Newbie Tips

This is a collection of tips for new comers to Agility!
There is a collection of links at the bottom of this page for more articles for the Newbie!

Good luck and have fun!

Agility is like life, there's always another obstacle. © Paul Greer "The Motley Crew"

1st, for me, is the biggest *gimme* in agility - the practice jump. Imagine walking the course and then taking Rover to the practice jump and getting to ingrain a maneuver in you and your dog that you will use in just minutes on the course! You'd be surprised to find out how many people don't take advantage of this *gimme*.

2nd - start adding off-side weave training on Day1. You might not see off-side weaves until Open or Advanced, but once at the highest levels you'll see it very frequently. Train for it now and reap rewards later. Train entries from every direction and from every obstacle. (The judging trend now seems to be from the collapsed
chute).

3rd - it's better to have 2 or 3 very short sessions a couple times a
week than one long (read that stressful and maybe even boring to
dog) session a week.

4th - Don't let the start line or position of the first jump dictate where and how you place your dog. When it's prudent, start your dog back of the line enough so that he will be running full speed as he crosses the line and the stopwatch is engaged. This may cut a second or so off your final time. Also, try to line up your dog so he(or she) can see the second obstacle even if it means taking #1 at an angle (which of course you will have practiced at home and on our friend *Mr. Practice Jump* :)

5th - Read books on sports psychology. Most of this game is a mental combination of common sense and self-confidence. ...these are just a few; give us your top 2 or 3 while avoiding redundancies. thnx - Marquand Cheek

Great ideas, Marq! Here are a few more:

1- Never forget that your principle job as team leader is to Make The Course Obvious To Your Dog. It is not to impress your trainer or your friends with your ability to execute moves you learned in class or at a seminar. :-)

1a - You're the one who should know what works best for you and your doggie team mate. While the thoughts of others walking the course may stimulate you to think about alternate approaches to sequences, keep your own strengths and weaknesses in mind when you decide on your final plan.

2- Volunteer to ring steward (reset jump bars, straighten the chute, etc.). Doing this for the Excellent/Masters/Elite classes provides you with a fantastic seat from which to view the techniques used by experienced handlers. Whatever the class, if you pay attention, you can learn a lot about what worked and what didn't, and why.

3- Never take any skill for granted. When you're training, review your ENTIRE toolbox from time to time. That way you won't be stuck on a course thinking "You know, a cross at the bottom of the Frame would work really well here, but it's been so long since we've done that it'll be too risky to try."

4- If you've had a chance to see a paper copy of the course before you get to walk it, you'll know where the spots are that are most likely to be problems for you. When the judge opens the course for walking, go directly to this spot. This sometimes gives you an opportunity to evaluate the sequence before the other 50 people in your class get there.

5- Whatever happens on course, try to remember that there is a Very Strong Possibility that the fault doesn't lie with the doggie half of the team. Whether it's a question of handling or training, in my experience there are a lot more reasons to blame yourself than there are to blame the dog. Barb Klucik

ALSO: besides doing off side weaves from the start, do off side equipment also. Don't just stay on one side. Example: if you do the dog walk with your dog on the right, then the next time do it with him on the left. In our classes the students have to do it on a different side each time on all the equipment. Scot Bartley

Well, I'm still working on these 2:

1. Stand up straight.
2. Keep moving. Trust your dog IS coming with you.

Julia Hunt

My tip is to always work on both distance and control from the beginning. Don't let the dog get used to you always running right up to every obstacle, or let them get patterned into always running towards the next one. Teach both sending ahead, and immediately coming to you when asked from Day One. Mary Jo Sminkey

I'll add my big one here: Build foundation.

It is human nature to want to get there as fast as possible but it frequently leaves serious holes in relationship and skills for the future. Make a long-term commitment to your agility team. Enjoy the process and building foundation is really fun!

