incorporating the new turns we learned

[JennyMc]

Kendal I think you both look great! Love to have a go but Bear would get stuck in the tunnel tho

[shona]

It`s always great to see enthusiasm and dedication, however, the video clip shows one of the things far too many people do when out of sight of a good instructor, possibly one of the most common mistakes in fact - the height the dog is jumping at times - its *far* too high.

There are reasons for height rules in agility - safety for the dog being the most important of all.
It is irrelevant that a dog *can* jump this or that high, in agility the dog should not be asked to jump higher than they would compete at for their height category.

Dogs do all sorts in every day life in terms of pressure on joints, so to ask a dog to do `extra` is to risk long term damage - that`s why no dogs under 12 months should do any impact training at all, because its additional to what they get up to just being pups - and the ethos continues for adult dogs not being asked to do more than they should. One day its `a couple of times wont hurt`, then its ` wonder if he`ll do a couple in a row really high`, and before you know it the height has crept in as a regular feature - every time a dog is asked to do more than is fair for the dogs own build, there is a little extra impact pressure on spine, joints and muscles which can build up and which could cause lameness one day.
It can also create a problem for agility in that the dog will over-extend even over a correct height jump, simply from learning to jump higher and longer than they should need to so the extra impact pressures would continue - that`s a lot to risk just to see `how high, just out of interest`.

`Homework` for agility students means working on what has been taught under the watchful eye of an instructor - not experimenting with something seemingly non-problematic but which could have ramifications later on, either for health of the dog, or habits by handler and / or dog which will have to be undone.

Please spare a thought for the instructors who see this sort of thing all the time and have to very patiently explain the same thing over and over to people who have had a go at home - its very difficult to put things in a way which don`t demoralise the enthusiastic handler, we want to keep the enthusiasm - but not the norty handling habits which develop when no one is there to say ` no, don`t do that`

[linsey]

Shona... I think that is a bit harsh, even if it is meant as constructive criticism.

If I was in Kendal's shoes I would be pretty upset about now.

I understand where you are coming from, but perhaps you would have been better off to send a PM to Kendal with your thoughts, rather than "pull her up" in front of everyone?
_________________
Dogs are the leaders of the planet.
If you saw two living creatures, one of them does a poo and the other carries it for him, who would YOU think was in charge?
- Laurence Billi

[Ashley]

[Emma*]

[kendal]

i was waiting for that to be brought up. i only have one jump at the moment, i am getting three more, i would never ask her to jump that height in competition.
just over the one jump.
i have been getting her too do that height since before we started agility, and i waited till she was a year and 2 months i think before i started her jumping.

i understand your concern and thank you for bringing it up, when i first started her jumping i only had the jump itself (no tunnels) so i would back up with her a good distance and we would run together at it, i would never expect her to clear three of that height its just not possible, unless they were widely spaced out to give her a good run, which i know is not the Case in agility.

not demoralized

do you do agility yourself
_________________
microchiping and grooming www.chipnclip.co.uk

[Emma*]

[linsey]

[Ashley]

Kendal, do you do all of this with Inca too??? You must be so busy!!!
_________________
Ashley with Holly & Murphy.
I hope to one day be as great as my dog thinks I am right now!!

[linsey]

i just meant Kendal's work with Inca at the Sunday dog classes...

Lx
_________________
Dogs are the leaders of the planet.
If you saw two living creatures, one of them does a poo and the other carries it for him, who would YOU think was in charge?
- Laurence Billi

[kendal]

[marcella]

I know zero about agility - whether the jumps were too high or not I'm afraid is something I know nothing about.
But I do know that you would certainly not do anything to harm Gypsy.

[Ashley]

[kendal]

technically for her height and length she shouldn't jump that high, but she can, but only once and only if she gets a good run up to it.
_________________
microchiping and grooming www.chipnclip.co.uk

[kendal]