Agility - the What, When, Where, and Why with your Old English Sheepdog

Yes!! Old English Sheepdogs can do agility.  People love watching the Old English and are amazed that a big dog can go so fast and be so agile.   

There are a few things that Old English sheepdog owners need to know. Most will be covered if you find a well-qualified instructor.  The Questions and answers below should help you get on your way.

How can I find an instructor?

Talk to your friends and check out the Old English Performance site on Yahoo. 

The Internet is another great source.  Clean Run magazine and the web site are great sources.   Go and watch a little of the instructor’s class before signing up. Make sure the instructor has time for each student, uses positive methods and is making progress in class. Most importantly of all: are the students having fun? If the instructor won't let you watch, then don't go there. Talk to the students, but don't interrupt the class.  Anyone can hang up a shingle to teach dog training classes.  Dog owner beware... 

When can I start agility training with my puppy?

There is a lot of training that can be done with a puppy from 7 weeks on that will help with agility.  I believe as soon as the puppy recognizes his name you can start training.

Your first stop will be an obedience class and if you are lucky enough to find an instructor that teaches obedience for agility that is the way to go.   But...there are things you can start at home if classes in your area restrict puppies under 3 months of age.

With all puppy training the sessions are short - 1 or 2 minutes.   

There is not room to describe all these things in detail, but further info can be had by talking to your peers or the instructor you will ultimately go to.  Some great books are Building Blocks to Performance by Bobbie Anderson and Shaping Success by Susan Garrett.

Some good things to start out with are teaching the puppy to follow your body (this is called Shadow Handling) and teaching the word ‘Go’. 

A really good stay is important, although I won't ask a puppy younger than 3 months to stay for more than a second or two.  As the puppy ages you can ask for more and add distractions.  Agility requires a fast down and sit on the table, and it is nice if you don't have to use hand cues for this: it should be verbal only.    

Puppies can be put on things that move like a buja board or tippy board so they are not afraid of teeters or wobbly tables. Training contacts take a long time.  Talk to the instructor you plan on using and see what method they use.  Some of the training can start now like the Touch for two on two off method.  Teaching your puppy to touch your hand is also a wonderful exercise and can be used later on in agility.  

I do a bit of clicker training since many instructors will use the clicker for some things when teaching agility.  

The most important thing to remember about your new puppy is that the average dogs growth plates don't close until they are roughly 14 months old.  In the larger breeds it might even take longer.  The only way to be sure your dog’s bones are ready to do all the pounding, bending and twisting in agility is an x-ray. But if you don't want to go that route, then I would wait until my puppy is a minimum of 14 months and maybe even 18 months before I started weaves, jumping at heights above the puppy’s knee, a-frame and other equipment that might cause harm in a growing puppy.

How can I prepare my puppy for agility?

See above.   Some basic obedience will really benefit agility and build a strong relationship between you and your pup.  One thing to be especially aware of in Old English Sheepdogs is the coat.  You want to trim the hair between the pads often as the dogs can slip, and also make sure the nails are kept trimmed.  Tie up the hair so the dog can see. Or trim it if you don't plan on showing.  Just leave a little hair to act as a sun visor.

Can older dogs learn agility?

I think almost any age dog can learn agility as long as the dog is physically sound.  Most venues offer special categories so older dogs don't have to jump as high and they have a little more time on the course. That’s a good thing for those older humans out there doing agility as well.

Are most OES suited for agility?

OES are fast, agile dogs.  They love the sport and it usually shows when they are running.  They tend to be bigger, heavier boned dogs, so the trainer needs to take this in to account.   Teach your dog how to jump.  Yes, they can jump over logs and onto couches, but that’s different. Good jumping form is an essential skill and not one that necessarily comes naturally to many Old English Sheepdogs. Clean run magazine has some excellent articles on jumping.  Ask your instructor if she teaches jumping skills. 

Jumping at lower heights during training saves a lot of wear and tear on the body.  Teaching a dog how to do the a-frame without jamming his shoulders and learning how to get across the narrow dog walk plank are all things that the bigger dogs need extra training consideration for.  

How much does equipment cost?  Can I make my own?

There are some great books on making your own agility equipment out of PVC.  The Internet also has web sites that sell equipment.  You can spend nothing: two chairs and a broom handle make a jump. Or you can spend thousands. 

Space is usually a concern, but there are some great new CDs and books out on what you can do with one jump.  Susan Garrett’s One Jump CD is just one example. Clean Run magazine has a lot of great info about things you can practice with a small amount of equipment.  There are also a lot of chat sites that can help you if you run into a problem.  

You can do a lot of work with some weaves and 4 jumps.  If I had room I would probably add a teeter and a tunnel to my four jumps and weaves wish list.  

How long must I train before I am ready to go to a show?

This is really a loaded question, so I will answer with the following: every handler and dog are different.  Many students are ready to show in a year if they practice at home in addition to the one class a week.  If a dog has a problem with movement or noise it can take longer.  Many dogs and handlers only train once a week and still show - it just takes longer. 

A word of caution: don't be in a hurry to get out on the show circuit.  Ask your instructor or try a couple of fun matches. My rule is that my dog must be able to do the next level easily before I go to a show.  Remember it is the training that is the most fun. The shows are just the icing on the cake.

How much time does it take to train a dog?

You can spend as much time or as little as you want.  Dogs don't forget what they learn.  I train all day long.  If I am in the kitchen I ask for a sit or down and toss a cookie.  When I go out to train, first I decide what I want to work on and then my formal training session lasts about 30 minutes and I have trained FOUR dogs in that time.  

 Does my dog have to be registered to compete?

 AKC agility competition is the only venue that requires documented pure-bred dogs.  If your dog is not registered but is very clearly an Old English Sheepdog, you can probably obtain an ILP number so that you can compete.  Check the AKC web site for the details (www.akc.org). Most other agility venues – such as CPE, NADAC, USDAA and others - allow you to compete regardless of heritage. 

You can go on the internet and see where shows are being held in your area and go to observe. Clean Run’s info center is a good place to start: http://www.cleanrun.com/infocenter.cfm

 Can I do agility just for fun?

I don't think you can do agility and not have fun.

Submitted by Marjorie Trebino  - mtrebino@mac.com