Agility - Does the handler need to be physically fit?

• 04-06-2009 9:44 AM

  YellowOx Joined on 09-02-2007 Oxford, UK Posts 51 Points 20	Agility - Does the handler need to be physically fit? Reply Contact I am thinking about taking my girl to agility class. How fit does the handler have to be?  Does it involve a lot of running? I have reasonable physical fitness (I swim five times a week) but I struggle with high impact activities such as running due to a back injury. Will I be able to do agility?
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• 04-06-2009 9:57 AM

  In reply to YellowOx

  Kim_MacMillan Joined on 11-21-2006 Eastern Canada Posts 1,592 Points 200

  Re: Agility - Does the handler need to be physically fit? Reply Contact The great thing about agility is you only have to be as fit as you are able to train for. In other words, if you can't run, that's not a huge deal if you are able to train very reliable and strong distance work. There is an element of needing to move as quickly as you can, but not at the expense of injury. After reading the Clean Run magazine for a couple years, I have learned that just about anybody can do agility. There are a couple of well-known triallers with MS/Parkinson's that have been running agility for years. If you can't run well, you will have to make up for it in the training, but there's no reason you can't do it. Agility is a team sport. Within a team sport, all one would expect is that both team members give their best effort in order to make the team the best that it can be. As long as you are giving your best effort, whatever effort that may be, you are fully supporting your team mate and upholding your half of the bargain. That said, it is a good idea to be as fit as possible. I have begun doing both speed work and endurance running, and muscle building exercises in order to be the best running partner for my girls. I think it's only fair with all that I expect of them that I do the same myself. Zipper, 6 yo. Gaci, 5 yo. Shimmer, 2.5 yo.

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• 04-06-2009 10:08 AM

  In reply to Kim_MacMillan

  VanMorrison Joined on 07-02-2007 Probably North of you... Posts 1,987 Points 820	Re: Agility - Does the handler need to be physically fit? Reply Contact I'm not very fit and I don't bend my knees well, which inhibits my running, but I seem to get by even though Morrison is so much faster than me.
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• 04-06-2009 11:25 AM

  In reply to YellowOx

  Krissim Klaw Joined on 08-26-2007 Posts 647 Points 100

  Re: Agility - Does the handler need to be physically fit? Reply Contact  Nope.  My Aunt, who is a major agility nut, has bad knees and still pulls off wins with her dogs.  She did have a stretch where she had another handler running them in competitions, but that was only when she was going through a period with her legs where she was physically in too much pain/ needed to stay off of them as much as possible.

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• 04-06-2009 3:03 PM

  In reply to Krissim Klaw

  KarissaKS Joined on 06-01-2007 La Crosse, WI Posts 1,072 Points 795

  Re: Agility - Does the handler need to be physically fit? Reply Contact I know of people who are successful at agility from their wheelchair.  It's all a matter of training. You will be more successful if you work with a trainer who is comfortable/familiar with training dogs to work at a distance.  A lot of AKC trainers that I know are all about running with the dog and working with nothing but front crosses.  This is very difficult for those with fast dogs and/or limited physical abilities. My big dog, Luke, works well at a distance and I'm pretty spoiled by him.  I still run courses with him, but there are times when I can just jog or even stand still while he goes out to do, for example, a pinwheel without me.  I always take the shortest path with him and am often able to send him out while I cut across to get ahead of him. Kaiser is green, small and fast.  I can't keep up with him to save my life -- from the beginning, I've worked with him on distance and obstacle independence.  It's getting better, but I still am very winded after working with him because I have to run much, much faster with him than I do with Luke.  I know that I hold him back at times, but I just adjust my training to try to fix that (for example, by working on sending him ahead of me, not just our lateral distance). If you have a slower dog, you will have a much easier time of it.  Usually the beginners classes don't ask all that much of you and I'm sure you'd be fine.  Give a go! Luke -- Lab/Shepherd (1-1-04) Elite Versatility, O-EAC, ECC, O-EJC, S-TN-E, O-TG-E, WV-E, HP-E Kaiser (CH'PR' Alasco's Kvichak) -- Alaskan Klee Kai (12-30-07) TBAD, TG1

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• 04-06-2009 3:56 PM

  In reply to KarissaKS

  oranges81 Joined on 10-13-2007 BC Canada Posts 3,617 Points 250

  Re: Agility - Does the handler need to be physically fit? Reply Contact  I can't run at all but I can do a jog. I just can't keep at it for a long period of time.. Like I can last 2 minutes then my ankles hurt (old injury). So I teach from the start, a solid wait at the start line (so I can get ahead of my dogs) and distance work.  Right now I just walk a course with my pup and send her out. There's one lady with MS who works her dog from her scooter and one of the trainers has cerbal palsie (sp??) so she uses crutches 9 times outta 10. She used to compete with her older dog and had 30 to 40 feet send offs.  It is possible to do it, it's just a matter of training. Like it was said earlier. So get out there and HAVE FUN! ~Kitty Train early, train often, train with no pain The most powerful feeling is the knowing you belong, and you are right were you should be It’s Love when you can watch them love another person, smile and say “I’m happy for you” when inside you want to die. "...you will be positively the most fearsome pirates in the Spanish Main." "Not just the Spanish Main, love. The entire ocean. The entire world. Wherever we want to go, we'll go. That's what a ship is, you know. It's not just a keel and a hull and a deck, and sails, that's what a ship needs. But what a ship is, what the Black Pearl really is...is freedom." Jack Sparrow "Why is the rum gone??" - Jack Sparrow

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• 04-06-2009 9:29 PM

  In reply to oranges81

  jdata Joined on 09-10-2007 Posts 772 Points 2,575	Re: Agility - Does the handler need to be physically fit? Reply Contact Depends on what your criteria and what the instructor's handler's methods are. If you want distance, find a instructor that teach Jane-simmons-moake methods. Julian & the "bullet jacks" (Scout & Chloe) facebook: julian data
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• 04-07-2009 12:35 AM

  In reply to jdata

  brookcove Joined on 09-10-2007 Semora, North Carolina, USA Posts 5,632 Points 695

  Re: Agility - Does the handler need to be physically fit? Reply Contact A friend of mine has chronic Lyme and is pretty disabled and still competes at a high level in USDAA and CPE (and the Canadian one similar to USDAA). As others have said, she trains distance handling and in fact even before she was stricken with the disease preferred a more "efficient" handling approach - LOL! You almost have no choice with fast, high-drive dogs like hers. Becca Shouse: Irena Farm, Semora, NC Cord, Ted, Gus, Zhi, Maggie, Lynn, Lu, Min and Tully - and Sam! Waiting: Bubo & Ben http://irenafarm.blogspot.com Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/irenafarm?ref=profile

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• 04-07-2009 8:08 AM

  In reply to brookcove

  jdata Joined on 09-10-2007 Posts 772 Points 2,575	Re: Agility - Does the handler need to be physically fit? Reply Contact The Canadian one is AAC .. IIRC. Julian & the "bullet jacks" (Scout & Chloe) facebook: julian data
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• 04-07-2009 8:45 AM

  In reply to YellowOx

  YellowOx Joined on 09-02-2007 Oxford, UK Posts 51 Points 20	Re: Agility - Does the handler need to be physically fit? Reply Contact Thats great thanks for all the messages. She would be much quicker than me anyway whether I was 100% fit or not, so distance control would be a great thing for us to learn. We will give it a go.
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