# Criteria to begin Competing in Agility



## trainingjunkie (Feb 10, 2010)

I am wondering what sort of criteria agility people use for determining when it is time to start trialing with a new dog.

I have a pup who will be 2 in a week. I *think* we are ready, but I am very interested in learning how other competitors make their decisions about starting.


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## Indigo (Mar 31, 2011)

If you have fun matches available where you are it's a nice way to find out. 

When I was taking classes we did mock trials to practice at a certain point. That is, we ran an entire course under the same rules as a trial. If you have access to an agility field you can practice on your own as well. When I felt my dog was fully confident on all the obstacles, and was able to do long sequences without breaking focus or expecting an immediate reward, I started entering him in real trials. He was about 2 when we started.

There weren't any fun matches at the time, so I just went cold turkey. There wasn't any question in my mind because I knew he was capable of doing it. First run he was raring to go, everything was great, then when I released him from his sit he turned 180 and ran out of the ring. He ran right into some other dog's crate! DISQUALIFIED! I was mortified at the time but it's funny now. Second run he got his first Q and it was totally awesome. Next weekend he placed 1st in all his runs. Even if you prepare there's always something new or different at a trial... I would recommend entering a trial where you practice if possible. My first trial was away at another club and I think my dog wanted to explore... I'm going to stay at the home club next dog.


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## quatro (Aug 14, 2013)

This is good criteria 
http://youtu.be/yjNzu2MotMA


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## quatro (Aug 14, 2013)

Good description here
http://youtu.be/6WMfCg5v3MM


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## MafiaPrincess (Jul 1, 2009)

i competed Arson, my 2 year old on his 2nd bday back in July. I'd say the venue, and what you plan to enter in are part of the consideration. Arson has been to 3 AAC trials now, and has run 3 starter jumpers runs, and has gotten 2 Qs. We have moved up to advanced for the next trial.

For me, until he can weave 6 poles without me baby sitting and hold my contact criteria in varying intensity situations, we won't run a standard run. But because we play AAC there are other games I can make a judgement call on in future.

I found fun matches fine, but weren't really a trial experience. It is an in between step. It is a more important one possibly on your first dog as part of the getting ready to trial is you.. not just the dog. There were no fin matches around when I was startign out. Now that I'm trialling my third dog there are.. but I didn't bother.


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## Kyllobernese (Feb 5, 2008)

I entered Lucy in her first trial two weekends ago as she was 18 months old. There are no fun matches or even any place to train when there are not classes going on. Lucy had not seen a full course since the classes ended in the early spring but I practiced with her at home. It was our local trial so no real travelling and I just had her in Starters Jumpers on Saturday and since there was only one Jumpers, I had her in Starter Snooker on Sunday. She did great but spun before a jump waiting for me so had 5 faults and we were 4 seconds under time but I was really pleased. On Sunday as I was used to Remmy running on out of a tunnel, I turned too fast and Lucy went back into the tunnel so that ended that. I won't trial her again till next year but will take classes this winter. It was really good experience for her as she barks a lot at strange dogs and she really settled down by the second day. In the ring she completely ignores everything but me which is a good start. At the familiarization on contact equipment on Saturday morning, she did a perfect 2o2o on the equipment. You could do the contact equipment twice and she was just as good the second time.


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## trainingjunkie (Feb 10, 2010)

Thanks everyone!

My "pup" has been to a ton of shows. She has done a bunch of stuff on trial grounds. She has 2 BN legs and her RN. She has trained at 7 facilities. She in more than 90% accurate on 12 weaves without me helping in the least. Her contacts are independent and fast.

She's a bit of a scatterbrain. However, she has never "zoomied" or shown serious signs of stress. I have competed enough that *I* shouldn't be too weird, but who knows!

We haven't done any fun matches as there are virtually none in my area. I am super excited to get started but a touch nervous too! My breed is known for its incredible Ring Zoomies and I would hate to have our debut be littered with them! 

Thank you for weighing in! Glad your dogs are doing so well!


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## MafiaPrincess (Jul 1, 2009)

I would enter your baby dog. She has more going into her first trial than many. Even if your debut happens to result in a ring zoomie that could happen now, or even if you keep training hard 6 months from now. You never know. I think you are as set up for success as most competitors aside from those with world team aspirations are. What is your agility venue of choice? We need pics from your first trial


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## trainingjunkie (Feb 10, 2010)

Thank you ! I think I will.

I do mostly AKC with occasional CPE days. I wanted to start her in CPE, but the way the trials are falling, I think I am going to start AKC. There are some shows coming up in sites where both of us have spent some time, so I think they are decent places to start. Our first trial (I think) will be in a horsebarn, but we trained all last winter in one, so I *think* we will be okay. I have been successful in that arena, so I will enter feeling confident. And if there are zoomies to run, well, I guess we may as well get them out of our system!


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## MafiaPrincess (Jul 1, 2009)

I signed up with CPE looking or it to be a place to start my baby dogs as AAC faults refusals and to Q you need a fault free run. I like CPE, both the cockers have some CPE titles, but trials here are getting fewer and fewer. I haven't even registered Arson with CPE due to the lack of trials.

Hilariously or not.. Cider was my zoomer when we were green. Smudge and Arson really haven't. Although Cider will be 9 in a few days, she was hell on wheels on the weekend. Fast, took obstacles.. but the first few runs of the day she was making her own courses in part. It was okay as they were gambles.. so she had 40 seconds for us to do whatever.. but she is nearly 9 and you'd have thought she was my baby dog all over again


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## MrsBoats (May 20, 2010)

Here's my criteria for Ocean...he was 18 months. LOL I wanted to see what we had and where training gaps were. He did actually fairly well for a while and then gaps presented themselves. We're going back to the training drawing board for a while this fall and I might enter him once a month to see if I've patched training gaps.


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