We've taken the plunge...

[Waggy One]

...and put our names (Beau's and mine  ) down for an agility classes waiting list.  Now I'm scared and excited in equal measure so what I really want to know is, when the time comes, will they be gentle with us?    Do I need to be superfit to keep up?  What shoes should I wear?  I know this must sound stupid but I'm very self concious and I don't want to look a prat 

[Max X 2]

Good Luck. I'm sure you'll be fine 

I've got to ring tomorrow to find out when the class starts, although I am actually going back to the trainer where I 1st took Max & he only has 2 dogs maximum at a time so at least I won't look a prat infront of lots of people. But then I don't care these days, it's the dog they should be looking at.    Although I am secretly hoping it will help me loose a bit of weight too 

[sportsmonki]

I think your fitness will improve as your dog becomes better at agility and you need to run more?  As long as there are no medical reasons why exercise would not be advisable you should be OK?

I'd suggest wearing trainers with a good grip?  Or if you are training outdoors on slippery grass a pair of astro boots might offer you better grip?

Good Luck to you both with the training.

I cant wait till Storm comes to live with me and I can finally train her in agility...

[Cob-Web]

After I put my name down, I nearly pulled out after browsing some of the agility websites; warm-up exercises, footwear costing three figures, and loads of abbreviations with no explanation - it was so daunting   

I suppose it depends on the classes you have joined as to what they focus on - some are more competition driven than others; do they have a website? That might give you some idea on what to expect......maybe you could ask to go along and watch a class while you are waiting for a place to become available for Beau?

Interestingly, I have discovered that I'm not as "out of breath" now that Molo knows what to do.....the first couple of weeks, I was shattered after a couple of jumps as I needed to work really, really hard to keep Molo's focus and to teach him what to do  Once he began to understand the concept, and now commits to the "next" obstacle from much further away, it's just a case of keeping up with him; although in Molo's case, keeping his attention is still extremely hard work 

[Waggy One]

...Although I am secretly hoping it will help me loose a bit of weight too 

I think your fitness will improve as your dog becomes better at agility and you need to run more?  As long as there are no medical reasons why exercise would not be advisable you should be OK?

I'm losing weight and getting fitter anyway (no health probs - just sick of being overweight  ) and I hope Agility will give me something outdoorsy to do alongside going to the gym.  I've got high hopes of making new friends and eventually competing too    The lady from the club emailed me back last night and invited me to go along and watch, I think it's based somewhere they train horses so at least I'll be able to check out everyones footwear and see what the ground is like before we start 

Thank you all so much for the advice - I'm quite looking forward to it now 

[Rosie]

Please don't be worried - and remember everyone else in the class will be in the same position.

it is really daunting but almost all the agility folk I ahve met have been fantastic which is why I am soo hooked.

Always best to go along and watch before you start lets you know a few things - how to get there (some venues are quite difficult to find and it is better to try to find them when you have no time pressure!!), recognise some faces - who will train you etc, and what the surface is like.  For most indoor schools trainers are fine - its only if you are on grass and its been raining that rugby/football boots are invaluable!!!

At club we actively encourage all interested people to come along and bring their dog for a fun pre assessment - see how the dog reacts to other dogs etc- this gives the trainer teaching the babies the best info before the class starts as to how best to help each dog and handler. As we train on a rota system we can ensure the relevant trainer meets the handler also.

After all you want to have fun and the club and trainers will want you to also.

Relax, smile and be prepared to laugh at yourself!! and remember we have all been there - even the best dogs and handlers had days when the dogs ran off, jumped over the tunnel, handler fell over etc Its all part of the fun

[sportsmonki]

Glad you are looking forward to it.  I agree with IWLass, it might be good to take up the offer to go along and watch so you get an idea of what to expect. 

Let us know how it goes?  Hope your hopes for agility are fulfilled 

[speedyjaney]

We started Agility last summer and loved it however Jessie came off the end of the seesaw awkwardly and suffered with a really bad back for several weeks so we had to give it up - i was sooo disappointed!

Janey

[lolajays]

Ive put Maudie down too! However the trainer looked at me and said "can you run" Cheeky f*****!  My son is doing the running lmao! i might give it a go tho!

[PennyB]

We started Agility last summer and loved it however Jessie came off the end of the seesaw awkwardly and suffered with a really bad back for several weeks so we had to give it up - i was sooo disappointed!

Janey

I was lucky, Ruby did this and flew through the air then hit the ground hard with a thud (you could hear the wind come out of her) and then she just got up and carried on.