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| Great Lakes Boxer Club UKC Licensed Conformation Club #MI-110 |
| Featured Article April, 2008 |
Welcome to the wonderful world of Agility, a team sport. This sport takes two to complete properly, the person to correctly direct
the Boxer to the next obstacle in the sequence as he/she does not know how the course being run and for the Boxer to follow
directions and to correctly do obstacles.
Do not believe people who tell you have to have a Border Collie or Sheltie to be competitive in agility because Boxers are not
good enough. A Boxer can do just as well or even better. We have taken several placements over those dogs, Schoen may not
have been as fast as they were but she was much more accurate in doing the obstacles than they were.
Schoen (U-AG1 U-Grand Ch/International Ch Savoy Lustig Und Schoen RN NA NAJ OAJ NAC NGC NJC TN-N OGC CGC TT) and
I have been doing competition agility for about five years now and we have done very well. We started the training and showing
in agility trials while she was showing for her Grand Champion, International Champion titles and Top Ten standings.
We do agility in UKC, AKC, NADAC (North American Dog Agility Council) and USDAA (United States Dog Agility Association)
trials. Each of them has their own rules and registration requirements, but they all pretty much use the same equipment, with
some exceptions, and some minor differences in the rules. There are three levels or classes in agility, Novice, Open and
Excellent or in the case of UKC AG1, AG2 and AG3. The Novice level shows the dog knows how to do agility, the Open level
shows that you can provide the correct directions and in Excellent you and your dog work as a fully functional team while doing
the courses
the Boxer to the next obstacle in the sequence as he/she does not know how the course being run and for the Boxer to follow
directions and to correctly do obstacles.
Do not believe people who tell you have to have a Border Collie or Sheltie to be competitive in agility because Boxers are not
good enough. A Boxer can do just as well or even better. We have taken several placements over those dogs, Schoen may not
have been as fast as they were but she was much more accurate in doing the obstacles than they were.
Schoen (U-AG1 U-Grand Ch/International Ch Savoy Lustig Und Schoen RN NA NAJ OAJ NAC NGC NJC TN-N OGC CGC TT) and
I have been doing competition agility for about five years now and we have done very well. We started the training and showing
in agility trials while she was showing for her Grand Champion, International Champion titles and Top Ten standings.
We do agility in UKC, AKC, NADAC (North American Dog Agility Council) and USDAA (United States Dog Agility Association)
trials. Each of them has their own rules and registration requirements, but they all pretty much use the same equipment, with
some exceptions, and some minor differences in the rules. There are three levels or classes in agility, Novice, Open and
Excellent or in the case of UKC AG1, AG2 and AG3. The Novice level shows the dog knows how to do agility, the Open level
shows that you can provide the correct directions and in Excellent you and your dog work as a fully functional team while doing
the courses
| Boxers in Agility Stephen Quinn, Lustig Boxern |
Most of the performance events and all conformation events can be started at the tender age of six months but with agility the
minimum age for most venues is 18 months. This is being done to allow the growth plates to completely close before competition
work starts. You may begin to get them familiar with the equipment and jumping prior to that but it is always done at 12 inches or
less on the jumps. We took about four months after reaching the 18 month age and the plates were completely closed to practice
at the full competition height before going to our first trial. It took that long for the both of us to be comfortable with the timing of
commands and Schoen properly place herself to do the next obstacle.
It is time start training and to learn a new vocabulary like; tunnel, tire, over, charge, walk-it, and hit-it. You will also learn to do a
front, rear or blind cross, obstacle layering, go outs, distance work and the most important thing, the agility dance. The agility
dance is when you walk the course prior to the show and plan where you will be at and what signals to give and when. It looks a lot
like ballet in very slow motion just with a whole lot more people on the stage.
When training a Boxer for agility, you can not repeat the same thing over and over again. They and you both know when they
have done it correctly and you need to move on. If you try to continue to repeat the same items over and over again will cause
them to stop and shutdown. The training time must be made fun for a Boxer. If they are having fun, the training can and does go
much faster. Before you know it, you are doing a complete course from start to finish. As they gain confidence in doing agility, they
will start to have fun and do crazy things. Be ready for the “zoomies” both during training and at trials. That is when they run all
over the course and not listen to any commands. They are just getting rid of the excess energy and possibly some stress. Keep a
sense of humor in your pocket and pull it out at these times. Everyone that has run agility has had this happen to them at least
once and more than like many more times.
