How dangerous is agility?
 

*Sorry long story and slightly non-yorkie related*
So- I work at an animal shelter where I built an agility hoop. I had used a hula hoop before that I just held and taught a few dogs to go through. There is a physical therapist who volunteers for us who has voiced some concerns about the hoop. She says it could cause injuries. I put a sign on it so only dog trainers can use it and currently I only am only training one dog (a cattle dog/greyhoundmix) we train maybe 3 times a week at the most and only for 5-10 minutes. While I agree there is a chance she could get hurt I also feel like the chance is very low and i feel that by training her I am helping her get adopted. Plus basically the physical therapist is saying anyone who does agility is putting their dog in danger. I mean, your dog could hurt itself jumping off the couch. By doing a little research I found about 30% of dogs injure themselves in agility but of those 30%- 50% injure themselves during competition. I am not entering dogs in competition nor are they running full speed off leash doing multiple tricks. I have them do simple commands, sit, shake, down ect. Then teach them "jump" as they jump through the hoop. That's it! What do you guys think, is agility dangerous? Am I doing more harm than good??

I have no answers but am curious to see a response from someone with some knowledge of the subject. Am I making this up or does mr alaska yorkie have an agility pup?

Can agility be dangerous and hard on a dogs body? It CAN. It's also important to teach a dog the *correct* way in order to safely compete in the sport. That's why doing the foundation work is so important, even if it's kind of boring to the human. Much like a human athlete wouldn't be able to play a game of football or baseball without first learning the rules and basics.

But doing a bit of obstacle work, or simple things such as jumping through a hoop or jumping over a height-appropriate jump with a normal average adult dog? I wouldn't stress.

I'm of the opinion that dogs tend to be pretty smart and know their limits... of course if you have a super hyper active balls-to-the-wall type of dog, this may not be the case, but in *general*. I think activities such as agility can be a preparation for long and healthy life and create strong muscles & tendons. Dogs who lack the muscle mass or are never allowed to jump, climb, balance, etc, are likely more prone to injuries IMO.

I have encouraged Jackson since he was a puppy to climb and explore. Tree trunk? Go jump on it. Park bench? Same thing. Go balance on that balance ball... he voluntarily will climb and balance on small tree trunks.

Personally I just don't think the risk of agility is much worse than real life anyway.

What I was told by an agility instructor is the A frame and not jumping the appropriate height on hurdles is the obstacles that may cause stress on joints. Of course a dog can blow out it's knee anytime there is running and turning sharp corners involved. I wouldn't think a dog jumping through a hula hoop would not be too stressful as long as it isn't held too high.

I have posed this question to dozens of folks.
Cali at 3 pounds 14 oz does agility and I have been criticized and praised for it, she is in great shape compared to other dogs her age and size and most importantly she loves it. You are correct the A frame and then the walk are considered the most dangerous pieces of equipment. The running and pivoting can be hard on the knees, but frankly, what I'm hearing is that people who practice agility at home on concrete do the most damage. On the courses and the trials it is padded or dirt that cushions.

I had Cali xrayed to check her knees and ankles and such and they were perfect. I feel the exercise is good for her, she is enthusiastic about it and I have enough sense to know when too much is too much.

All in all feel it is better than a dog sitting on the couch all the time, eating too much, and getting winded on a walk. Athletes are generally a fairly healthy group!

:thumbup::thumbup::thumbup::thumbup:

Probably safer not to do it with shelter dogs since many of them come from backgrounds of bad nutrition and/or care. Just a thought....
I would think sticking with the other tricks that are low impact might be safer for them and yes, might make them more appealing to people looking for a pup. It is fun to see a pup do tricks. :) I think it is wonderful you take the time to do this. Don't get discouraged.

We plan to start agility with our dogs this year. We wanted to wait til Pippi was 10 months before she does hurdles or the harder stuff.(Both dogs will be checked by a vet before they start jumps and the hard objects) She's part goat, we thought Caleb was bad for jumping, but she's something else.

For us it starts now with sit, stay, slow, and us having some control of her. I'd also like to hear from others about injures. Seems as long as things are done safely the pros out way the neg.

All our bigs dogs were taught hoop jumping, jumping over fences we made for the purpose and obedience. These little guys are just as intelligent (if not more so) agile and have a need of something to do.

I was told that you should be assured by you vet that all growth plates were completely formed before agility and that can vary somewhat.

Have been doing agility with my mini yorkie rescue boy for 3 years now and he is 4. He has never suffered an injury and in fact the vet said he was a lean muscle machine and in fantastic condition. If you feed a higb protein diet, use proper equipment in a field or sprung floor, ie not concrete, and you use proper training methods, you cannot go wrong. Exercise is good for the dog, as is figuring out new obstacles such as a hoop. I train with a dog school and our dogs don't start jumps and ramps etc until a year old. Hoops that are low, poles on the ground, tunnels, weaving through poles or flower pots, will not cause harm if you are still unsure. Have fun!

How are your dogs doing with agility?