Maybe some agility people can weigh in here. I'm pretty sure younger dogs don't jump high because of the stress on developing joints. I'm guessing three feet is probably too high for a dog that hasn't hit maturity yet.
Done carefully there are many things you can do. Jumping them at 3 ft if that is what OP is doing - is NOT one of the things I'd do.I have a young male Dobe too (he is just about to hit 16 months) and he LOVES LOVES physical games, so I'm dying to start beginning agility with him, and I was told no real agility activities until 18 months. Which is tough, because I ride horses (hunter/jumper), I like to bring him to the barn, and he thinks jumping the horse jumps is SO FUN!!! haha.
That's great to hear, thanks! I think I will let him start jumping the cross-rails ... I love the idea of using the standards to teach him where to go without the actual jumping.I start puppies with just the jump upright and no bar. The going OVER is the easy part. The learning how to read mom's signals is the hard part. At about 10 months I let them jump 8-12" depending not he dog. and I slowly move up. I don't go to full height until growth plates are closed.
Weave poles actually are also another thing to wait on as they put stress on dog's growth plates, shoulders, etc.I personally wouldnt jump him, you could try other agility things though like tunnels or weaving poles though!
We could start doing tunnels, right? What about the ramps? I think I will start focusing on his "stay" in the interim.Weave poles actually are also another thing to wait on as they put stress on dog's growth plates, shoulders, etc.
Yes you can do tunnels, etc. The hard part actually isn't the equipment but getting from piece to pieceWe could start doing tunnels, right? What about the ramps? I think I will start focusing on his "stay" in the interim.
What is full height, by the way?
Good point, I think it'd be fine if you take it easy and space out the poles further than normal though. I would keep training sessions down to 10-15 minutes too.Weave poles actually are also another thing to wait on as they put stress on dog's growth plates, shoulders, etc.
If you are going to compete, this is a very bad thingGood point, I think it'd be fine if you take it easy and space out the poles further than normal though. I would keep training sessions down to 10-15 minutes too.
If you are going to compete, this is a very bad thingWeaves only take a few weeks maybe 1-2 months to train (assuming the person has their own weaves). If you open them up or space them out for too long, you'll make the trainnig process longer and harder in the long run. The dog will get used to the space you set them and have a harder time transitioning as you close them up. When you train, if you start with the wide (channel method) the goal is to close them up as fast as possible and keep the dog succeeding.