Lab losing enthusiasm for agility - found out why!

KMH

Thought this may be of interest - Ash is two and has been in agility training for some time now, really enjoying it. He started competing this year, and got some lovely clear rounds. However recently he seems to have lost his enthusiasm, and is jumping in a very stilted manner. I couldn't put my finger on any problem, but I wasn't happy, so I took him to a Galen Therapist who I have used before, with great success, on Fife. Within moments she had identified the problem - tightness in the back / hip / abs area. The prognoses? After a couple of treatments and me massaging him regularly Ash should be as right as rain again.

It just goes to show - trust your instincts about your dogs. I could see nothing wrong with Ash, he wasn't lame, or favouring anything, he just "wasn't right". Poor chap must have been in pain, yet he still got me a clear round at the show on sunday. I feel really awful - and he knows it and is milking it for all he is worth!!

Still, in a couple of weeks he will hopefully be fit and well and raring to go and enjoy agility once again! Lets hope so anyway! Galen Therapy is excellent!

Katy

Carley · Posted: Wed Oct 08, 2008 5:18 pm Post subject:

Glad you got to the bottom of it and your boy will be back enoying his agility again soon. Very Happy

KMH · Posted: Thu Oct 09, 2008 4:38 pm Post subject:

As a PS to this, just one day after treatment, Ash is SOOOO bubbly and cheerful again! Really makes me realise now how quiet he had gradually become over the last few months, poor love. He helped empty the washing machine, and my bag, this morning, and had a lovely game with Oak trashing the kitchen while I got ready for work!!!

We are off the the New Forest this weekend so hopefully all the boys will enjoy that.

Oh I can't tell you how glad I am that my Ash is so happy again, and that's just after the first treatment! I know not many of you on here know us but all you LF people are so nice I am sure that you will understand my pleasure at having my happy boy back with me again!! Laughing

Tail wags!!!

Katy Fife Ash and Oak

Chocice · Posted: Thu Oct 09, 2008 4:42 pm Post subject:

I love to hear of labs doing agility and competing - some people think the sport is only for collies Sad

Cadbury will be attending agility as of 12 October. He can't do anything though until he's 18 months (he's only 8 at the moment) but he is going to meet 'the team' and, if he is very very good, he may be allowed to go through a tunnel.

Can I ask how you got started and how labs compare to other dogs (those dastardly collies) in the sport?

KMH · Posted: Thu Oct 09, 2008 5:02 pm Post subject:

How lovely to hear of another agility fan!

I started because my beloved Fife was very bouncy in his youth. (Even now, at 9 1/2, he is no slouch!). Although gundog training was our primary aim, at agility I could train Fife and run with him at the same time - he was ALLOWED to be exuberant (sp?) - he could leap about and I was pleased with him! We all of a sudden became a team and worked in unison. Interestingly, the gundog work improved amazingly as a result. It was almost as if Fife new that he leapt about at agility, and sat steady in gundog training.

Fife took to agility like a duck to water and we were both totally hooked. We started for fun only, so learnt a few bad habits, but when the bug really bit we started competing, and wished we didn't have the bad habits! (Contact points? What are they? I'm a labrador - I can jump from the top of the A Frame!!!!) If Fife had started competing earlier I am sure that he would have won me out of grade one / starters, but luckily he didn't, so Ash can start in the nice easy courses. Fife is now doing Allsorts, veteran and casual classes, where he holds his own very well.

As regards Labradors versus collies - well, there are some very good labs out there who are often placed. Fife was alway about 10% of the entry - so if there were 150 dogs in the class he would usually be 15th, if there were 100 dogs, he would be 10th, roughly speaking. Now he is in the smaller classes for old dogs he does better - for example he had his first win the other day out of 19 dogs!!! I was SOOOO delighted!!!!! My baby baby boy!!!

Labs are good at the twisty turny courses. Collies tend to excel at the speed courses. They do hold special ABC (anything but collie) and gundog classes now too.

I started Ash at just under a year old. He did lots of poles flat on the floor, dog walk and A Frame flat on the floor, tunnels etc. He is fantastic at touch points as a result of this early training, and very "with me" on the course. The main thing with a young dog is make sure everything is easy, and fun, and try not to push to far ahead until they totally understand the basics. Much the same as any other training really.

The very best of luck, and HAVE FUN!!!!!

Katy

_Jules_ · Posted: Thu Oct 09, 2008 5:22 pm Post subject:

Glad to hear Ash is feeling so much better already. Nothing worse than stiffness and pain stopping you doing what you love.

I'm another Agility Fan here Very Happy

. I don't compete as yet, although Mojo is part of an Agility display team. I would have loved to have competed with her but her ED means she can't do full size jumps or A frames. However now I have the Pood in training and she loves it Very Happy

. She is only 6 months old and I am busting to join a Club and learn how to do it properly (Mojo is like Fife "What contact points?" ). Cleo she loves the tunnel, seesaw, dog walk and the tiny jumps we put up for her, so I think in a few months time we could have the makings of my first proper Agility dog (albeit in a very small package Laughing

).

Chocice · Posted: Fri Oct 10, 2008 11:28 am Post subject:

Thanks for that, it was really interesting - now I'm all keen to get started Very Happy