Gathered up here (below) together are four different handouts for agility that have been widely used by Dane and other giant dogs owners to train their big dogs successfully and safely. Note also issues of spay/neuter can affect athleticism in giant breeds--see Chris Zink DVM's comments for an intro to this subject.
FOR MORE (GENERAL) AGILITY TRAINING TIPS CLICK HERE.
ARTICLE #1:
GIANTS & AGILITY: General Concepts/Starting Out: 8 Lessons To Live By (JP
Yousha 2004):
1. It would be an exception to a general rule to have a dog over about 30" & 100 lbs be generally competive
in agility & to date, largely because of time/space constraints on course, giants are at a real disadvantage
in the higher levels, so you have to start out understanding this is a medium-sized dog sport, and giant dogs aren't
exactly a perfect fit. IOWs, you do agility as you have giants, not get giants to do agility? Not to say you shouldn't
do your best, but your best should be the "best" for the dog, too, not just for the results.
2. No giant baby can be taught agility, even for fun, like a 50 lb dog is, so DO NOT take agility from ANYONE who
isn't really out there competing who will, in theory, at least, have gone to a few seminars, maybe is an agility
judge and/or at least knows something about how to train other dogs successfully. Lots of dogs get injured doing
this, it's a big money sport for all sorts of knock-off training centers now, so BE careful who you choose to train
with and ask things like: a) what titles do you have on your dogs & what breeds of dogs have you personally
helped train to titles, b) what seminars & other training do you attend & are you in touch with giant &
toy agility people. Find someone who will work with you & acknowledge the special constraints of giants.
3. JUMPS: NEVER EVER EVER jump any giant who is not mature--say under 18 mo.--and anything above elbow height is
jumping! Period. And leave if pressured to do so. 12" is ALL a growing Dane, for example, should go over (&
this doesn't require him to actually jump, as he can "pop" over this height). This will accustom them
to the obstacles & uprights but not ruin their bones. Jumping should generally be taught in a jumping lane
or "chute." It's a set of skills all of it's own & the chute helps a dog concentrate on this without
worrying about taking handler direction. Suzzane Clothier has a super great handout that is under $10 about how
to construct a jumping lane. Once the dog is a year and a half old is soon enough to start jumping 20" and
over. Until then teaching directional skills (actually more important anyway) can be done even on the ground (ala
Greg Derrett).
4. TUNNELS: Since the tunnels are 28" & the chute can be 24" in diameter, your giant dog must really
learn to crouch to get thru. Either teach them very young, or use some sort of training tunnels which are at least
back height. (This is a reason larger males esp. may not be able to compete.) Tunnel work is very tiring for long
legged giants like Danes, don't forget. This is one skill it's great to teach young, as puppies can walk on through.
Tunnels are really hard (physically) on adults (as they have to crouch), so it's best to teach them young &
then do them only sparringly once the dog is grown up. At least that's been a good strategy for many with giant
dogs.
5. CONTACTS. NO CONTACTS for young animals (giants under 18 mo.) on competition obstacles. No Dogwalk, Aframe or
Teeter unless training mode used (i.e. opened out, closer to the ground, less acute climbing angles). These very
dangerous obstacles must be taught slowly with care on training-type approximations CLOSE TO THE GROUND. The Aframe
opened wide out, the Teeter put on the Table,etc. & the dogwalk--no competition equip, please, as this is the
"killer" in agility. Practice with a giant puppy on a board on the ground first, as the dog has to be
taught to navigate this narrow board and some dogs will even have to learn to single track first. Then put the
board onto cinder blocks, etc. & do NOT get the dog up the competition equipment until he is over ~18. mo.
& can steadily maneuver a long board with ramps. And the dogs must be fit. Bear in mind you cannot do the "usual"
& lift up a 100 lb. Dane puppy up onto the contacts for them to begin by walking down the ramps. Creative thinking
is necessary. And safety first!
6. ABILITY & AGILITY: make haste slowly--this is best with all training, really, but imperative with this sport
& giants as you must feel & think your way through each stage (& usually with a little competant help
from an experienced trainer or handler). Don't rush to speed or height, and teach the obstacles carefully with
hand & voice cues. Make sure your dog is well built & fit, or he'll break down with this sort of rigorous
activity. And remember with potential breeding stock--if the dog ends up with OCD or CHD--are you honestly going
to be able to live with yourself and will your dog's breeder live with you if the dog blows out a knee or something
ends in their not being able to be bred? Safety and the "whole dog" concept should come before competition
goals.
