Anyone using agility equipment w/cocker's?

N

Newmommie

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Owned by
1 cocker
Just wondering if anyone is/has tried getting their cocker into any type of agility workouts? I'm just thinking this might be fun for Buttons. I could set it up in my shop. Maybe one of those tubes?
 
I do agility training with Grace, but we go to classes. So far she's done jumps, a hoop, the tunnel, weave poles, the A-frame and the bridge (dogwalk). You can buy some small agility sets at places like PetSmart - they have a couple of lightweight jumps, a tunnel and some weave poles. That might be fun for Buttons to play with.
 
Dylan and I used to do agility in IN. There are no close classes here. Dylan loved it but I needed work on my agility. I found some equipment at Target, of all places, last year. I think Pet Smart might have some, too.
 
Karen
Are you going to start in Agility again?

Once I retire, I'm going to start therapy. :)
 
Well I think this will be fun & exercise for me as well as Buttons. Thanks for the replies. One question comes to mind: did you use treats to get your dogs to learn to use the equipment?
 
Yep, for some of the stuff I used treats to lure Grace onto or over the equipment. Some of it depends on whether or not you ever want to compete. If you don't want to compete, proper performance isn't as important on most of the equipment. If you ever get an A-frame, a teeter or a dogwalk (bridge), proper performance is crucial to your dog's safety. But for the jumps, tunnel and weave poles, you can have a bit more fun. Most Cockers LOVE to jump, so it's easy to teach jumps. You can find patterns online for PVC jumps that are inexpensive to make and light to move and store. Weave poles are a bit trickier to teach, because there are competition requirements that have to be met, but if you're just playing with them, I'd use luring to get your dog through them. The tunnel is easy as pie - and most dogs LOVE running through the tunnel.

Polly, I used to do therapy with Quigley (now gone) and Farley, as well as with Mare's boy Billy's momma Keeley. I plan to get Grace tested to do therapy work as well. I think she'd be good at it, since she's so even-keeled and gentle. And she LOVES people. Therapy work is extremely fulfilling.
 
""Once I retire, I'm going to start therapy. ""

I know that you mean therapy work with dogs but, LOL, when I first read this I had to laugh, I had a rough week and just this morning I told my mother that once this week was over I was going to need therapy.

On a more serious note though, therapy dogs do so much for people. Several years ago when I had to have emergency abdominal surgery and was in the hospital for the better part of a week I was in pain & depressed. The hospital that I was in had two therapy dogs and one of them was a buff cocker named Gaby. I so looked forward to her visits as she always brightened my day.
 
I think pet therapy is wonderful. I've thought about doing that but Dylan is still a little too exhuberant. My son Kenneth and his dog Knute do something a little different. There is a program at the library where they go to work with children who need reading help. Knute and Kenneth both work with a child who needs help with reading. The child reads to Knute. Knute, a black lab mix. Knute is VERY active but he just curls up around the little boy and listens to him read. They both really love doing it.
 
DJ's Three said:
""Once I retire, I'm going to start therapy. ""

I know that you mean therapy work with dogs but, LOL, when I first read this I had to laugh, I had a rough week and just this morning I told my mother that once this week was over I was going to need therapy.

On a more serious note though, therapy dogs do so much for people. Several years ago when I had to have emergency abdominal surgery and was in the hospital for the better part of a week I was in pain & depressed. The hospital that I was in had two therapy dogs and one of them was a buff cocker named Gaby. I so looked forward to her visits as she always brightened my day.
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Hahaha DJ.. I need that kind of therapy right now! Hopefully, if everything falls into place and our ecomomy doesn't take a nose dive, I hope to retire when I'm 62, in a year and half. So, Robin is keeping Stormy's therapy title UTD for me, then only I and Michael have to get tested. Maybe we will then get Pogo a therapy title also, then we can donate our time to the local hospitals and nursing homes. Anyway, that's my dream :)
 
karenwalksthedogs said:
I think pet therapy is wonderful. I've thought about doing that but Dylan is still a little too exhuberant. My son Kenneth and his dog Knute do something a little different. There is a program at the library where they go to work with children who need reading help. Knute and Kenneth both work with a child who needs help with reading. The child reads to Knute. Knute, a black lab mix. Knute is VERY active but he just curls up around the little boy and listens to him read. They both really love doing it.
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Karen that sounds wonderful too! I would love doing something like that!
I'm sure Kenneth and Knute love it! It's really great to donate time like that.
 
karenwalksthedogs said:
I think pet therapy is wonderful. I've thought about doing that but Dylan is still a little too exhuberant. My son Kenneth and his dog Knute do something a little different. There is a program at the library where they go to work with children who need reading help. Knute and Kenneth both work with a child who needs help with reading. The child reads to Knute. Knute, a black lab mix. Knute is VERY active but he just curls up around the little boy and listens to him read. They both really love doing it.
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That sounds like a great way to help children learn. Good job Knute!
 
I have always wanted to try the reading to dogs therapy program . . . to me it seems like such an awesome idea. How cool that your son and his dog Knute are a part of that!
 
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