[Bobbie]

Originally Posted by Michael Romanos

Bobbie - Taylor can easily accomplish 15 inch jumps so long as he is not carrying any extra weight.

My corgis can all jump 12 (we haven't tried 15) but its the repeated jumping that concerns me. I do jump one corgi at 4 because she knocks bars at 8. My others jump 8. Jumping well belong required height is one way to make agility (especially a long agility career) safer. Some venues this means that you aren't in the top competitive track, and therefore some people will have their dogs jump 12 inches. In USDAA my tall corgi would have to jump 16 if he were in the more competitive track, and we just choose not to do that.)

A-frames are a peice of cake even for toy dogs in Nz because of the pin ball, thick rubberised surface that most of them now have which provides exceelent grip.

Ours don't all have that surface. Many still have painted wood surfaces with slats, which can catch a dog's toes and injure them.

But the trip down the A-frame could be the danger point for Corgis if they decide - through incorrect handling or on their own steam - to jump off the frame well before the contact zone - something like a one metre jump. Bit I have a theory: because the Corgi is geared to make the leap and is actually propelling forward and not just a downward plunge, the action is not nearly as daqngerous as it would seem.

My feeling is jumping off is probably safer than trying to slow themselves to stay on to the bottom. But the dogs love the A-frame so it must not bother them much.

But a 4 inch jump. Now that's a real joke even for a toy poodle.

If your dog jumps 15 easily, then that's a joke, if you want an athletic competition that depends on high jumps. But that isn't, in my opinion, what agility is about. Its about having fun with your dog, doing something you both love. A dog that jumps 4 inches still has to follow your directions around a course- that is, work WITH you to complete the courses.

I have one corgi that easily clears 12 but is longer by about 4 inches than his sister. He'll jump 8 most of his career and go to 4 when he is a senior. Could he jump 16? (We don't have 15.) Probably. But it wouldn't be very good for him, doing that over and over again. And the post from Brynlea that I wanted to address was that agility is dangerous for corgis. I wanted to show that it does not, at least in this country, have to be dangerous, as long as the human member of the team is willing to give up some of the elite titles and show in venues that are corgi-friendly.