Four Weeks of Agility Classes: Some Thoughts

Four weeks of agility classes have gone by, and now I can safely say that Romeo likes it. I've noticed a couple things about Romeo that have changed while taking agility classes. Mind you, there have been a number of other changes in his routine, so I can't say that it's all due to the agility classes, although I feel agility classes have been a much greater help at getting Romeo more socialized around other dogs than obedience was. Mostly because I think obedience wasn't very challenging for Romeo. And a bored dog is often a barking dog.

Now, reading agility literature, one might think that agility is the cure-all for a shy or fearful dog. Literature says that agility "builds confidence" and "deepens dog-owner relationships." I think this may be true, but not in the way that agility propaganda implies. Mind you, I have a degree in psychology but that doesn't make me an animal expert by any means.

I think a dog's "confidence" is built by agility much in the same way obedience training using positive techniques builds confidence. A dog that loves you wants to do things that pleases you. The difference is that instead of telling the dog to sit, walk at a controlled pace, or lay down, things that calm a dog or put the dog into a submissive position, agility rewards the dog for doing something physical that the dog might like to do on its own anyway. I don't think completing an obstacle gives the dog any sense of real satisfaction, since, let's be honest, at the end of the day, a dog is a dog and doggie doesn't care whether he jumps over the hurdle or not. I think the real satisfaction comes because the dog gets to not only run (which doggie wants to do) but also do something in the process that makes the owner/handler happy (do the obstacle). It's like double happiness for the dog to be able to do something doggie wants to do and make the owner/handler happy at the same time. Dog is happy; owner/handler is happy. Et voila! A deepened dog-owner relationship.

I already love my dog, and my dog adores me. No problem with our relationship there. So my thought is that telling a dog to run and then rewarding the dog for running would have much of the same effect. Romeo and I often run down the hallway together, and I swear he loves that as much as he loves agility sometimes.

The one thing that sold me on agility to begin with was speaking to two men who owned standard aussies. They both told me that their dogs had boundless amounts of energy, and that they could run them for miles, but physical exhaustion wouldn't stop their dogs for more than a couple hours. But agility works their minds, and when their brains are tired, they are quiet and still for the rest of the night. This has been absolutely true with Romeo. I don't think he gets nearly as much exercise as when we go to the park and play ball or frisbee, but he is putty after agility class.

So we'll continue because Romeo likes it, I like that it challenges him and forces him to focus, and I like seeing my dog able to jump over hurdles and through tires and run through tunnels and stuff. I don't know if we'll ever actually compete, but it's a good hobby for us so far.

Here's Romeo's progress on the agility obstacles after four classes:

Hurdles - They are still set to the lowest level for beginning training, but Romeo has had no trouble completing three in a row on his own so far.

Tire Jump - Surprising to me because of the infamous hula hoop affair, but Romeo has had no trouble jumping through the tire so far.

Tunnel - He runs through with no problem - again, I was a little concerned after the hula hoop fiasco, but he excels at the tunnel.

Chute/collapsed tunnel - Romeo did fine in class 3 with the chute, but would not do it in the 4th class with no one holding the sheet up so he could see the end this time around. I had food in the hand that pointing him into the chute, so I don't know if it was actually my mistake or not. In retrospect, I'm pretty sure he was following his nose. So yes, handler mistake. Sorry Romeo!

Weave poles - Now, mind you, we're in our beginning stages, but I think he's mostly getting it just fine. I'm able to lead him through the weave poles with no real stubbornness on his part.

A-frame - We only did this in class 3. The first time, we had to force him up the A-frame. By the third time, he knew exactly what to do on his own. All within the space of 10 minutes. Amazing!

Seesaw - We did this in class 4. Romeo would not, and I mean, WOULD NOT get on that thing the first time around. Then he figured out there was food at the other end of the seesaw. The second time he figured out how to get on the see saw, and the third time, he rushed so much I needed to help him stay on the thing to get to the end. So much for his fear of the seesaw!