Schutzhund and AKC agility either or Both?? - Page 1

Is it a problem , while a one year old female, very drivey, already in schutzhund training, and using a treadmill for exercising, and having a busy mind and body, to enroll her in some AKC agility activities at the same time. Will it confuse her, or  what kind of effect will it have on her schutzhund training, if any..... advise and comment for this lady.......

I wouldn't do agility  until the dog was at least two if for no other reason than she is still growing & fast turns & jumping is hard on them young bones, ligaments, etc..

I would have to agree on the jumping it is hard on the growing bones  but that does not mean you can not start using the see saw, weave poles, and tunnels. Be creative and make up your own agility coarse (with out the jumping).  Why not do Rally? low impact and a lot of fun too.

Luvmidog-- I would adamantly disagree with the former posts.. 1. dogs can learn a multitude of tasks simultaneously without PROPER instruction interfere with other tasks being taught .. .. So would you say you are not going to do bite work because you are teaching your dog to track ? .. and that is Sch .. of course as pups 10 weeks in Sch i start my puppy in all phases  Trak /Obd.  /Prot. . 2. it is not about agility per se .. goodness a 16 week pup will hop on /over something .. therefore in french ring [which i  also do w my GSDs] i start even at 12 weeks to have my dog hop over an item perhaps 1 foot in height. it is an opportunity to imprint and to teach the pup  that agility [conditioning ] is fun . therefore it does not seem to be obedience later on  because the dog is having  fun and it can't wait to offer the behavior and perform . they even get a charge/ sense of accomplishment in hopping. 3. COMMON SENSE exercise builds strong bones /muscles and ligamnets. -- [ now i don't jump my dogs the full 1 meter until physical maturation .. again commonsense]. now as for pups .. if the GSD is that brittle //please give me a break that you cannot mimick what it does in nature and naturally .. well ... just well .

There is a TON of foundation work that can be started in agility (just like in Schutzhund or any other sport) from the time a new puppy comes home.... both sports take a ton of time and dedication but there is no reason why age appropriate cross training can't be done.. contacts are like the one of the most crucial parts of any agility course and they are a build up kind of exercise and they can be worked on the flat to start .....

Agility is no longer a sport you can fly thru by the seat of your pants, it is highly competitive just like every other sport  and handling and handler training is crucial.. so there is lots that can be done in both.. I say these pups can not be exposed to too many good controlled experiences!!

Alphapup, no one said anything about dogs not being able to learn both at the same time.  It's COMMONSENSE not to ask puppies to make tight turns at full speed and to jump high - has nothing to do with whether or not the dog is "brittle".  Why are you always so argumetative?   By the way when was the last time you saw GSD's out in the wild?  Yes, we all know your dogs are faster, better, stronger than anyone elses.

I agree, teaching her the agility equipment would not be a bad thing, just keep the jumps very low & stay slow until she is done growing.  As you know, agility competition is all about speed & precision, so just have fun for now!

The pup ,he ask about is a very fit pup, she is on the treadmill everyday and is up to 15 miles now. She carries Cinder blocks around and if they are not broken in half when she unloads them from the pile beside the A/C, she pushes them to the sidewalk where they hit the concrete and slit, then they are hers...she goes up and down stairs, like 10 of them and is all muscle...

Her owner just is curious about the akc agility and doing the two.....She is hard headed, but does focus on training , just doesnt want to mind on matters , at the homefront , without the ball or a tool in hand . She has to be doing something, and wants constantly to be involved with her.

Does anyone else have their pup on a treadmill??  It is amazing that a dog will stand on a treadmill and  do that..for that length of time...

I was shocked as this is a new thing for me...I notice in the magazine they advertise the doggie treadmill...she is using her mama's treadmill....

My new kid is going to be enrolled in agility class. I need to keep her busy and I learned from my first dog that the approach my class teaches is all positive without any stress for the young dogs. The bond created is wonderful.

This girl has to be kept busy too....they walk her to the beach in gal every other day, and she is on the treadmill 3-4 times a week  schutz 2 times a week, plus the home work, and both of them work but come home at lunch and let her out ....on weekends when not at schut...they have 5 acres fenced on the mainland and she runs there and chases a donkey, her friend at the fenceline...

I think the agility would , like u said  increase that bond that she is having a hard time with , because she is so head strong and has a mind of her own, being so high prey and drivey.....Stress she doesnt need.....she is an anxious dog,,,cant wait to get to the tract and work,,,,she uses all positive reinforcements...but boy does she test her....makes you lose it sometimes....

this is her 4th german shepherd and she worked Cola for 8 years  with the same trainer....and Dax was her male , but he only did the obed and bitework....he was the grouch and had an aggressive attitude..but thats ok   he was their watch dog for Galveston home...and business..