Agility questions
 

My puppy is 7 mo. She has two LPs that need surgery, but the specialist doesn't want to do it until she stops growing. She is VERY bright, active and self confident. I would like to put her in agility training.
Questions:
Is she too young to expect such concentration and effort?
My local vet says it's safe as long as I back off if I see physical issues. Opinions on that?
Is there a list of good trainers somewhere?
Can yorkies actually be competitive?
She has completed basic obedience, but is there another step I need to complete before agility?
Any and all advice is appreciated.

My Yorkie does agility for 4 years now.
The rule is no agility until their growth plates are set and no longer growing.
Start with basic obedience during this time.
Agility can be demanding on the knees and back, however, agility dogs Are real athletes and in great physical condition.

That all being said, you don't want yourmpupmto be crippled from the activity. After the LP situation is taken care of you will need to ask the surgeon if they think agility would be OK for your pup - then watch for any issues that might come up.

I hate the name, but there is TDAA, Teacup Agility Association of America, that is for dogs under 20 pounds and uses smaller contacts/equipment. However they compete by jump height in any competition, be it CEP, NADA, or AKC. They will be officially measured at their first even to determine jump height. TDAA has a controversial thing going on right now where you can pick the jump height you want your dog to jump - good for smaller dogs, and older dogs - but tends to make others less respectful of TDAA.

MOST IMPORTANT is if you and your dog are having fun!!!! So....do obedience now, then take a beginners agility class and see how you like it. You do have to protect those joints though.

Great information. Thanks. I feel much better. Back to obedience we go!

This is kind of a late response, but you can start foundation training at her age. Talk to your local agility trainer or dog club about classes for this. They should have something.

Yes, Yorkies can be competitive...mine just earned his PACH (Preferred agility championship) in AKC earlier this year and is already half way to his second one. He is very tiny, so we have always jumped in the preferred class at 4". But, I will also say it is hard to be competitive against some of the other breeds in the 4 & 8" heights, mainly Papillons, who are like the Border Collies of toy dogs. 😉 But,generally speaking, if my dog runs well, he often places first...would not be the case in the 8" class though, as there are a lot more dogs and bigger dogs in that height.

Keep in mind that Yorkies are very stoic and can easily hide physical problems. I get my little guy a massage at every trial and often a chiropractic adjustment too, just to be sure he is doing alright and as a preventive measure.

Can't believe I just saw this now! I think I would look at different sports. Check out. Barn hunts and rally. Much easier on the joints. Also razz loved scent work. There is wate r retrieval work and dock jumping.

I have two yorkies, one is built for agility and the other one isn't. with my one who isn't, she LOVED scent training!

There is also TDAA (Teacup Dog Agility Association). I know we hate the word teacup, but it is for dogs under 20" and the equipment and course is smaller to meet the needs of the smaller dog. Plus you can select the height your dog jumps. It is very laid back and the main function is fun and exercise.