Following up on that....

Thank you Jackie and Kat for the comments.

Looking back at a post is always a little unnerving for me and this last one is no different.

When I read it again I felt like I was looking for a reason although hopefully not an excuse for the likely-hood we won't be ready to compete for a while. The idea of competing seems impossible and within reach, exciting and terrifying, all at the same time.

Thank you Kat so much for the common sense approach of when I don't expect any problems.

I'll be expecting them for some time although never the ones that actually happen.

Oh well, it's one issue at a time and this week we're working on contacts at a distance and that is good!

How old are successful agility dogs?

Nobody talks about this and I'm curious about the answer. If anybody can give me some feedback on this subject it would be great.

My Xena is almost 18 months old. She's been going to agility classes for about 10 of those months and she's doing great. The question is however, should I even be thinking about competing with her at this point?

Let me put it this way. Xena is still childish in some ways. Physically she's probably at her peak but her actions are not always predictable because of her exuberant energy. If she were to begin competing in agility too soon I fear she could start developing bad habits such as launching off the A-frame or dog walk.

I know that many people do start competing with dogs not yet 2 years old so how is that going?

It depends on the dog and the breed most likely but at what age does a typical herding breed, medium sized dog begin to acquire that steady dependable focus.

I don't want to make a big mistake with her is why I'm asking the question. Xena is 40 pounds of more dog than I have ever known and she deserves the best life I can give her.

So, back to the question. What is the peak age of a winning agility dog? Should I hire someone else to run my dog when she's ready so I don't screw her up?

Any advise is more than welcome!

Aussies Shake a Tail Feather

New Post From Lana

I finally got this to load here and youtube. 

I was having a lot of trouble with Falcon Broadband last week so the video never loaded correctly.

First they said I had to cut off part of a huge tree but it turned out there was another tower

to point it at with a mere 90 degree turn.

Dog powered scooter video

New Post From Lana

Short and blurry video. I actually went pretty far with both dogs but this was all he got.