Along with basic obedience work, we have found our dogs benefit from agility training. The big problem is finding the time. My gf does 30 minutes of training every morning. I do an hour walk with the dogs every afternoon. While we do yard work, the dogs are outside running circles around us.
Every Wednesday evening my gf takes Simi for an hour agility class. Every Thursday Kizzy has an hour long class. Kizzy has gotten good enough so that once a month or so we travel to an agility trial and she competes for ribbons.
There’s also some expense involved. The classes aren’t free. Agility trials have an entry fee. We have around $500 invested in jumps, weave polls, hoop jumps, and a teeter.
Again work and life. Spouse has had some ongoing health issues which limits the energy and time either of us have for them too. Yeah here I am playing on line relaxing with them sitting calmly near me, just throwing in occasional commands especially as they get excited about someone walking by outside. Could be seriously training. But my own mental health needs the chill time too. Will be taking the younger one on a two and a half hour plus long run in a bit. Which he laughs at. (Can’t run with both and the older doesn’t handle more than 45 minutes well anyway.) Not stimulating enough to tire him out.
Excuses.
A professional trainer may best help just by motivating me to spend more time working with them on assignments. I’m good at homework!
At the agility trials we attend the australian shepherds, border collies, and shelties really kick ass. If anything, their incredible energy is too much and their owners have to try hard to focus them.
A month ago we were at a trial and a guy’s aussie crossed the finish line then lept into his owner’s arms, knocking him down and giving him a nosebleed that wouldn’t stop.
As someone who has trained dogs to work livestock, I’d advise against it. If you think Agility is expensive, imagine buying a sheep farm for your dogs. I’m not, actually, kidding.
Our dog Simi starts his nose work (what the AKC calls it) in a few weeks. We are excited about it. We had a wonderful dog Kali who excelled in nose work. My gf could walk off into the woods, then call me with her cell. I’d let Kali smell her hoodie and give the “find it” command and we were off!
My gf would do weird things like circling back, jumping creeks, etc and yet Kali always found her.