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.”