7. Weave poles are the "forgotten" enemy? Baskets help, as to off-set and wide-out weaves, but the "new
religion" in agility indicates a growing awareness of the physical difficulty in doing weaves. A lot of the
ch-ch-changes in agility are about focusing more on signals and teaching "moves" and less on pattern,
course & actual obstacle training. So give your guy or gal a chance to practice and learn; it's not all about
competition after all? Weaves again may be something a young giant can work on some and later can be sparingly
practiced to save the dog's back. And short weave poles can be especially dangerous for tall giant dogs. They can,
with speed, literally become trapped in them, ending impaled or snapping off the poles and getting injured in the
process.
8. "PLAY" AGILITY is GREAT for giving a shy dog confidence & a wild baby an outlet for all that energy.
Competition agility is for the agile ADULT dog. It is more fun that you ought to be allowed to have....controlled
chaos & a great stress-buster! But with a giant dog especially caution and thoughtfulness, and using your gut
to say "no" about things that others may do with a more average dog is VITAL. So agility can build confidence
in dog people too! Good luck, have fun with it, and watch out for your little "big" one along the way.
I'd suggest anyone interested in agility with Danes start with the "good manners" sort of training that
leads to getting the Canine Good Citizenship (CGC) certification, and then from there segue into Rally Obedience,
which is a sort of fusion sport, combining low obstacles with various obedience and free-style dance moves, that
helps safely prepare a potential agility dog for this more rigorous and faster sport. Both programs (CGC and Rally)
can be accessed at the AKC website:
http://www.akc.org
RUN FAST, RUN CLEAN!
This message written and prepared by JP Yousha for the purposes of education and if written permission is obtained
can be reprinted to that end. All copyrights © remain with the authors. CHROMADANE
2004
ARTICLE #2:
The FOUR PILLARS of ZEN AGILITY (JP Yousha & Carrie Burns, MD. 2004)
#1. Forget the course and remember the dog. The time to walk the course and plan strategy is BEFORE you get on
it with your dog. When you are out there, don't worry about where to front cross and so on, but just try to visualize
the route your dog needs to take & stay out of his<G>way, point ALL your body and parts towards the next
item<G>on his route. This will get your further (esp. as a novice) and dampens that <G>Chinese Fire
Drill feeling of the runs.
#2. Commit to each obstacle; hold your signal. Don't be flapping<G> in the breeze, arms and legs going, but
SHOW the dog the obstacle and HOLD the signal until you see the dog commit. We too often give, and then take away,
the signal in the rush to get to the upcoming part of the course. Do each obstacle in order & let the dog<G>know
what is next. (Seems simple but is often overlooked.) Focus your eyes and your arms and your feet (and all inbetween)
and LOOK, POINT, where you want the dog's feet to go.
#3. Follow Dorie's advice (from Finding Nemo) and "just keep swimming". Forward motion in agility is
everything, so flow with the course and keep a *smooth* & *elastic* sort of forward impulsion and the dog will
be safer from injury, nevermind have an easier time completing the course. Seek a sort of Zen fluidity, a warp
you and the dog enter and where the course *pulls* you thru it and brings you out the end. Like a flow vortex.
If you have turbulence<G>inside, well, be like the sea turtles, eh? Treat it like it's way mondo and flow
with it. (Don't panic and add to the turbulence.)
#4. And last but not least--don't work for Qs. Work for communication instead. Set out to have a fast & clean
run where the two of you are totally connected. Don't focus on the "hard" or trappy parts of the course,
don't break it up into easy and worrisome points, just start out, flow thru, and come out the other end. If you
have a disconnect, do *EXACTLY* what you do in training to get your teamwork back & forget about what that
might do to your Q. My father told me when I was a child to "do the homework and the grades would take care
of themselves." The same advice applies here: keep the flow and the Q's will take care of themselves.
That's the FOUR PILLARS<G>this grasshopper has learned from the agility Yodas. And good luck--you always
need that! jpY
This message written and prepared by JP Yousha for the purposes of education and if written permission is obtained
can be reprinted to that end. All copyrights © remain with the authors. CHROMADANE
2004
ARTICLE #3:
READY FOR COMPETITION? Fred Brattain < www.fredbrattain.com >
When are you and your dog ready to compete?
