Intro
In my agility class, I see dogs running and running and running and whilst they never seem to stop for breath, my Bertie seems to deplete within a few runs. It used to frustrate me; questions would run through my head like: Why isn’t my dog running at Dog Agility? Does my dog even enjoy Dog agility? Can I really compete with a Non-Working breed in Dog agility? Given you’ve clicked on this post, I’m going to assume I’m not alone with these questions. I’ll admit, at certain times, I was reduced to tears. I thought my Bertie had run his course in agility and just didn’t love it like I did anymore. That doubt ate me up, made me really second-guess what we were doing. I bloody love Dog Agility, but thought I’d have to put it on hold until Ralphie came. Then I solved it; I worked out exactly how to fuel Bertie correctly. This post will be the single most important tool for you if, like me, you compete with a lower drive breed. If you’ve ever felt like your dog doesn’t have the same drive as others, you’re not alone. This post is all about how I manage Bertie’s energy to keep him happy, fit, and competing confidently in Dog Agility.
The Frustration
For months, I went to a class not knowing whether Bertie would show any interest. I’d stood in the ring with him some weeks with him walking through a course, which is honestly no way to train at all. No matter what I did on those days, Bertie wasn’t interested. To be quite frank, I felt like a bloody fool. I’d hear my fellow handlers in the class talking of how they’d been out for 2/3 hours already today with their dogs and in disbelief, I’d sit and watch their dogs running faster than Bertie could dream of. Nobody could help me. My trainer suggested that Bertie just didn’t love it and to be honest, I was starting to believe her. Now I’m not putting any blame on my trainers here; they’ve never trained with a lower drive breed like I am. I knew it was down to me and me only to solve this. I searched online, nothing. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t going to give up. It crossed my mind a few times but those sessions where Bertie would whizz through a course gave me glimpses of hope.
The Solution
I accidentally worked out exactly how to manage a lower drive dog’s energy for agility training. One weekend, I noticed Bertie was visibly flat on a Sunday and therefore, I rested him on Monday. Our agility class is on a Tuesday night. With that one day of rest, Bertie was a different dog at agility. His little face looked so happy to be there and he looked so re-energised to be running. That’s when it clicked for me: Bertie needs the rest. Dog Agility is such a mentally and physically demanding sport for a dog and Bertie just isn’t able to deliver when he’s tired. I now rest Bertie the day before any training or competition. No walk, no anything really and he’s happy with that. As I sit writing this on a Sunday, Bertie is lying beside me upside down, legs in the air without a care in the world. He’s truly happy to be given that rest day. With that being said, Bertie now trains on Monday and Tuesday. Monday is our solo session at the outdoor facility I hire. Here we work on contacts and individual commands, etc, and then Tuesday is our group class with trainers. This works for Bertie. He has his rest day on Sunday and then is energised to train on Monday and Tuesday. This is ideal for us as he needs to train twice a week and if I chose to train Tuesday and Thursday, Monday and Wednesday would have to be his rest days. Then, what type of life is that? I’ve found the right balance between work (Dog Agility) and general stimulating and fun through walks and it works for us!
The Dilemma
Rain, wind, snow or hail, I never shy away from a walk. My dogs get walked daily, no matter what and have been since they came home as puppies. As every dog in the world should be. Fair-weather dog walkers, as my mother would call them, have no place in handling a dog. It’s downright lazy and negligent to deny your dog time to exercise and stimulate them daily. With this being said, I now give Bertie that one day off a week. I personally justify it with the fact that we get to train Dog Agility hard the following 2 days. Is this selfish of me? To be completely honest, I don’t know. My love for Dog Agility is out of this world. Is that taking away from Bertie? I don’t think so; he loves agility. But I’m sure you can see exactly where I’m coming from. I hate not walking my dogs daily, so this felt wrong to start. Bertie is fine with it but that’s not to say it isn’t heartbreaking leaving him home when I go out with Frankie and Ralphie, my Working Cocker Spaniel puppy. Energy management in agility isn’t about cutting corners — it’s about knowing your dog’s limits and respecting them.
Reflection
Whilst the off day works for me and Bertie, I urge you to be careful. Make sure it’s right for your dog first and that you’re not being selfish. Does your dog actually love Dog Agility as much as you do? If they do, then personally, I see no issue whatsoever managing their energy levels to be able to train the sport properly. Just don’t give them a rest day out of laziness. Dogs are such beautiful animals and they’re here for such a short amount of time. If one rest day a week means you’re able to fulfil their lives so much more, so be it. It’s worth it! Managing a lower drive dog’s energy for Dog Agility takes patience, observation, and balance.