And face the course, not the potential mistake. Just came back from judging. The majority of the off-courses were because the handler was verbally calling the course direction but still facing the off-course! Kathryn Horn

Try to find someone like an experienced friend or your instructor to watch your run. Hopefully, they can tell you that your dog made a mistake because you did such and such- 90 % or more of the errors are due to handler mistake ,not dog. A lot of beginners berate their dog when they are the one responsible. Having someone tactfully tell you that your outstretched hand caused the off-course, or outrunning your dog (I do this one a fair bit!) caused the knocked bar ,is very helpful, and hopefully, you will learn from each mistake. Stephanie Snide

Always finish the course. Don't stop concentrating on running with your dog until *after* you cross the finish line. And make sure you cross the line before you touch and celebrate with your dog. This is especially important when the collapsed chute is the last obstacle since many dogs will turn back to their handler and not keep running forward. John Senger

If your run has been less than stellar and you have been whistled off, quickly run your dog over the remaining jumps leading to the exit gate. The dog has no idea what the whistle was for and you can convey a positive ending to the run. There's always another trial! "Repeat that!" There IS always another Trial! It's up to you to keep it fun for you and your team mate. Katie Greer

The obstacle is not finished until you have passed a "X" feet beyond it. This is especially important in the weave poles where handlers have a tendency to "pull" their dogs out of them. Imagine a "finish line" past each obstacle where you must go before you are done. This teaches the dog that it must not only do the obstacle you requested, but keep on running. It also teaches the handler that it's not over until it's over! Katie Greer

When your dog goes around a jump and you are calling him/her back to you for another try, ***Don't put the jump between the two of you when you call your dog back*** That gets you an "Off Course". Geeezzzz...I knew this, but heck it didn't even cross my mind during the run, until I watched her taking the jump to get straight back to me. Brenda Woodmansee

1) Don't anticipate the next obstacle until you've finished the on you're on. Blew my first Q this way - I said 'over' for the last jump before she had made the contact on the dogwalk, and she took me literally.

2) Learn the course, and slow down enough to make sure you follow it. Better to lose a second or two than go off-course because you are rushing.

3) Remember to thank the judge if your run goes completely awry. Doesn't show much class to leave the ring in disgust, forgetting that you aren't the center of the universe.

4) If the dog goes off course, look to yourself for the reason - bad or late commands or signals, poor positioning, control or training problems. Remember, you know the course, s/he doesn't.

And of course, have fun and make sure your pooch is having fun too. Holly Newman

Tape your practices, too. There are so many times when someone says "but he/she does that great in practice...". Its frequently enlightening to watch how your handling differs in competition than it does in practice. If you change your handling (consciously or unconsciously), it can likely affect your dog. Kathie Leggett

Get and READ the rule book. It won't answer all questions, and sometimes rules do change, but the official rule book is the right place to start. I'm always amazed at how many people get to trials but still don't even know the books exist. Often trainers are so used to the rules themselves that they forget to mention some of the simplest things to their students. Debby Funk

My tip is don't stop handling your dog in the ring. Sometimes you think you might have gotten a fault and let your handling go and mess up something else then come to find out you never got the original fault. When you let up so does your dog. Keep it fun and your dog will have fun too.

My brag is Peaches, my Aussie finished her MX title with 1st place. She is half way to her MXJ too. The show in Covington was a blast and the Deep South club did a wonderful job. They had the prettiest rosettes for all 4 placements. I got a nice silver pin for finishing our title. thanks again for a wonderful weekend!! Shari Sylvia

This may or may not be you, but this something I see over and over again with handlers and dogs that leave the ring. Someone has a dog that regularly leaves the ring. As soon as the dog starts to leave, the handler starts demanding the dog to "come" in the most obnoxious tone voice possible. Occasionally the dog actually does come and instead of praising the dog with at least a "good dog" , the owner simply continues the course. Too me, that offers the dog no reason to ever come again. You have to think of it for the long haul. You might have to blow a few classes one season, but you set the groundwork for a totally awesome dog for years to come. I was totally impressed at my last trial when I say a handler who's dog regularly leaves the ring. She jumped, jumped, jumped, tunnel, and as he came out of the tunnel. She asked him to come. He did. She picked him up, praised him profusely, thanked the judge, hopped over the fence where she had treats waiting for him. So maybe you ought to plan something like that a few
times. Good luck :-) Jen Lawson

© 1999 Agility Ability and the noted authors of some of the individual listings.

Agility Info for New Enthusiasts Holly Newman's page of information.

Finding Trainers from Monica Benton.

First Trial Lessons by Mike Striegler.

How to fill out an entry form from Good Dog Agility Club.

SCAT Their beginner's guide to agility.

Trial Guide for Novices from Dogpatch.

What Faults? An explanation of Agility performance faults and how they are applied.