healtheffects,especially
forcanineathletes,soyoumaywanttodelaythisprocedure
untilyourdogisfullymature.
InAKCagility,ashoulderheightof14inchesisthecut
offbetweenjumpheights.Asthisisthemiddleofourbreed
standardforheight,abreederwillnotbeabletoguarantee
thatapuppywillmatureintoacertainagilityheightclass.
Ifyouareselectinganadultdogforagility,itwouldbea
competitiveadvantagetochooseaPBGVthatislessthan
14inchestall.
Asateamsport,agilityrequiresgoodcommunication
betweendogandhandler.Priorobediencetrainingand
off-leashreliabilityarenecessaryforsuccessfulagility
training.PriortobeginningyourPBGVsagilitytraining,you
willneedtodosomebasicobediencetraining.Anoff-leash
recallandasitordownstayareespeciallyimportant.
Agilityisaphysicallydemandingsportfordogs.
Repeatedjumpingandclimbingareapartofthesport
asisnegotiatingtightturnsatahighrateofspeed.Priorto
beginningtrainingforagility,yourPBGVshouldbein
excellentphysicalcondition.Extraweightwillmakeagility
moredifficultforhimandcanputhimatincreasedriskfor
injury.Infact,mostagilityPBGVsarekeptataweightabout
fivepoundslighterthanwouldnormallybeconsideredideal
weightfortheshowring.
AgilityshouldnotbeyourPBGVsprimarysourceof
exercise.Aregularroutineofcrosstrainingwithactivities
suchaslongwalks,swimming,balance-ballexercisesand
playingwithotherdogswillhelpyourPBGVtobuildthe
strengthandenduranceheneedstocompetesuccessfully.
Agilityisanall-breedsport,buttheherdingbreedstend
topredominateatmanytrials.Findinganinstructorwhois
experiencedwithscenthoundsandthechallengesspecific
toourbreedmaybeachallenge.Agoodinstructorhas
experiencewithavarietyofdogsandenoughtraining
experiencetorealizethatthereisoftenmorethanoneway
toaccomplishagoal.Handlingisanimportantfacetof
agility.Youwillneedasmuchormoretrainingthanyour
dog.Aninstructorwhohasexperiencerunningsmallerdogs
maybeinabetterpositiontoteachthehandlingskillsthat
youwillneedwithyourPBGV.
Whenselectinganagilityclass,youwillwanttoconsider
thequalityandmaintenanceoftheequipmentused.Ifyou
intendtocompete,youwillwanttotrainonequipment
suitableforuseincompetition.Evenifyouaretakingagility
classesforfun,youdon’twanttoriskhavingyourdog
injuredorfrightenedbyaccidentscausedbypoor-quality
equipment.
Becauseagilityisanoff-leadsport,youwillprobably
wanttofindaclassthatisheldindoorsorinafencedarea
soyoucanfocusonlearningandnotworryaboutyourdog
pickingupascentandtakingoff.Therunningsurfacemay
begrass,dirt,artificialturforthickmatting,butshouldbe
comfortableforyouandyourdogtowalkandrunon.
Becausethelearningstyleanddegreeofmotivationof
aPBGVisdifferentthanthemore“typical”agilitydog,
findingagoodgroupclassmaybeachallenge.Sometimes
privatelessonscanbeabetteruseoftimebecauseyouhave
theoptionofworkingatyourdog’spaceandfocusingon
theissuesthatyouandyourdogarefacingasateam.The
costofprivatelessonscanbeadownside,butifyouhave
accesstoequipmentforpracticeinbetweenlessons,you
mightfindthatmonthlyprivatelessonsallowyouto
progressmoresteadilythanweeklygroupclasses.
Togetthemostfromyouragilitytraining,youwillneed
todosomepracticeathome.However,agilityequipment
canbeveryexpensiveandrequiresalotofspace.Youwill
notneedafullagilitycourseathome,butwillprobably
wantafewjumps,asetofweavepolesandsomesmall
trafficconestousewhenpracticinghandlingmaneuvers.
Masteryofthesportofagilityisasmuchabouttheeasewith
whichadogmovesbetweentheobstaclesasitisaboutthe
wayhecompletestheobstaclesthemselves.Practicing
handlingskillsandteachingyourdogexactlywhateach
handlingmovemeanstohimwillmakeyouamore
successfulcompetitor.
Agilitydogsneedtobeabletomaintainastateofhigh
arousalandtransitionsmoothlybetweenfocusingonthe
handlerandtheobstacles.Havingavarietyofwaysto
rewardyourdogisimportant.Whenyouwanttoreinforce
yourdogforwatchingyou(handlerfocus),thereward
shouldcomefromyourhandorbeaninteractivegame
suchastug.However,whenyouwanttorewardthedog
forindependentperformanceofapieceofequipmentorfor
distancework(obstaclefocus),themosteffectiverewardwill
bedeliveredatadistance,suchasatossedballoratreat
fromaremotedispenser.
MostPBGVsaremoreexcitedbyfoodthantoys,soyou
mayhavetogetcreativeabouthowyoudeliverthereward.
TrainingaPBGVforagilitymaytakelongerthanother
breeds,butmanyofthemarecompetingsuccessfullyin
thehighestlevelsofthesport.
Insummary,thePBGVisadogwithahunting
purpose,interestingtotrainandanaturalattheshow,
easilyadaptabletoahomeenvironmentfriendlyandfun
tolivewith.
I
KittySteidelhasbeenthePBGVCAjudgeseducationchairfor29
years.SheisacolumnistforSight&ScentandauthorofPetit
BassetGriffonVendéen:RustiqueFrenchHound(1987),the
firstbookinanylanguagedevotedtothePBGV.Shealsoisthe
AKCdelegateforChannelCityK.C.andontheboardofGrand
BassetGriffonVendéenClubofAmerica.Sheisapprovedtojudge
SportingandHoundGroups,BISandMiscellaneous.
52
www.pbgv.org
March2014
ISaberTails
Educationcontinuedfrompage37
“Aninstructorwhohasexperiencerunningsmallerdogsmay
beinabetterpositiontoteachthehandling
skillsthatyouwillneedwithyourPBGV.”