When To Start Agility Training With Your Puppy: Insights From A World Champion #277 #podcast

When is the right time to start agility training with your puppy? That's a popular question I receive, and I'm sure other world champions also get asked! So, to answer, I’m covering everything you need to know about starting agility with a puppy, including the most important factor, and when and how I begin training. Even if you don't do agility, what I'm sharing can apply to a wide range of activities we enjoy with dogs, including being amazing members of our family.

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🐾 Video Timestamps:
00:00 When To Start Agility Training With Your Puppy With Susan Garrett.
01:05 Factors I consider beyond growth plates before starting a puppy in agility.
03:47 Creating success, safely and fun for agility puppies.
04:34 The four R’s - Relationship, Recalls, Retrieve, Reinforcement Zone.
06:48 What’s important about agility handling, verbal cues and discriminations.
08:30 Skills hierarchy for agility.
10:34 When to start running a course/sequence.
14:34 Why I love forest fitness.
15:20 How I determine the right time to focus on fitness, jump grids, sequencing.
16:34 Fun for puppies and dogs with a focus on the FUNdamentals!

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Resources:
2. YouTube Video: Understanding Your Dog's Reinforcement Zone (RZ) with Susan Garrett
3. YouTube Playlist: Exercising Your Dog's Body and Mind: Tips and Games with Susan Garrett

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[DogsThat]

Get your free Agility Cues eBook for the insider info on the cues I use -

[jenniferreesdavies]

6 minutes in and I'm enjoying this
'a lot of handlers end up in their dogs way' and
'forest fitness' I'm pinching those as quotes

[tbrech]

Our pup is working on scent work at 8 months. We need a better foundation and will continue to work on that going forward.

[yuminagaoka]

With my almost 10 month old BC girl, I felt our progress got really slow around the Wow game in Recallers. I struggled a bit with her very sticky sit or down. It has been hard for her to hear what I say when she is too aroused. We are also working on her reaction to other dogs, which we are also making progress. So we are still working on the very fundamental, but I learned yet again today that we cannot skip the part ever. Thank you always for generously sharing your knowledge and experience.

[sharons.]

Totally Great info. Yes the dog must be your partner and love you most not other distraction. DOG Must have fun. YOU ARE THE BEST INFORMANT EVER. KEEP UP THE GREAT INFORMATION TO THE WORLD PLEASE. THANK YOU!!

[azogal]

Always love hearing your philosophy and methods 🍪🍪🍪🍪🍪

[jeffreyH]

Great podcast. This one will be filed with my PuppyPeaks folder!

[ammi_]

I am happy to get this ebook because I didn't want to teach any cues that would be too similar to your agility cues. Even though my rescue dog was an adult when I got her she was so over weight and out of shape that it is taking us nearly two years to finally get her to a level where I feel she could start doing stuff. We were working on Recallers and fitness and we're about ready now!

[trudymoffat]

Once again, great information! I especially like your message regarding the growth plates. I hope future agility participants listened to that.❤
Thank you for all you share.

[heatheraitken]

Great podcast as always! We are working through homeschool the dog and fully intend to jump into recallers after. I think if pup enjoys fitness we will try agility down the track, when she is ready and confident, but we are both patient ❤

[ninepeach]

I want to know more about how to find R+ qualified agility trainers...I am in Canada

[NorthWestTruckers]

I just got a Rottweiler puppy, can I get more info on your course for building a solid foundation? Thanks