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Sloughi and Agility

Agility - a form of sport for dogs together with their owners. Abbreviated explained: "Dog and Owner have to master a track as far as possible faultless and in shortest possible time; the track consisting of different obstacles (e.g. jump, balancing, climb a wall, slalom, tunnel etc.). Whereby, the Owner leaves the obstacles to the dogs, and is "only" focusing to make the given obstacle-order understandable to his dogs and to manage with the speed (in our case Sighthounds!).

V'Ifricija and Romina at the "balance" shortly before tipping over into the other direction.

Sloughi - delegated for this breed we have our four Sloughis, with which we do or have done Agility more or less effectively (also our Sloughi-bitch, which died with almost 17 years, was, when she was young, a delighted "Obstacle-Racer"!).

Marietta guiding the 9 months old Azali at short lead carefully over the bridge.

After a "partly" success, here the climb to the bridge, Azali gets a reward - gingerbread.

Descent from the bridge, also at the last part of this exercise you can see the co-operation of man and dog.

In this article we will mention V'Ifricija Nuri al Baida again and again (called "Chinou") which even performs small contests successfully. But also her two daughters "Arjuwani and Aulubija Dau al Gamar" (9 months old) join in the training and have fun. Of course, only certain obstacles are appropriate to them, which should strengthen their self-confidence and the confidence in us humans, but do not damage their stil growing bones !

Sloughi and Agility - this should work out? The opinions diverge, why actually? We say! Yes, it works! Yes, if I think how our dogs run with flying ears along the tracks and their faces radiate with pleasure! Do you know the expression in the faces of your Sloughis when they run happily over the wide meadows? Now you can certainly hear the argument: For that reason there are racecourses which suit our dogs much more! Here, I don't want to discuss the breed-specific natural gift of our Sloughis, the originality of which we certainly want to preserve. And as we can't go to a "Hunt" in our degrees of latitude we just have to put up with the racecourse. I am glad to see here the growing importance of "Coursing", as this certainly is a good possibility to give our Sloughis a "more true to type" exercise.

But what is with the many followers of the breed, who do not want to go to the racecourse? The ones who do not think this were by all means the kind of recreational activity, which they would choose for themselves and for their dogs. The others don't want to "poke" the "Huntpassion" of their Sighthound, but wish it to be able to move in the open without a lead, too.

...She is able to do this already! With enthusiasm Azali comes running out of the tunnel.

In my opinion there are also absolutely qualified dogowners who want to practice a method of Sighthound-breeding which is adaptable to our local given facts and who cannot imagine a Sighthound only on the lead. And just for these people the "Agility-Place" is an excellent possibility to stimulate the "Dialogue with each other" with their dogs! Your Sloughi can move freely, but in the direction you want!

To get our Sloughis to like going to the "Agility-Track" (like our "Chinou" it does) there are some points to be followed:

1) We should go to the training full of joy and a positive motivation, as our own attitude affects our sensitive companions.

2) The choice of the suitable "track" for Sighthounds is of special importance!

V'Ifricija jumps successfully through the tyre.

There should be some qualified trainers at the place who know the nature of our dogs and with appropriate subtle feelings are able to tend the training.

3) Our Sloughi should have grown up socialized and be able to move among people as well as dogs to a certain extent without efficiencypressure (Attendance at a Whelp- or young-dog-playing-group performs a very good "preparatory work" and is anyway a helpful "matrix" for the future life!).

4) As "Herd-Leaders" we should be accepted by our dogs, this means, they should have had a training according to their character and should also obey without a lead (which is supported by the "AgilityTraining!).

5) The "Agility-Track" offers to our Sloughi the possibility of moving freely. It is up to us, to give it also that feeling of "Liberty". The better we succeed with it, the more harmonic will the training proceed! The "limits" we set should either not be noticed by our Sloughi or they should motivate it.

6) We think "Agility" not a kind of "subordination" but (utmost silent) communication between “Owner and Dog". The aim in view should be understanding each other by soft words, hand-signals or sometimes also only thoughts! That is wonderful experience! Of course, sometimes at sporting competitions it can be a little louder. Whereby such a situation, so we think, is a perfect motivation.

7) It is, of course, particularly important to train only on the consideration of the "breed-specific" quality of our Sloughis. A comparison with the breed of "Border-Collies" e.g., should be avoided. We should regard the self reliant character, the high sensitiveness, the hunt-passion also when choosing the possibilities of motivation!

Once again a question for us “Owners” How well do I know my dog, how can I particularly well motivate it? With "Chinou" is our own enthusiasm about a well absolved obstacle sufficent and in especially difficult situations a gingerbread. If it doesn't work out very well for once in a while (also our Sloughis are in a good or a bad form sometimes, which we have to respect by all means!), then we will not allow "frustration come up", but we will leave the track after absolving their "favourite obstacle" and praise them.

The first steps of the 9 months old Arjuwani over the Dog Walk Objective.

8) We should take up the topic "Agility" without an extreme ambition but from this point of view: Playing, Sport and Fun together with our Sloughis. "Chinou" participates even in small competitions successfully. Perhaps it works so well because we didn't take up the training with too great expectations.

Solely the training had brought about so much into our social life so that I can only advise everyone interested in this kind of sport at least to try it! Also for us people there is a great deal of concentration and later on staying power necessary, too, so we will not offer to our Sloughi a training for "Body and Spirit" but also to ourselves!

In defiance of all discussions on this topic I must speak from my own experiences: Our dogs have a very close tie to us. They haven't lost their hunt-passion in no way - which they provide proof of again and again!

But we succeed in (mostly) directing them or also to slow them down. This makes a fair and true to type keeping considerably easier. Our Sloughi can make the most of their ability to move by accompanying us when riding out with our "Arabians" or by playing with other Sighthounds. If it functions so wonderfully it is because of our Agilitytraining.

Selfsupporting finishing the A Wall ...	... by V'Ifricija, 3 years old.

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