Just got Freckles measured tonight and bought her warrant card. So we are on the road! Margaret our trainer's wife, said - "are you sure you want to do this, it costs £3.50 - not worth it if she can't get over the jumps for a large dog". Freckles is the one we had to stop jumping the farm gates. "You'll need to get some weight off her first" said Margaret. Freckles is 16 kg and 18.75 inches. _________________ Annie
Handle every situation like a dog, if you can't eat it or play with it, just pee on it and walk away
For agility most clubs will allow dogs to start jumping at 12 months (even Brice as a giant breed started jumping at 12 months) but KC rules mean they can't compete till 18 months and most non-affiliated shows follow the same rules.
And to add a note of caution re flyball. I used to boxload for Prestbury Park who won at Crufts a year or so back. I would be very wary of flyball - it is a very noisy, very hyped and a very close quarters sport. Some dogs love it, some are very scared by it, especially if they get good enough to move from training to competition scenarios. I don't condemn it out of hand but be aware it means your dog will come into contact with some very possessive ball obsessed dogs who may be noisy and it may upset some Brittanys. _________________ Sue, Chase and the non-Brittany boys - Brice & Piper. Pets first and foremost.
I don't condemn it out of hand but be aware it means your dog will come into contact with some very possessive ball obsessed dogs who may be noisy
Why would anyone want to train a dog to be noisy and object obsessive? I really cannot abide even being in the area where flyball is taking place. The handlers are just as noisy and objectionable, while taking part in their "sport" as the dogs. _________________ My goal in life is to be as good a person as my dog already thinks I am.
I understand where you're coming from with the "noisy and object obsessive" and I don't know how realistic my intentions are.
I was hoping to join a team (whether it's in 6 months or 12) where the dogs and handlers didn't get overexcited - that seems possible with agility (although some dogs do complete the course barking all the way).
Do you dislike agility too? - it seems better disciplined.
Same goes for the ball. I wouldn't want to get involved if it negatively changed the dog's behaviour with handling objects.
(although some dogs do complete the course barking all the way).
Tegen on occasions It has been said that Tegen is naturally hyped up to the state that many handlers spend some time trying to achieve with their collies , She is calming down though.
Tegen is very nervy, but her enthusiasm for what she does like seems to override her fear. Not in that she does her agility sessions in spite of being scared, rather she is full of confidence, alert and free from worry.
With regard to Fly ball, I'll only let Tegen do it if is something she wants to do, poses no risk to her from other dogs and does not encourage poor behaviour in her.
Let's face it, walking past the benches at a champ' show is not exactly with out risk. In his short sowing career, Remi has had many dogs lunge aggressively at him from benches. Fortunately, he is too stupid to be scared but other dogs might not be so fortunate in temperament.
I know what you mean about the noise though. I thought some sort of major dog incident had occurred when I heard some fly-ball teams going into the main arena at Crufts this year. _________________ If a job's worth doing, it's worth paying somebody else to do it properly
I don't dislike agility at all and with a dog other than Chase would consider going back to it (I competed with my welshie) but Chase would always look to hunt as a preference so we do other activities. _________________ Sue, Chase and the non-Brittany boys - Brice & Piper. Pets first and foremost.
I don't dislike agility at all and with a dog other than Chase would consider going back to it (I competed with my welshie) but Chase would always look to hunt as a preference so we do other activities.
My question was more directed at John because I was trying to understand the range of opinion on physical activities and John had expressed quite strong views on flyball.
I think another poster captured it in a nutshell for me (although that post has since disappeared so maybe they felt it was less apposite):
I think that the introduction to most activities is fairly laid back, and that we have a chance to determine whether they are right for our dog(s) without causing any lasting damage.
_________________ If a job's worth doing, it's worth paying somebody else to do it properly
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Tegen on occasions 
, She is calming down though.