piece of plywood balanced on a 4x4 post can be her introduction to the teeter (gets her used to a surface moving under her weight). A 2x8x12 plank balanced on two cinder blocks can be her introduction to the dogwalk. Be very encouraging at all times and end your sessions on a happy note with something she knows how to do well.

A friend has a rescued Italian Greyhound (he was taken from a puppy mill breeder). This little guy is afraid of his own shadow but after a lot of work (she never corrects him, just brings him back to do the obstacle he missed and continues on), he has actually earned himself a title in an agility game. She's the kind of handler you like to see, doesn't get upset if the dog takes the wrong course or knocks a bar - she's there to have fun with her dogs and her dogs are happy workers.

Having a trainer doesn't necessarily mean you're going to show your dog, that would be a while down the road even if you were interested in it. Think of it more as a teacher who would be able to show you how to safely teach your dog the obstacles without scaring or endangering her. Should you decide to find a trainer or instructor, just be sure to tell him/her up front that you're only doing this for fun, not competition.

A trainer is there more to instruct you on the proper way to train your dog than to get you to show. They have an impartial view of how things are going and can offer good advice. When I started agility, I had no interest in doing anything other than having fun with my dog.

It really depends on your location and who's giving the lessons. The agility club I belong to charges, I think, $35 dollars for an eight week session for applicants and the lessons are free for club members. However, these lessons are not open to the public, it's just within the club.

One thing you can do, is get your dog used to walking and trotting on both sides of you! My old girl wasn't and she gets a bit confused when I try to change sides, even when out for a walk!! So as a confidence builder, this will help.

Good luck.
Steph.

Find a trainer who has experiance with sight hounds. I have a sent hound and I didnt find a trainer that knew alot about them.We've over come our issues and I really like ou current trainer so Im happy with it. Butsight and scent hounds pose spesific chalenges when training for agility

if she does something wrong like nock the bar of or so dont do anything, just act like its normal and donsnt matter or it will nock her confidence and she wont try it again, and before let your dog have a run round, we do agility with a siliki cross grayhound and it is forever running off, lol. have fun!

if she can stick to u like glue.. try to start walk her among the crowd. bring her whereever u go, to build up a strong bond with her. and train basic low jump start at home. plenty of praise even simple jump she can do.. sensitive dog need a lots of encouragement and they trust their owner more than anyone they do. just to be careful whenever go to class or social her with other dogs dont ever let her get hurt or frighten by other over friendly dogs, play tug of war and let her win. agility is a great sport that we need to spent time onto it, definately is a good sport to help sensitive dog to be more confident. u'll be so proud of her one day once she pick up the great sport.
happy training~