So, I recently discovered that my dog who’s around a year old would be perfect for agility.
I don’t want to enroll in classes and I would like to do the training myself. What do I need, what are some tips, what do I teach it, and how?

I am absolutely clueless about training a dog in agility, but I think that me and my dog should at least give it a go before we decide that its too much of a challenge.
So, where should we start? he is a 2yr old male, neutered maltese x poodle mix, and he loves to run and jump around, he goes really hyper.

When and How Do I Train My Puppy?

Anyone who has ever had a dog knows that training a new puppy is a challenge, but essential. With any new dog, puppy training starts the day that you bring your new pet home and continues for months as they continue to learn the basics becoming a part of the family. By the time you bring your new puppy home they are ready to learn. In fact, puppies can be trained from a very early age as long as we don’t expect too much of them right away. By natural design the mother dog has been educating her litter for several weeks, preparing them to survive on their own. By seven weeks the puppy’s development allows him to leave the mother and ensures the strongest human ties and best socialization possible. Older puppies may be less inclined to attach to humans right away, but eventually with love and affection and our constant interaction the bond will be just as strong. No matter what age you bring your puppy home, the important thing to remember is that they are ready to learn, they just need patience and practice!

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Will wrote to me about his dog, Lexi, and said:

“Hello Adam. I have purchased your book and DVD set, and my 14
month-old shepherd Lexi and I have made great strides.

We started agility training at six months and thanks to the long
line training, she no longer takes 1 or 2 obstacles and takes
off running. We also are involved in training for show obedience.

Now here’s my question that I need serious help with. I use the
pinch collar during training as I should and she responds
incredibly. The problem I have is when we are in the ring and
she’s wearing AKC standard collar, it’s a whole different story,
like we’ve never trained. She won’t heel the way she does on
collar (she lags behind) and on the handler recall she will
usually blow past me. And obviously there are no corrections
allowed at any AKC event. She’s obviously collar smart, so
please Adam, I need your wisdom.

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I’m wanting to start my puppy, Dixie, with some pre-agility training. I live in Dallas and I’ve seen some facilities online in the Dallas area that I’m considering. But I was wondering if anyone had suggestions about some good (or warnings about some not-so-good) places to do dog agility in the Dallas area.

do you think it could compete with champion type breeds.

I have two dogs. One pitbull/small hound mutt and a pure Beagle. They are both extremely athletic and a little mischeivous. I would like to be able to set up an agility course in my back yard so they have a positive activity that will challenge them and burn off some of their never ending energy. But first I need to learn how to train them to do this.

P.S. I also have to train the Beagle to behave off leash.

Im looking for a agility training course for my dog closest to stockton ca if you could leave a contact of the course that would be great

All dog breeds (http://www.dog-breed-facts.com/index.html) were developed for a purpose. Some breeds were developed to herd sheep, some to hunt game, and some to pull sleds. Dogs, like humans, enjoy having a purpose in life. Dogs like to lead a structured life and be able to associate with their owners in activities and be given the opportunity to please their owner. The following is a short list of fun activities that you may want to consider for your dog.

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Like at what age do dogs typically compete? And at what age do you retire them?

I have a 2 year old dog that is starting agility training this summer and the trainer said it usually takes a few years before the dog is ready to compete. So I am just trying to get an idea at what age she will be when she is competing and how long she will be able to compete. But he won’t start training any dog for it until they are two years old.

Also she is a mutt but they trainer said she will be able to compete, but we have to get some kind of register number or something. Could anybody give me some insight into that please?

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