Yorkie flying through agility course
 

I love the way the dog easily handles the tall teeter totter.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=-YGzXBI-ypA#!

I have a large boy that I think would excell at agility....and I am clueless how to develop this skill in him....I got a book on how to make agility course obsticles, but I just do not have the time in the day to teach him this. Hopefully, when I retire in October, maybe starting out 2014, I will be able to work with him and teach him how to do this....I just know he would do great! He is soooo smart and catches on to new stuff at warp speed....you that are familiar with agility....do they get "too old" to learn how to run these courses? Cowboy is just a year old now....

Cute!! I want to put Thalia in agility - I think she would like it. I love seeing this little guy run with his tail wooshing behind :D

Great Video

loved that Video!
 

Thanks Kristen what a great dog that is:)

Wow - great run! The handler did so well too, perfectly telling the yorkie where to go. That's the problem I run into, I am SO not that coordinated or smooth, hahah. If *I* could get it together, I know Jax would be amazing. I get so flustered trying to remember which direction is which, haha. They did a great run! Thx for posting!

Nope, never too old. Agility lessons don't even officially start until 1 year old. They are not allowed except for puppy classes with no jumping to let growth plates close.

That is awesome!!

GREAT!!! Now, can a handler do the course with them? I am on a walker...can you see the old woman on a walker, trying to scoot around that course with a dog running circles around her???!!!!!!!!

Get an All-Terrain walker with those fat wheels....:D

I think so Judy. Go to www.akc.org they will have the agility rules posted. I have seen a couple of women in wheelchairs compete in obedience. Both electric wheel chairs. In obedience you for sure can have someone do the trials for you. But I have found most judges really compassionate, if you say to them, hey I have this condition, and I will try to show change of pace, but there is a limit on how fast I can go. I know at one of our trials, I tripped over my own feet and landed flat on my front. Magic stopped (as he is trained to do), then came over to me, and lifted me up to my feet. We were not penalized for this, in fact the judge came over to us after and said you would have gotten first in class, but you repeated a down command so I had to penalize you for this. Unfortunately I could not reward you for the exemplary actions of your service dog.

In conformation you can hire a handler to do the whole thing, or have one just to do the gaiting portion for you, and you are there to do the physical examination and stacking part.

You know an all terrain vehicle is not a bad idea at all. You could take your pups to the lake or beach, and go into the water with them.

Also for practicing you can shorten up the distances between equipment. THis way you can make it easier to train with them.

that is so cool

I'll have to watch on my pc. It won't let me on my iPad. Can't wait to see it!

If you want to learn to run a course, I really think it's probably absolutely necessary to take classes...like Brister said, it's quite difficult for the human. It is, in my opinion, really complicated for the human! There is so much skill involved...and not just for the dog... to learn as far as footwork and a lot that goes on with body language that hugely affects what the dog does. You really need an experienced instructor to guide in this, because a lot of the time you end up telling your dog to do things with your body that you would otherwise have no idea you were doing! (I think the humans probably make it much more difficult fo the dog sometimes....we are so confusing!)

If you aren't physically able to run a course, you could definitely get a professional handler (or I guess, anyone, really) to run your dog. One of the dogs that comes to my class trains with a professional handler and his parents just sit and watch.

Some people in my class were talking once about a guy that comes to trials who is in a wheelchair and sits in the middle of the ring and gives his dogs the commands all by voice from where he sits. So, it can be done with a handler unable to run...although I'm sure there would be a lot of training that would have to happen before that point with someone who could teach the dog to properly use the equipment.

Neat! I would love to see that. He and his dog must be extra talented.

I think I would trip over myself in these agility courses. Why aren't they laid out in a straight line like the challenges on Survivor? :p

That is amazing. Bentley will be six months soon. I know he's too young yet, but I think he would love agility. But I have not idea where to even start.