At what age did your dog start trialing?

[DJEtzel]

And in which sport, of course?

Frag started trialing in CPE agility right about the time he turned three. He started trialing in UKC Dock Diving at 2.

Recon probably won't start trialing in CPE until he's 1.5-2 if we're lucky, but I'm not looking to beat any records with him, and to be honest, I'm lazy and cheap so we train a lot, but it's just for fun and I frequently don't feel like actually going to trials and spending the money on them.

But, we have a few dock diving events where I work each year and I'd love to start trialing Recon this spring, if applicable. I haven't even read UKC's rules for age of entry for DD competitions... and I don't know if it's frowned upon or rare for young dogs to enter? All the dogs I know from DD are much older; 2-7 years old usually. Recon would be 9-11 months this spring... but I can't see any reason NOT to enter him if it's allowed? There's not nearly as much training involved as agility, for example, that you need to prep before showing.

[k9krazee]

Jack & I started trialing in agility when he was between 1.5-2. By the time we got to higher levels I had moved away to college and we no longer were in classes. But we still did & do a couple trials a year--it's just evident now that we aren't at the level we should be and he doesn't really enjoy it anymore.

I hope to start trialing with Crossbone in agility Winter 2013/Spring 2014-- he'll be about 2.5. I'm not in too much of a hurry, though. Whatever happens, happens.

[Panzerotti]

I entered Pan in her first agility trial at 20 months. I really shouldn't have because we weren't close to being ready, but my club only hosts one trial per year. It was good in a way, the trial was small, with good vibes, so it was a good introduction for her, but it was also bad because it totally screwed up her contact training.

[AdrianneIsabel]

My dogs started dock diving at 10 months, maybe? But that IMO isn't trialing. It lacks pressure, or should.

They did start at about 1.5 for obed and I should have held Backup off until he was... now.

[CaliTerp07]

I didn't even get Lucy until she was 3 or 4. We started trialing around 6.

A friend I train with regularly tells of how she didn't enter her first trial with her dog until the dog was 11. She still made it to elite everything before she had to retire her.

[Shai]

Kim and Webster were both ~2 year -- rally. Granted I didn't decide I was going to compete with them at all til the night before the trial lol.

With Mira I made the arbitrary rule that we wouldn't do competition training til she was a year old. She didn't see a jump over 4" til she was 17 months. So she earned her novice obedience at 15 months when I felt she was ready per my obedience standards/while we were waiting for her to physically mature enough to do agility and her first agility trial was when she was 23 months old.

[MandyPug]

Izzie was 3 years old for her first agility trial. We didn't start training until close to her 2nd birthday.

Rally she was 3.5.

Scenthurdle she was 4.

[Keechak]

Hawk's first title was his tracking TD at 2 years and a few months old, then his AKC CD shortly after tho I don't remember the exact day. Then several years later and he's got one mess of a name now.

Lark is almost ready for her CD and she is 16 months old so I may start trialing her this year if she's good enough to get in the 190's for a score.

I don't remember how old Kechara was for her first agility trial but I think it was around 2-3 years old.

My old boy Jack, RIP, was 11 for his first obedience trial!

[stardogs]

Agility: Maggie was about 2yo, Ziva was 22 months iirc, and Kes was about 20 months.

Schutzhund/IPO: Kes went for his first BH at 3y but didn't get it until a trial about 6 months after that, Aeri trialled for her BH at 2yo and got it.

Dock Diving: (Dockdogs rules state 6 months old min) Kes was about 20 months, Aeri was about 7 months but didn't actually jump until the next trial around 10mo, Snipe was about 16 months.

Disc: Kes' first, and so far only, trial was right around 18 months.

Rally: Z was 4yo, Kes was 3yo.

Obedience: Aeri has just been entered in her first trial at 28 months and it's more for experience than thinking we'll Q.

[BostonBanker]

Meg was about 2/2.5 when she did her first agility trial (CPE). I got her at about 1 year.

Gusto I got at about 7 weeks, and he did his first USDAA trial at 19 months or so. He'll do his second later this month, at 22 months.