Recreational Agility - who can do it, when to start

Most beginner agility classes take place with the dogs on lead, or on tab leashes.  If your dog comes when called, that's a good thing.  Personally, I would not jump a dog before their joints are finished growing. Different ages for different breeds, but talk to your vet and your agility trainer.
I'm sure agilebasenji will be along with some thoughts, too.

Can just about any dog breed (other than the giants like Danes) do agility?

 
Any healthy dog can do agility.  Some people are just a little more challenged with their breed choices.  And even Danes can excell in agility:
 
[linkhttp://www.morgandane.com/agilityTopDanes.asp]http://www.morgandane.com/agilityTopDanes.asp[/link]
 
A dog can jump its full competition height when the growth plates have closed.  This varies from breed to breed (and perhaps individual to individual), but for a medium sized dog 18-24 months should be safe.  You can start learning much sooner if you like, just keep the jumps low or on the ground. 
 
How much obedience will vary from program to program, but it sounds like Scout is ready to start as long as she doesn't have dog or human aggression issues. 

Can just about any dog breed (other than the giants like Danes) do agility?

Dog agility is a lot of fun and exercise for both dog and human.  I did it amateurishly with one of my Great Danes.  This dog just seem to have a little too much energy for its age and size.  I took Drizzle through beginners and advance obedience and then certification.  I think it was around her 1st birthday we started the agility training.  Drizzle seemed to be at big disadvantage because there were Border Collies and Shetlands in the class.  She had a hard time with getting use to the equipment but the good thing about it was that the acclimation was to use a gentle approach, no corrections, no pulling, no pushing, no forcing-great confidence builder approach.  One piece of equipment that she just could not get was the weave poles.  I did not appreciate the snickering because we did try so hard in class.  Well, happying ending.  With the purchase of $10,000 of equipment and practice, practice, practice, Drizzle excelled and in my opinion outshined the others and astonished everyone to boot.  I guess I showed them...Or did I?

Also, prior to the adult dog agility class, was the puppy agility class.  I came to my class early just to watch the puppies do agilities. 

One piece of equipment that she just could not get was the weave poles. I did not appreciate the snickering because we did try so hard in class. Well, happying ending. With the purchase of $10,000 of equipment and practice, practice, practice, Drizzle excelled and in my opinion outshined the others and astonished everyone to boot. I guess I showed them...Or did I?

 
It's a shame they snickered at you.  Different dogs learn at different rates and plateau (not a permanent plateau if the owner keeps at it) in their learning at different points.  If any of those people are still around, send them my way and they can watch Morgan do weaves.  I've seen her often, but I still stop to watch her run if I'm in the building. 

Jeez, when Sioux first started, there was a Rhodesian Ridgeback in her class that couldn't get the tunnels.  Everyone was kind, waiting and hoping.  When he finally did a tunnel, everyone cheered!  

I found this very interesting.  I am interviewing Training Organization that use only positive reinforcement methods of training.  I have a foster SA hound dog and I am willing to pay for a professional behaviorist/trainer and follow their guidance.  He has progressed well enough to take the next big step.  Taking up from the work that I have already done, the behaviorist recommended agility training as the first training exercise as a confidence builder rather than start him on obedience or Clicker training.  The dog does not have perfect obedience.  We have to discuss this furtherand...the behaviorist and I have to plan out the full training regiment but I found it interesting she chose agility before any dog obedenance training.  Works out perfect for me since I have the equipment.

Taking up from the work that I have already done, the behaviorist recommended agility training as the first training exercise as a confidence builder rather than start him on obedience or Clicker training.

 
I'd have thought some clicker training first, but I do know of quite a few people who have taken their dogs to agility training to boast confidence.  (Usually conformation dogs)

In my beagle's, Carley, agility class, she got spooked after a bar dropped due to another dog barking and her turning around to see it.  She wasn't herself in class for weeks.  We are off leash in this class, and everytime I took her off she'd try to get throught the gate.  Took her forever to get back to her normal self.  But the class was very patient, and didn't mind taking so long.  Gosh, we had a pittie get the zoomies during class, all we could do was laugh.
 
You can work on faster sits and downs, a better recall, stays, and targeting to your hand (I don't know everyone's view on this though, I use it often to get her close though)  Carley didn't have perfect leash skills (and still doesn't, I don't like using a leash anyways at home) before her first class, and she's done just fine.
 
Is the class a fun only one?  Or do they get you ready for competition and stuff?  I know that a lot of people had problems when they went to fun only ones and eventually wanted to compete.  I started agility for fun only, but I do plan to compete now (which won't be until next summer) It's so much fun though, and I want to get some titles on this dog.  Her breeders knew I wanted to start a few sports with her, and even though they had planned on keeping her, they let me have her since she was fearless towards new things and connected with me the very second I picked her up.
 