When running a Boxer in agility, they can and do some of the strangest things in a trial. Most of the time, when this happens, is
when they have full confidence in their ability to do all the tasks and want to make a game out of it. I have had them stop at the
top of the A-Frame and watch a horse being lunged in the next building. They have gone up to the judge and/or the ring crew to
see what they are doing and get some attention or a treat or two. Schoen even got the judge laughing when I put her into the
tunnel and made a blind cross while she was in it. Schoen came out so fast that I did not see her and she came around behind me
and went up the A-Frame the wrong direction and stopped at the top. Schoen gave me the look like “THAT WAS FUN! What do
you want me to do next?”
minimum age for most venues is 18 months. This is being done to allow the growth plates to completely close before competition
work starts. You may begin to get them familiar with the equipment and jumping prior to that but it is always done at 12 inches or
less on the jumps. We took about four months after reaching the 18 month age and the plates were completely closed to practice
at the full competition height before going to our first trial. It took that long for the both of us to be comfortable with the timing of
commands and Schoen properly place herself to do the next obstacle.
It is time start training and to learn a new vocabulary like; tunnel, tire, over, charge, walk-it, and hit-it. You will also learn to do a
front, rear or blind cross, obstacle layering, go outs, distance work and the most important thing, the agility dance. The agility
dance is when you walk the course prior to the show and plan where you will be at and what signals to give and when. It looks a lot
like ballet in very slow motion just with a whole lot more people on the stage.
When training a Boxer for agility, you can not repeat the same thing over and over again. They and you both know when they
have done it correctly and you need to move on. If you try to continue to repeat the same items over and over again will cause
them to stop and shutdown. The training time must be made fun for a Boxer. If they are having fun, the training can and does go
much faster. Before you know it, you are doing a complete course from start to finish. As they gain confidence in doing agility, they
will start to have fun and do crazy things. Be ready for the “zoomies” both during training and at trials. That is when they run all
over the course and not listen to any commands. They are just getting rid of the excess energy and possibly some stress. Keep a
sense of humor in your pocket and pull it out at these times. Everyone that has run agility has had this happen to them at least
once and more than like many more times.
When running a Boxer in agility, they can and do some of the strangest things in a trial. Most of the time, when this happens, is
when they have full confidence in their ability to do all the tasks and want to make a game out of it. I have had them stop at the
top of the A-Frame and watch a horse being lunged in the next building. They have gone up to the judge and/or the ring crew to
see what they are doing and get some attention or a treat or two. Schoen even got the judge laughing when I put her into the
tunnel and made a blind cross while she was in it. Schoen came out so fast that I did not see her and she came around behind me
and went up the A-Frame the wrong direction and stopped at the top. Schoen gave me the look like “THAT WAS FUN! What do
you want me to do next?”
There are two schools of thought on the type of drive that make the best agility Boxer, prey drive or play/toy drive. I have trained
and run both types and they are equal in ability. These traits are not really completely necessary to run agility. The most
important part is the structure of the Boxer. If it very closely matches the standard for the breed, they should be able to do agility
with little problem. All that is needed is proper instruction and commitment on the owner’s part and any Boxer is able to run agility.
They may not be the best in the world, but the best thing is happening, the owner and Boxer are having fun together.
One thing I have found in running agility and doing conformation at the same time with the same dog is the conformation judges
find very firm muscles that are not overdone but are just properly done and firm. Many have commented on the fact and asked
afterward how we have done that after the judging has been completed.
The placement ribbons are nice to have but the most important one to me is the little green ribbon. This is the “Q” or qualifying
ribbon. This means the team has met at least the minimum score to qualify and then you are one step closer to a title.
Go out learn to run agility with your Boxer and have fun. You will be surprised on what you will learn about your Boxer when you
start this sport.
Run Fast! Run Clean!
and run both types and they are equal in ability. These traits are not really completely necessary to run agility. The most
important part is the structure of the Boxer. If it very closely matches the standard for the breed, they should be able to do agility
with little problem. All that is needed is proper instruction and commitment on the owner’s part and any Boxer is able to run agility.
They may not be the best in the world, but the best thing is happening, the owner and Boxer are having fun together.
One thing I have found in running agility and doing conformation at the same time with the same dog is the conformation judges
find very firm muscles that are not overdone but are just properly done and firm. Many have commented on the fact and asked
afterward how we have done that after the judging has been completed.
The placement ribbons are nice to have but the most important one to me is the little green ribbon. This is the “Q” or qualifying
ribbon. This means the team has met at least the minimum score to qualify and then you are one step closer to a title.
Go out learn to run agility with your Boxer and have fun. You will be surprised on what you will learn about your Boxer when you
start this sport.
Run Fast! Run Clean!