# How long Agility dogs compete?



## Canyx (Jul 1, 2011)

Almost a year ago when I was being questioned by multiple vets about my dog's mysterious leg problem, whenever I mentioned I used to do a bit of agility they'd always frown in a certain way. You know how some vets can be... 

"yes raw bones can help clean teeth BUT the _risks_...."

"yes agility is a great way to bond with your dog and exercise BUT..."

Hard on joints and higher prevalence of ACL injury is what I've been hearing. And surprisingly the one who downplayed agility the most was the highly regarded orthopedic surgeon I waited weeks for an appointment with. 
So I'm wondering, for those of you who do agility or any other dog sport, how long do you keep them competing for? After they reach a certain age do you stop or do it on a more casual basis? Or do you keep running them until they don't want to anymore?


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## Keechak (Aug 10, 2008)

Most dogs I have known run agility for about 8 years from 2 years old till 10 years old. I have known a few to run until 12 and 13 but not common.


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## TorachiKatashi (Sep 29, 2010)

Honestly, all the dogs I know who retired from Agility due to joint problems, only had the same issues that non-Agility dogs their age also have. If a dog is taught from the beginning how to take jumps, contacts, weaves, etc. _properly_, then there's no hard impact on their joints. It's the dogs who fly over the A-frame and come crashing down on their front end as hard as they can who end up with the problems.

My club had a judge one year who was still running her fifteen-year-old BC who was in perfect health.

But I know what you mean about the vets. Since Bear has started having trouble with his hips, I've had to refrain from mentioning to the vet that he's a retired Agility dog, because I'm sure that they'll immediately blame that as the cause without doing any further looking to see what the REAL problem is. Agility is basically the scapegoat of canine injuries.


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## So Cavalier (Jul 23, 2010)

My cavalier will be 9 in November and she is still going strong. I did lower her jump height from 12" to 8" when she reached "veteran" age. She has good jumping form and I don't push. We trial around once a month. When she is done with agility is when we will call it quits. I won't push her if she isn't have fun and running strong.



> come crashing down on their front end as hard as they can who end up with the problems.


This...it is not the going up....it's the coming down. This is why I cringe when I see people jumping dogs at ridiculous heights. It's not that they can't....it's that they shouldn't.


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## agility collie mom (Jan 26, 2008)

The benefits of having a fit dog out weigh having a "coffee table" dog. We see plenty of the coffee table variety at the practice I work at. They end up diabetic, blow out acl's, have arthritis, heart problems etc. Knowing when to quit and not over training are the keys. I once had a horse trainer tell me that "they only have so many jumps in their legs." So I keep that in mind when training.


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## GottaLuvMutts (Jun 1, 2009)

It's variable. In general, bigger dogs age faster and therefore retire sooner, but some breeds seem to have better luck than others. A couple of my favorite agility dogs (both belonging to my instructors, a married couple) are an 11yr old golden and an 11yr old border collie who still flies around courses like she's 3. Both dogs will be competing at the NADAC national championships in a few weeks. I'll bet the BC makes it to 15, if not older - the golden is probably within a year or two of retirement, but he could easily live a few more years. 

My feelings are as follows: Yes, there is a risk associated with dog sports. I accept that risk and do everything in my power to prevent injury and minimize the impact of the sport. That means keeping my dog in great shape (which, incidentally, would be much more difficult without sports) and keeping jump heights reasonably low. It means stretching before runs and not overtraining. This hasn't happened yet (knock on wood), but it means not pushing it in the event of injury. To the people who say the benefits aren't worth the risks, I say walk a mile in my shoes. I challenge you to own this dog without providing an outlet such as agility. I'd rather have a dog who lived a happy life and broke down at an old age than a dog who lived life in a constant state of understimulation, but whose body is still in perfect shape.


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## Canyx (Jul 1, 2011)

Thanks everyone! 
Gottaluvmutts, knowing what you do with your dog I am sure your dog is super-stimulated and in great shape


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