Agility, Do we do it?

[maui]

Hi!

Our BC mix is not "high strung" just "high energy". Hope that makes sense.

He has completed all the basic classes, and is enrolled in some off leash outdoor training. My husband is taking herding classes with him. I tried Rally, but we both were not into it.

So, with Agility... how does it work? Can you speak to your dog? Do you give hand signals, etc? Is there a lot of heeling where the dog looks right but moves forward?

Thanks! Maui

[gaddylovesdogs]

In agility you give mainly hand signals, but you can give vocal commands and support. In most competitions I've seen, in certain points of the course, the dog will look towards it's owner for a command.

[maui]

He likes hand signals. In fact, we get a better response from them.

I was completely not into the heeling. We even had a great group in our class and we had a fun instructor!

Maybe I'll try watching a class, or a competition.

Thanks! -Maui

[gaddylovesdogs]

You can use noises as encouragement (like kissing noises, clicking your tongue, etc.).

[Doberluv]

In my agility class, the dogs learn the names of each obstacle. And we use words as well as hand/body signals. We say, "go tunnel," "go weave," or "go teeter." It's important to hold your body or face your shoulders in the right direction and run a tad behind the dog to drive him.

[homelessdog]

My foster dog starts Agility classes tomorrow. Wish me luck.

[RD]

I went to the same agility class as doberluv and that's the same thing I learned. Very little if any heeling is involved as most of the time once you get into competition-level training you are sending the dog out to the obstacles instead of walking them right up. When I tell my dog "GO TUNNEL" that means he is to go out in the direction I am pointing and into the tunnel.

I use both physical and verbal cues in agility.