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Agility potential



 
 
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  #1  
Old August 4th 03, 06:53 PM
queenmother
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Default Agility potential

Okay. DH says it *has* to be another schnauzer. Preferably a female.
Breeder has two new litters right now, both have three females. Another
litter due soon. Somewhere in there, I'm pretty sure there could be a puppy
for us.

However, she also possibly has available a full sister to Spenser - same
litter even. Her conformation career isn't working out as well as hoped -
has trouble keeping her in show coat. (Has Can CH I think, just not AKC
CH) We wouldn't mind not having to do the whole puppy house training thing
although I would miss the puppy breath. And the dog will be almost two
years old so old enough to run in agility as soon as we can get her
relatively worthy of the entrance fees.

The big IF is how do we even attempt to evaluate her potential for agility?
Is there someplace with a list of things we could try with her to test her
reactions - like the puppy temperament tests? The breeder has a tunnel and
table and stuff that they jump over so we can easily test her on her
willingness to try those. Check for shyness I'd think - but she hasn't
indicated any problem with showing her so the dog is already used to the dog
show type of environment and being in the ring. I have an article quoting
Jane Simmons-Moake making suggestions on choosing a puppy for agility.
Probably most of it will translate to an older dog but does anyone have any
suggestions? Any danger signs we should look out for?

What I'm looking for is the attitude that Spenser has. He can't sit still
and watch other dogs in the agility ring without wanting to be out there
too. It's all a big playground to him.

Also a big consideration is how well she will get along with Spenser. We'll
put them together one on one, of course, and see how it goes. Any thoughts
there?

TIA
~~Judy




  #2  
Old August 4th 03, 09:02 PM
Rocky
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queenmother said in rec.pets.dogs.behavior:

The big IF is how do we even attempt to evaluate her
potential for agility?


All I can offer is my experience with Friday.

I was strong-armed (heh) into adopting Friday (at the time, I
wasn't actively looking for another dog). But, if it was going
to happen, I really wanted another agility dog.

My first meeting with Friday, who was 7 months old at the time,
was in the back yard at the foster home. All I bought with me
was a tennis ball and, while foster mom was settling all of the
other dogs inside, I threw the ball for Friday. I was impressed
by his focus on the ball, the speed he showed getting it, and
his dexterity when it bounced off of the fence. I was even more
impressed that he would take his focus off of the ball when I
called to him.

Our second meeting was an off-leash excursion. Murphy, Rocky,
and I met up with Friday and foster mom at a large off-leash
park. Friday made immediate friends with Rocky and was OK with
Murphy, respecting her age and fraility. He was also good with
strange dogs and people - important things for agility. During
this outing, I paid attention to his agility (real life agility)
when he played, ran, chased others, and was chased by them.

Our third outing was just he and me. The rescue didn't normally
allow this, but they let me take him for the day. It worked out
that this was a "club day", where my agility club sets up all of
the equipment in an indoor horse arena. It took no time at all
to get him through the tunnel, and he did the dogwalk and
aframe, on leash, with almost no treating. I even tried the
teeter, again on leash, and he was fine. I kept it really low
key (lots of long breaks) and within a couple of hours he was
doing it all off leash.

So I adopted him.

The thing is, I was hooked after meeting number one, and would
have taken him right there and then if the rescue didn't have a
3 day cooling off period.

--
--Matt. Rocky's a Dog.
  #3  
Old August 4th 03, 09:34 PM
Rocky
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queenmother said in rec.pets.dogs.behavior:

Spenser doesn't chase a ball more than three
times. Count them - three times. Throw it a fourth time
and you'd better plan on getting it yourself.


In my case, I wasn't concerned about Friday returning the ball.
I was watching how he captured it.

--
--Matt. Rocky's a Dog.
  #4  
Old August 4th 03, 09:49 PM
queenmother
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"Rocky" wrote in message
news:Xns93CD941DB621Aaustralianshepherdca@IP...
queenmother said in rec.pets.dogs.behavior:

Spenser doesn't chase a ball more than three
times. Count them - three times. Throw it a fourth time
and you'd better plan on getting it yourself.


In my case, I wasn't concerned about Friday returning the ball.
I was watching how he captured it.


