What breeds are easiest to train, and are really good in Agility?

[*LabLoverKEB*]

I really want to get a Beagle, a GSD, or a Rottweiler. But I don't know if they're easy to train, or if they are good in Agility! Because I want to do Agility and Obedience with my new dog, if my parents let me! If you can, please post a picture or two of Beagles, GSD's or Rottweilers please! Thank you!!!

[kobieeli]

Unfortunately, those breeds aren't really known for agility work. I'll bet there are some Rotties, GSDs, and Beagles that do well in agility, but the main breeds to look into for that activity are Australian Shepherds, Border Collies, ACDs (and other herding breeds or mixes that are relatively small and quick), and some of the terrier breeds. Watch some agility shows on Animal Planet and you'll see what I mean.

Any breed of dog can do obedience if s/he is trained right--although I have to say that my first dog was a beagle who made a complete fool of the professional trainer she had! Some dogs are just more independent than others, and won't bend over backwards to please you.

A warning about those herding breeds I mentioned, though: they need to be BUSY ALL THE TIME. They are scary smart, very energetic dogs who'll turn into nightmares if they're bored. We have an ACD mix and an Aussie, and their stamina is amazing! They're extremely easy to train and a joy to be with, but they definitely need lots of time with us to be happy. So many of these breeds end up in shelters and rescue because people have no idea what it's like to live with them.

Here's a site with good links to agility info if you're interested: www.dog-play.com/agilityl.html

Good luck!

[Sophies Daddy]

You may want to look into Papillons. The breed excels in both obedience and agility. An added bonus is that they aren't destructive or nippy like the herding breeds.

Rottweilers will do well in both, but they are quite a bit to handle on an agility course. They simply aren't very agile once they fill out and their prey drive tends to send them to the gallery looking for friends/victims. It takes a firm, strong hand to gain the upper hand with them and, until they are trained to obey, it may not be a good idea to do agility. They do have a mind and like to use it to challenge you.

Beagles, unfortunately, are not very trainable. This is not to say that they cannot be trained, but it takes far more patience and time. You will probably have an agility/obedience beagle with about five years of regular and intense training.

GSDs are great for obedience, but they are built for strength, not speed. They do not regularly perform well in agility as a result. You have to remember that agility is a timed sport so speed is a big factor.

Some of the greatest agility dogs are small. A few that come to mind are Jack Russel terriers, Fox terriers, and Papillons. Of these, the Papillon is the easiest to train and the most intelligent.
Of course, if you don't want a small dog, you will pretty much have to go with a herding breed...

[K9karen]

How about a Border Collie??
Hi Matt! Hi sweet, lovely, smart Sophie..lots of kisses..glad your daddy is back on board!

[yorkster]

German Shepherds are VERY good at obedience-that is why a lot of K9 dogs are GSDs. They want to please so much, and are intelligent. They actually are very good at agility also because they are part of the 'herding' group like Border Collies, Australian Shepherds, etc. It is probably true that the smaller herders might do a bit better at agility training because of their size. I have a half Black Lab half Border Collie. She is very agile, intelligent, and willing to please. She is smaller like a B. Collie. She is not at all hyper or overly active except when she is at play or working. I think the Lab part of her mellows her a bit.

[Logan]

LabLover,
You have the perfect breed to train already, a Lab! So even if you can't get another breed, you should have great success with the one you already have!
Good luck!
Logan

[mkgwolf]

Rottweilers and German Shepherds would be good for obedience and maybe agility. I don't think beagles would be good at agility or obidience because they are hunting dogs. I saw one thing on TV about how they train K9 police dogs and it showed a German Shepherd going through an obstacle course and even climbing up ladders. Rottweilers are good at obedience but they are pretty big so i don't know about agility.

[*LabLoverKEB*]

Thank you so much everybody!!!!!!

[ilovehounds]

Hannah LOVES agility, and she is really good and super fast at it to. We just do it for fun and exsersize. I turned my riding ring (I had horses) into an agility ring and we have a blast. Her fave is the dog walk and the weave poles. She is a fast learner, but then again shes a hound and would jump to the moon and back for a cookie

Here is a pic of Hannah going over a jump (sorry its a little blurry)



I think any dog would make a good agility dog, any breed your willing to spend time and love training would be a good agility dog.

This is a pic of a little beagle from another chat they compete in agility, she is really good also.
Molly

Goodluck with which ever breed you choose

[david64]

You might want to consider a Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriver. And Im not just saying that because I own one. Thier soooo simple to train, are very obiediant, and are GERAT at agility. Also, what about a Samoyed?

[ilovehounds]

Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retrivers are sooo beautiful, do you have any pics of your baby to share with us ? I would love to see them

[Angels3]

I'd say Australian Shepherds, Australian Cattle Dogs (Blue or Red Heeler), Kelpie, or Border Collie.
The Blue Heelers & Kelpies are very trainable & are 'naturals' at agility. If you watch Kelpies working in the sheep runs, they streak across the tops of the sheep & the rails.
But all these working type dogs need lots of stimulation every day.

[MHMama]

He isn't a Beagle but when Ricky was in the PetSmart dog class, some of the other dog owners were shocked when he was the first to learn his commands each week. Our instructor used to keep Ricky as last because he knew he would do whatever it was we had practiced all week. It didn't make Ricky a smarter dog or a dog that was easier to train. One owner of a beautiful poodle named Hannah said she wished she had gotten a chihuahua because her Hannah wouldn't sit. It never seem to sink into her that it wasn't the dogs getting trained, it was their owners. Training takes time and consistancy. It doesn't happen overnight and even when they get it right, you have to keep practicing because they get out of the habit if you don't stick to it. Which breed is the easiest to train, the one with the most committed owner.

And about agility, I would think Labs and Border Collies would be wonderful. Ricky had the will and heart to do it but he just couldn't jump that high.

[ShepherdLover]

Iris (my German Shepherd) does excellent in Agility and I don't see why you can't do Sadie in it. She also does great in Obedience.

I actually know alot of Border Collies and Aussies that don't do so good in agility because they go TOO FAST!!!

Iris is actually amazing because she had femoral head ostersecmony (spelling?) a hip realated surgery. So now she's kind of a 3-legged dog and she does agility!

You can goHERE to see pictures of Iris doing agility.

[TollSettFK]

Thanks Ilovehounds! I don't have any pictures right now on the computar, because I can't find my digital camra, and I really want to find it because he is already at least 2 pounds bigger then when we got him.