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So my boyfriend and I came to the conclusion that Cadence is an extremely fast runner with lots of energy. Now we're just trying to figure out an outlet for that. I've heard of agility courses, although I don't know exactly what they are.
Is there anything that could provide better exercise for Cadence? We've tried running with her, but we ended up more tired than she was! We sometimes take her to his grandmother's house, since she has a huuuge fenced in backyard. Cadence will just run like crazy sniffing everything in sight, or we will play fetch with her but again, our arms will get tired before she does! Haha I've never seen a dog who just loves to run around as much as Cadence.
Dog agility is a very BIG sport, and there is so much information about it, too much for me to elaborate on here. Type in a google search for "dog agility" and you will find pages and pages of links, articles, how-tos, websites for agility clubs, pictures of dogs doing agility, and even instructions for building your own agility equipment! To sum it up, agility is a series of obstacles (jumps, hoops, tunnels, poles to weave through, etc.) for dogs to navigate. They practice getting faster and more accurate. There are competitions for this sport, or you can just do it at home with no competition, simply to give the dog something fun and stimulating to do and to expend some excess energy. You can make it as difficult and challenging as your dog needs it to be. I've been considering building some equipment for my own girls. In addition, some home made equipment can be designed for portability-- easy assembly and disassembly, for packing up and moving to a larger practice field-- ideal for people with tiny yards or no yard.
If an opportunity comes to you in life, say yes first, even if you don't know how to do it.
Check with your local dog trainers and/or kennels too, one of the ones here has agility classes for owner and dog to go to in order to familiarize themselves with what it's about, etc.
agility is brill! i do some with my staffy, he's not good but its a great energy outlet, heres a vid of us so you can get an idea, also you can buy cheap kits which you can set up in the garden if its big enough, definately get some weaves though if you do start for your garden, they really have to think about them.
Since it is still raining here, and I only have one pair of shoes, I opted not to take my dogs out tonight, to avoid having to sit at work with cold wet feet all night. So to work out some of their excess energy, my son and I set up a makeshift agility course in the living room. We put their toy box in the path between the love seat and an end table, and their food bins lined up on the other side. I stacked a column of boxes in the large open space to weave circles around. I got some yummies cut up, and started luring them over the jumps and around the column. They caught on fast, and began going over the jumps and weaving the column spontaneously, to keep me doling out the treats faster. I don't know about them, but I worked up a sweat! Judging by their smiles, I think they enjoyed it, though, even if they didn't get very tired. After they got so rambunctious that all of our obstacles were getting knocked over, I decided it was time to settle down with some puzzles. So that's just one spur-of-the-moment, off-the-cuff idea for something to do without a lot of building and planning, and can be done in a large room of the house.
If an opportunity comes to you in life, say yes first, even if you don't know how to do it.
Sounds like you loved my idea, Fundog! I made an agility course for my dog in the basement of my home because of the weather, the fact I had some work in my basement to do, and my basement is a wide-opened space. My dog LOVES it! I know it's not the same as being outdoors, but the time will come when I can take her out to my friend's farm to run. Way to go!
"Common sense is instinct. Enough of it is genius." -author unknown
So I have been looking online for agility, lure coursing, and fly ball but nothing close to me!
I know Cadence would absolutely loooove lure coursing since she has a very high chase instinct. Maybe I'll go buy a remote controlled toy car for her to chase lol!
Oh wait! I just found a place online that offers agility courses. It is a registered "kennel club" I believe? Not exactly sure what that means, but I also got the impression that I have to be some sort of a member to go there..
I emailed them inquiring about it, so we'll see! Haha
I use a lunge whip (aka flirt pole) You can buy a lunge whip @ horse supply store or make your own from a broom stick. Simply tie a toy (SKINZ are really good) on the end of the whip (or rope if you make one) you stand still and throw the line & dog will go crazy chasing it. Max loooves it but his whip broke so I have to repair it or get another one. If you put a scent on it like food or rabbit it will enhance the fun.
