Corgi Forums - View Single Post

Michael Romanos · 09-07-2006, 11:00 PM

In NZ, you cannot enter into competitive agility until any dog is 18 months old but you can start agility training at aged one year.

If I was playing it absolutely safe, I wouldn't start Corgis on agility training until they are 18 months old. On other threads, I have argued for Corgi freedom to be able to fully express themselves physically and mentally. But I also recognise that Corgis are one of the few breeds in the world that are 'achondroplastic.' And because of this, their centre of gravity is different from 'normal' dogs. Corgis as everyone knows, is a long back dog with very short legs. If their spinal column takes a hammering the result could be the loss of the use of their hindquarters late in life. Now any breed of dog can have this fate - but it is more of a factor in dogs that are achondroplastic.

So, Corgis need to be treated a little more carefully than most breeds to ensure that their backs don't take a 'hammering.' And so at the earlier stages of development it pays to err on the side of caution. Otherwise a Corgi is as strong and hardy as any much bigger breed and they can jump, and do very athletic things and run like the wind.

	(#6 (permalink))
Michael Romanos Global Moderator Dog Profile Status: Offline Posts: 4,603 Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Silverstream (near Wellington, the capital of NZ)	09-07-2006, 11:00 PM In NZ, you cannot enter into competitive agility until any dog is 18 months old but you can start agility training at aged one year. If I was playing it absolutely safe, I wouldn't start Corgis on agility training until they are 18 months old. On other threads, I have argued for Corgi freedom to be able to fully express themselves physically and mentally. But I also recognise that Corgis are one of the few breeds in the world that are 'achondroplastic.' And because of this, their centre of gravity is different from 'normal' dogs. Corgis as everyone knows, is a long back dog with very short legs. If their spinal column takes a hammering the result could be the loss of the use of their hindquarters late in life. Now any breed of dog can have this fate - but it is more of a factor in dogs that are achondroplastic. So, Corgis need to be treated a little more carefully than most breeds to ensure that their backs don't take a 'hammering.' And so at the earlier stages of development it pays to err on the side of caution. Otherwise a Corgi is as strong and hardy as any much bigger breed and they can jump, and do very athletic things and run like the wind.