The answer varies depending on the perspective of the responder, but the question is often asked by someone who
probably is not ready to step into the ring. It might be more appropriate to ask "When is a team ready to
compete in USDAA, or AKC, or CPE, or NADAC?" The answer can vary by venue, once the basics are covered. For
instance, in CPE Level I, there are no weave poles and no teeter. This makes CPE a great venue for truly beginning
teams. NADAC, USDAA, and AKC have a teeter at every level. NADAC has six weave poles in Novice, USDAA has twelve
poles. AKC includes weave poles in its version of Jumpers. You can enter a NADAC trial, run Jumpers, Tunnelers,
and Touch N Go, and never see a set of weave poles.
But, and this is critical, I see teams take advantage of all these choices BEFORE they are ready to compete. People
mistakenly decide whether their team is competition-ready based on equipment that will be tested. This decision
is wrong. You can have a dog that is not solid on weave poles, but is ready to be in the ring. The true test of
whether you are ready for the ring is your relationship with your dog when you are working. Granted, the dog must
be able to safely execute the equipment which will be tested, but the test is much more than that. Just because
your dog can do a series of jumps doesn't mean your team is ready. Just
because your dog is not afraid of a full-height dogwalk doesn't mean your team is ready. Just because the dog nails
every contact in practice doesn't mean your team is ready.
Here is a test to help you evaluate your team's readiness:
1. Does your dog come when called despite distractions?
2. Will your dog be reliable and safe around other dogs in a stressful environment?
3. Does your dog have fun when you go to practice?
4. Do you run stress-free at practice?
5. Does your dog run stress-free at practice?
6. Can you remember a 16-obstacle course after a five-minute walk-through?
7. Does your dog think running an agility course is the most fun you can possibly have together?
8. Is having fun with your dog more important to you than "looking good in front of all those people"?
9. Do you praise your dog every time she goes off course (because you know who sent her there)?
10. Are you ready, willing, and able to look like a happy idiot at the end of every run, regardless of whether
you qualify?
If you answered yes to all 10 questions, and your dog is safe on all the equipment, then go trialing. If you honestly
answered no to any of these, you are not ready yet.
ARTICLE #4:
Managing Competitive Stress for Good Sportsmanship by Bobbie Kolehouse (AKC
Gazette, April 2005, Vol 122, No. 4, p. 16)
"Vince Lombari said, "Winning isn't everything, it's the only thing." Or maybe not. We hear a lot
about winning at whatever the cost. Yet sports psychologists now indicate that excessive competitive stress hurts
us and can actually make us lose the urge to compete at all. Competitive stress, the kind experience in achievement-oriented
activities such as dog shows, agility trials, field trials, and UN test, can help our psychological growth when
demands and resources are balanced. When out of balance, our stress increases and we no longer enjoy these activities.
We burn out. SO how can we genuinely be good sports during periods of competition? And, more than smiling through
tears, how do we manage stress in order to enjoy our dog activities for the long haul?
"Sports psychologists recommend a combination of muscle relaxation techniques and cognitive coping skills
to help us understand what our body is telling us. When we are aware of those responses, we are better able to
control them. Anxiety hurts performance and lessens our enjoyment-for us and our dogs. Retired professional handler
George Alston has some great advice, which he has shared with his many students: "When you have control of
the head, you control the body." SO how do we control our heads? Psychologists call this *cognitive restructuring,*
which means to recognize when we are thinking irrationally, and to understand that such thoughts threaten us. We
must then stop them, and replace them with rationally analyzed thoughts, using specific self-commands and positive
self-talk. Examples include: "I'm doing the best that I can and no one can do more."
"Stress Management Training (SMT) is one method of teaching emotional control. SMT is a series of clinical
treatment techniques delivered in an educational program. In the program you learn to control emotional responses
that could interfere with performance, to focus on the task using muscle-relaxation training. Because muscle relaxation
is incompatible with physical arousal, if you learn to relax, you are better able to control the negative self-talk
that contributes to stress. Some strategies to do this include telling yourself:
+ Winning isn't evening.
+ Failure is not the same thing as losing. Losing doesn't make us less valuable as a person.
+ Success is not the same thing as winning.
+ Success is related to effort and we find it when we strive. You are never a loser if you give maximum effort.
We all make mistakes, but if we know we've given our best, we also win.
"To be a good sport, remember that the goal is to simply enjoy the range of competitive and noncompetitive
dog events that are available. We want
to enjoy the camaraderie of belonging to a group. We want to be happy in the moment with our dogs. Learning to
manage levels of competitive stress
allows us to grow in those friendships and affiliations, both emotionally and physically, and to have fun with
our dogs for a lifetime."