Agility

[FastBoxers]

Hello Everyone! I am happy to have found this site. Here in Texas I think that I am the only one the runs their Boxer in agility. I have been to numerous trials this year and have found only me...I hope I am wrong and someone will let me know!

I currently run my 4 year old Boxer male, Jake in AKC, USDAA and NADAC agility trials. He have his NA title after only four standard runs. We also have one leg in JWW (not our best area) and one leg in Open Standard. In our first and only (so far) Open Standard run he scored a perfect 100 and took first place! We beat Border Collies...yeah! I am also training him to get his CD (he has his CGC). His heeling is poor but I am trying very hard to make it more exciting for him. We take private classes once a week in Obedience.

I also have a five month old brindle bitch named Niki. She is so smart. I am also taking obedience classes with her. Her attention is beautiful. She learns so very fast. I think I have an OTCH dog in my future! Unlike my male, she adores obedience. I have also introduced her to the tunnel, A-frame, dog walk and chute.

I would love to talk to anyone about their Boxers and agility. My guy is so great that I figured there MUST be someone else with a Boxer doing agility out there. Right?

Michelle Urban
La Grange, Texas

[JeanW]

Hi Michelle,

We have just started entering Kelly in jumping and agility. His first trial was last week so he's very new at it and is not much good but I think he has lots of potential, your dog Jake certainly is doing well!

We had trouble getting Kelly to go through the tyre. He does it on medium OK but is not consistent on high yet. He can do it but he is still not sure. He needs more confidence. Also I don't think he knows that it's serious yet, he just rushes around having a great time but thinks it's play so he does not yet realise that he has to wait and go over obstacles in the right order for example. As I say though, I think he just needs more experience.

He is doing quite well in novice oedience though, he got his first leg of his CD last weekend.

You sound like you have a champion in the making with Niki, she is doing well for her age. My other boxer is 9 months and is still very silly (maybe it's because he's a boy - I think they take longer to grow up.

[Shadrap]

I have Gina who is 22 months old in agility. She simply loves it. Her favourite aparatus are tunnels, see-saw and the A-Frame.

Even if I may so myself, I think she is pretty good (when she realizes that there is a specific order to doing them)

Keep that boxer flag flying.

Peter

[JeanW]

Peter, you are doing very well with Gina if she can do the see-saw already. Kelly is 2 years old and he won't do it yet. We tried him when he was younger and he fell off (he didn't hurt himself - just got a fright) so we have to build his confidence back up again. I'm not too worried at the moment though because we don't have to do it in Novice and he has yet to get the 5 legs in that first. I think it will be a while yet !

[Shadrap]

Hi Jean

I realize that I am rather lucky. I see other dogs who refuse the see-saw and the dogwalk because of the height and fear of falling. Gina has no fear on them but I struggle with getting her to do other things like weaving poles and in working trials - stays. These I am sure will come in time just as I am sure that Kelly will regain confidence again. Sometimes I guess it takes you to be confident and your dog will feed off this confidence. I really believe that dogs understand us a whole lot more than we will ever realize.

Thanks for your comments.

btw. here is a pic of Gina doing the A-frame

Regards

Peter

[Krikkit]

We do agility with our four Boxers, or they do agility with us. It is a great sport and so much fun. We compete in ANKC and ADAA agility here. Bella and Layla are at Masters level, Amy is at Open level in ANKC and just went up to ADAA Masters on the weekend, and Ruben is at novice level - and likely to remain at novice for a very long time

Peter, that is a nice photo of Gina

[Shadrap]

Hi Krikkit

Your dogs look absolutely outstanding. Congrats on all your success.

They really have a great jumping style ... nice rear leg extention.

Peter