- This topic has 3 replies, 2 voices, and was last updated 1 week, 4 days ago by
Martin Reid.
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trainer-20-04-26-0
Hello,
My name is Dominique, and I live in France. I have been subscribed to the website for two months now.
I have been practicing agility for about ten years with my dog Kalyne, a 7½-year-old Border Collie competing in the Large category and currently in Grade 3.
Kalyne had a litter in November, and I kept one of the puppies, little Ankaa, who is now 7 months old.
During the first month, we followed the Siesta’s Puppy Diary program, and for the past month, we have moved on to the S’Mores Puppy Diary module. We are currently working through the 6–7 month videos and will move on to the 7–8 month exercises this weekend.
Once we have completed this module (9–10 months), I will probably ask for your advice about which modules to follow next. My goal is to have a clear and progressive training plan, with a structured timeline that will prepare Ankaa as well as possible until she is old enough to start competing (between 18 months and 2 years of age).
Thank you in advance for your help, and congratulations on your videos, whose format I really enjoy.
See you soon,
Dominique
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Martin Reid
Hi Dominique
Great to hear, thank you and glad you’re using the website lots to help
Yes, of course please feel free to post asking any questions or for any advice
What I’m hoping to do is to make a new module following what I do at what age with Siesta as this seems to be a sticking point where many people are unsure what to do
Thanks
Martin -
Hi Martin,
A quick follow-up to my introduction a few weeks back (Ankaa, my young Border Collie, now 8 months). We’ve worked right through Siesta’s Puppy Diary and then the S’Mores Puppy Diary, and I’ve really valued how structured they are — at every stage I knew exactly what to work on and why.
We’re now finishing the S’Mores modules (I’m combining the 8–9 and 9–10 month content, aiming to wrap up around the end of August, when she’ll be about 9½ months). Looking at what comes after 10 months, there’s a lot of great material on the site, but I’ve lost the clear throughline that Siesta and S’Mores gave me.
You mentioned in your reply that you were hoping to put together a module on “what you do at what age” — that’s exactly what I’m looking for, so I’d love your guidance. What I’m after is a coherent roadmap for roughly the next 6–8 months, matched to Ankaa’s progression and, importantly, to her physical development as a large breed, up to the point she’s ready for her first competitions (I’m planning to start her somewhere between 18 months and 2 years old).
If it helps, the areas I’d most like a steer on:
– Remaining obstacles and when to introduce them for a large breed — seesaw, weaves, full-height dogwalk and A-frame, tyre, long/spread jumps.
– Jump-height progression (grids / jump gymnastics) toward competition height, tied to growth-plate maturity.
– Handling systems and a sensible order to teach them — front / rear / blind crosses, sends, distance, discrimination on the move.
– The build from sequences to short courses to full courses.
– Competition preparation — startline routines, proofing, ring conditions, and how you judge the “ready to compete” milestone.
– Physical conditioning alongside the skills — the athlete side, which I really want to get right for a large BC.No rush at all — this is me planning ahead. Once I have the throughline and the age milestones, I can back-plan and line my competition calendar up behind it.
Thanks again for the videos and the format, which I genuinely enjoy.
Best,
Dominique -
Martin Reid
Hi Dominique
Thank you for your question
I am going to be creating a Siesta’s agility foundation diary – which will run like a puppy diary however from eight months old, annoyingly it’s probably a month or too late for you!
In the meantime, though I’ll add it to my list of jobs to do to try and make a bit of a write up or PDF on what and when I generally introduce the obstacles, etc
Many thanks
Martin
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