Yup, I got that. And that he was still responsive to you in the presence of
an interesting ball. Translates into a very valuable trait I would think.
*That* one Spenser would do okay on. As far as the actually *catching* of
the ball, nope, that's never going to happen.

With Spenser, it's also a matter of length of focus. His ball play
translates into one or two tries at teaching something. Then you have to do
something else. Then you can return.

And he hates to be corrected. If he misses his weaves, he *hates* to be
called back to redo them. In practice, we go on and do a couple of jumps or
even something really fun like the teeter and then take him back to the
weaves and he'll run right through them. Since we can't do that on an
actual course, I figure we just have to make him as strong on them as
possible. And a little secret to the judge - although you've probably
already noticed similar dogs - his best courses are ones with late weaves.
If he has a chance to settle in, he's more likely to get through them - or
allow himself to be called back if necessary. I *hate* to see a course for
him with weaves as # 2 or # 3.

I've seen people - well, their dogs actually - doing figure eights over a
jump. By the third time over, Spenser's looking at me like "okay, didn't we
just *do* this?" After the fourth time, he's looking for the tunnel or the
teeter.

A little longer "focus time" would be nice.

~~Judy


  #5  
Old August 5th 03, 03:14 AM
Rocky
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Christy said in rec.pets.dogs.behavior:

This girl sounds like she might be a great fit - I think
Matt covered most everything, but I'd suggest taking her to
a busy class or even a trial to see how she deals with
sights/sounds of agility. Since she's been in the breed
ring she probably won't get rattled, but how she reacts to
other dogs running may give you some clues.


Heh, I'm glad that I never took Friday to a trial before I
adopted him. He goes nutso when a fast'n'loud dog is on course.

But you're bang on - since Judy's potential dog is 2 years old,
and has already been on equipment, taking her by a trial might
be the best indicator of all.

--
--Matt. Rocky's a Dog.
  #6  
Old August 5th 03, 06:36 PM
Lynn K.
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"queenmother" wrote in message ...

The big IF is how do we even attempt to evaluate her potential for agility?
Is there someplace with a list of things we could try with her to test her
reactions - like the puppy temperament tests?

When Diane B. met 5 week old Tsuki there were 2 factors that made her
think he'd make a decent agility dog (rightly). His confidence over
variable surfaces (metal grates) and unsure footing, and his
curiousity about the unknown (moving to investigate dropped keys).

Lynn K.
  #7  
Old August 5th 03, 06:48 PM
sionnach
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"queenmother" wrote:

Spenser's agility instructor said to.... try to get her to jump to watch

her motion.


Judy, I don't know if this is possible, but a *great* way to evaluate a
dog's athletic potential is to watch the dog running and playing with other
dogs in a setting that encourages natural negotiation of obstacles- trees,
rocks, brush, etc.

I didn't need to do a formal evaluation of Rocsi, when I met her at
eight weeks- just watching her follow the big dogs, the way she handled her
body naturally *and* the attitude with which she met more difficult things
(like logs six inches over her head), was enough to see her physical
potential.




  #8  
Old August 5th 03, 07:14 PM
queenmother
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"sionnach" wrote in message
...
Judy, I don't know if this is possible, but a *great* way to evaluate a
dog's athletic potential is to watch the dog running and playing with

other
dogs in a setting that encourages natural negotiation of obstacles- trees,
rocks, brush, etc.


This I can do - and have watched the dogs do there but was never focusing on
this particular dog. First there are the play chases around the furniture
and guests in the living room. Then there are two outdoor pens with various
obstacles in them - some are put there specifically for the dogs to play
on - and we can add agility jumps and tunnels. They would be settings that
the dog is familiar with already but if we introduce the new situation of
Spenser into them (and block the other dogs out of the area), we just might
get a decent overview.

We're going to try some of the basic puppy temperament tests on her - I'm
thinking especially testing her reaction to loud noises and sudden movements
around her.

I didn't need to do a formal evaluation of Rocsi, when I met her at
eight weeks- just watching her follow the big dogs, the way she handled

her
body naturally *and* the attitude with which she met more difficult things
(like logs six inches over her head), was enough to see her physical
potential.


I'm thinking that just seeing how the dog carries herself - which is pretty
much what all this boils down to - is a big part. I *love* to watch Spenser
trot and jump. If his sister looks the same moving, and has HALF the
attitude she is reported to have, I think we have a second dog.

~~Judy




 




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