Have fun!
 

know that a lot of people had problems when they went to fun only ones and eventually wanted to compete.

 
I'm not sure what the difference would be.  If someone told me they wanted me to teach them to do agility just for fun, I'd assume they eventually will want to compete, even if they don't know it, even if it's not this dog.  What would a "fun only" class include or allow that a competiton class wouldn't?  Anyone know? 
 
I could see someone having an active dog that wasn't allowed to jump full height for medical reasons, but every organization that I'm familiar with will allow dogs to enter at a lower jump height. 

ORIGINAL: agilebasenji

Taking up from the work that I have already done, the behaviorist recommended agility training as the first training exercise as a confidence builder rather than start him on obedience or Clicker training.

I'd have thought some clicker training first, but I do know of quite a few people who have taken their dogs to agility training to boast confidence.  (Usually conformation dogs)

I'm one of them.  I took Sioux to bolster her confidence as a prospective therapy dog.  Glad to say, she made it - this is her fifth year as a therapy dog.

Max is in an agility for fun class right now. I think he might be the oldest dog, and he's a little short of 2. I think the others are closer to 1 1/2. I don't really have plans of competing with him, but maybe I will one day with another dog, or maybe I will do it with him some day. I didn't do the competition class because the time wasn't as good for me, and I think I might have been uncomfortable in that class if it had been full of a bunch of purebred dogs of breeds who are typically good at agility. In Max's class there's a bull terrier, pittie, and I think the other dog is a portuguese water dog, but i'm honestly not sure.
The pittie doesn't really like other dogs. Nobody's really perfect in obedience. The dogs are on leashes or tabs when we are all in the fence. Max was bad when we had the leashes on the dogs. He'd grab his halfway into the tunnel, turn around and race out into the field. His recall, which is usually good, was gone then. There was no way he was coming back, he wanted me to come get the leash and play with him, and  I really couldn't do that either. He's much better with the tab. He still has tried to grab it, but it's not nearly as fun. I also can have the more fun thing, I either bring his rope, or if I forget I let him go for the leash.
The pittie gets through two  obstacles a lot of the  time and then she gets the zoomies.  It's almost without fail.
It's a lot of fun, but I think if I were in a class with people snickering at me, I wouldn't like it either. Part of it really is the nice group. We share treats. When Max was trying to do zoomies out of the tunnel people tried to help me out and catch him the week I came without my sister. We stationed Max at the end of the tunnel when the bull terrier didn't want to go through so that he could run through and play with him. And having the dog that doesn't like the others really doesn't seem like a hassle to me. Sometimes we each work seperately on a different thing and rotate. Other times everyone else worked somewhere else while that dog worked on something she needed more work on. We've done groups of two, and when we do that, Max is usually with her. For Max who usually wants to play with every dog he sees, not getting to play with her is tough for him. Not going nuts about wanting to play with every dog he sees and staying focused on me is something I am trying to work on with Max, so it actually works out nicely to have this situation. He also doesn't, and I won't let him lock eyes and stare at her like one of the other dogs does.
Go for it Scout! I hope you have fun!

I think people should seriously consider taking their puppies to agility foundation classes rather than to beginner obedience classes. Even if they have no desire to ever persue agility. Most agility foundation classes teach the owner how to motivate and train, and the importance of timing and proper rewards, far better than the puppy obedience classes I've observed. And they emphasize the importance of the dog-human relationship, and of making training fun.

My pup and I just completed our third class in agility 101 - and I'm in love! It's so much fun!  I was not very excited to start b/c I was worried about my dog doing it, but we are both having a great time.
 
My pup is about 19 months old and very high energy.  Might I add that he's never  met a dog he doesn't like, ie, he thinks he needs to meet, greet and play with every dog he is near.
 
Agility has been really good for both of us.  The first class was horrible, he was very distracted, barking at all the other dogs wanting to play, biting his leash, etc. But after two more classes he is more focused, is doing excellent on the equipment, and isn't barking at the dogs Granted he is still chewing his leash when we are just standing around watching the other dogs, but it's been great obedience practice incorporated into something fun.  My guy has a good sit and stay but all the distractions in the class are really good training. While we wait in line I practice his sit, down, shake, etc.
 
I also think it helps if your dog is food motivated, as my guy quickly learned that a yummy treat was waiting at the other end of a run. There are all types of dogs in my class, from teeny tiny things (don't know the name, sorry) to aussies, to poodles, to a corgi.  My guy is one of the largest (ridgeback). The class after us has a bloodhound in it.
 
It's great fun! We all cheer when a dog overcomes an obstacle, and even if we are laughing at something a dog does it's all in good fun and it's b/c the dogs are so smart!
 
Good luck! I really highly recommend it.
 

Thanks CatherineC - your description was great and it sounds like a blast!