When can I start teaching my dog agility?

Question

Liz Randall · Answer

Hi, I'm Liz Randall. I am a professional behavior specialist and dog sport trainer. The question is, when can I start teaching my dog agility? I love this question because I love agility and it's awesome for you and for your dog. So, when can you start? We recommend that you don't actually start teaching obstacles or putting your dog over obstacles until they're at minimum a year old because we want to make sure their growth plates are closed and that physically they are strong enough to withstand the jumping and the impact of going on the different equipment. But, that said, there are many, many, many things that you can do much earlier than a year old to prepare your dog for agility. So, those are some basic skills like recall, like stay at my side, stays, also body awareness, can you climb over things, under things, through things, toy skills, all kinds of lots and lots and lots of fun things you can do before the dog is a year old. So, look for a local foundations agility class in your area and they can get you prepped to get going with your puppy even well before they're a year old. Have fun. Agility is amazing. It's so much fun. It's a great way to build a bond with your dog and I hope you get out there and try it.

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"When can I start teaching my dog agility?"