Learning Agility

In our busy modern western world our dogs just have to fit into the gaps left between our working life, our family life and our social life. They no longer have a specific job to do, except maybe keep an eye on the kids outdoors and guard the house when all are away.

Lucky dogs belong to athletes who like to run and kayak and cycle, or fishermen who go out on boats, or families that love to picnic where the dog can go with them. But for most dogs that is not the case. There might be a walk once or twice a week, which they go absolutely nuts about and pull on the lead or if running loose - disappear over the horizon. Oh poor dog you think it just has so much unused energy.

Yes that is true, dog does have quite a lot of physical energy, but, dog also has emotional energy and intellectual energy and those are the energies which lie untapped in the body of a dog who does not get proper working stimulation.

I want you to imagine what it would be like to live in just one room where very little happened; there were no books, no toys, no television, no ability to escape and see the world. What would you do? You would notice a cockroach on the skirting board and talk to it, you would count the cracks on the floor. You would lie on your back and stare at the ceiling till it went all funny and multi coloured and then you would squint to see how many colours there were. Anyway you get my drift - your mind would still want to work even when the environmental stimulation was very low. This is the dog: all that wonderful brain power so it barks at the sparrow through the window and chases its tail, and sometimes self- mutilates, chews anything it can get its jaws around and generally looks for ways to keep itself stimulated and it’s brain alive. Isn't that sad.

Okay, so that is extreme boredom of a dog that is left at home alone 9 hours a day. Most dogs just get prematurely old and fat, and sleep and fart a lot and their owners think they are happy with their lot. That is why the dog sports opportunities are so important for the family pet: learning a few tricks, jumping a few hurdles, powering through tunnels, learning to weave through twelve poles, climbing the A frame and not jumping off the other side.

I train with agility gear with my classes with the view that each individual team may one day want to compete at Agility so they will learn the proper way to do things, however, a lot of people do not want to compete, they just want to stimulate their pet dog and have some fun themselves.

I can hear you all saying - this is too athletic for me. I believe we can tailor a system to suit absolutely everyone. Children can just have a real blast with their dog, older people can work at a level that suits them and certainly all levels of disability can be catered to. I have a wonderful sight impaired lass with her tiny Aussie Terrier, who are just magic. Wheelchairs and walking frames are not a problem. The dog learns to treat this as part of the game. Think of the farm dogs working way up there on the hills by whistle contact only with their Master in the Valley. If they can do it we can do it.

I consider Dog Training the Green Solution to everyone's woes, absolutely wonderful treatment for all ailments known to afflict us all from time to time. Great way to get the waistline back. My dogs and Agility have brought me through huge grief, cancer and various broken bones, bad backs and losing my business due to illness. While I am dog training I am in a different world.

All dogs need to start with basic control which can be done at 10a.m. on Saturday Mornings at Dog Sports Rotorua, or I can work one on one with anyone. Expensive? no I don't think so. One on one Control or Agility $10 for one hour, needs to be weekly for about three months and we will build up the dog's knowledge of the Agility Gear while we are about it.

Class cost $5 for one hour. Excellent for making your dog work around other dogs, which can be hard with playful young puppies, or jumpy aggressive types who don't like to have other dogs in their space and need to learn to accept it. How soon should training start: puppy class four months, socialisation, early control, play to learn. Six months: normal control class with confidence games, and then on to the Agility classes to really get your dog working.

It is fun - it is done in achievable steps. Some people take longer than others to wade through the control and general obedience stages, but it doesn't matter. Every time you come you are broadening your dog’s horizons, teaching him to work and letting him know what your expectation of his behavior is so he can get his head around it.

When you go home from Agility Class your dog will be serene, quiet, calm and happy. You will notice how often he looks at you to see what you want from him. The next time you head to the training ground he will start going nuts in the car as you turn into the grounds. This speaks volumes about how much fun he thinks it is, even if he is a complete fruitcake and rushes around the place seemingly making a fool of himself. He is in a very stimulating environment, and we will harness his skills and talents eventually. Let me know you want to give Agility a go and enter a whole new world with your dog. By the way, all dogs from very large to very small can do agility at our club. The Big Dog Class is inspirational, come and have a look sometime 3p.m. Saturday afternoons weather permitting. I am more than happy to set aside some free time to show you how this could work for you and your dog. Raewyn Saville - Trainer....

Club Corner News

Hi every one and welcome to this way of distributing the newsletter and keeping you up to speed with what is going on in the Club.

It has become necessary for us to move our equipment and activities from the Rail Park.

After much searching and investigation of alternative grounds we, your committee, for many reasons have decided to accept the most appropriate situation for our ongoing activities.

Paradise Valley Raceway (Stock Car Club) have very generously offered us the joint use of their car park. We have accordingly made application for a Resource Consent to the Rotorua District Council so we can take advantage of the Stock Car Club's offer. Watch this space for more information on when we will be relocating.

The Stock Car car park is a large space that is unused a lot of the time. It will be a very convenient place to train once we get there and get organized. Everyone will be able to drive to the ring they are working in and there will be lots of space to run two or three things at once to make the best of the time available, and cater to the needs of you - our valued members.

There will also be changes to the way we can do things at present. As there are only sheep fences there will be no opportunity to allow your dogs to run free. There is very little shade on the site however there are some trees around the outside of the area and we own a gazebo if we need to erect that from time to time. However, I am convinced it will be a great place to be, and we will likely be requesting helpers when we have a moving date.

I have taken my dogs to a few shows in and around Rotorua. It is really great when other club members join us and have a go at the shows. Thank you every one who has made the effort this season, keep it up and we shall bring home the ribbons.

It is fun!! We have a calendar for the year of all the handy ribbon trials. Please ask Raewyn or me for the dates of the Agility Ribbons so that you can maybe join us there.

We have decided to postpone the two day Flygility Tournament we had planned because we have not yet shifted to new grounds and also our four flyboxes are in need of urgent repair. We will re-schedule the Tournament for later in the year when we have settled into new grounds.

NALA continues to be a great challenge each month with both my dogs going clear this month, they turned it on to help celebrate my 73rd birthday. There were only three clear dogs Boston, Bootz and Boo, just enough to hold our team together and being eligible to submit our results.

Chris Hutchings - Manager Dog Sports Rotorua