So here's the scoop on my little Gus-Gus. He is constantly surprising me. We went to a festival at the local dog park on Saturday. They had ear and nail trimming, demos of obedience, tricks, agility, etc. We had the opportunity to let all of our dogs try out the agility course. Well, Stan and Charlie were kinda gooberish, but they went through with some coaxing and pulling on the leash. We didn't even bother with Molly. Gus went through, once again, with lots of treats and pulling on the leash and whatnot.
Well, since the money from the event was going to help the local shelters, I figured I'd enter one of the dogs in the agility competition. Stan and Charlie were just a little too crazy for me and Molly was flat out not interested, so I entered Gus. He competed against a Schnauzer, a German Short-Haired Pointer, a Lab/Golden Retriever mix, and a Jack Russell style mix. The course was 3 hurdles, a tunnel, a jump through a ring, another hurdle, weave poles, and then two more jumps.
Can you believe that Gus won? With the fastest time out of all the dogs before faults, and he had NO faults and all the other dogs did. I'm wondering...have any of you guys heard of Pugs doing agility stuff? I'm pondering joining a somewhat local agility training club, but...it just seems crazy to me that a PUG would take to agility training! I'm flabbergasted! I'm also very proud of my little Gus-Gus Puggy boy.
So...am I crazy to even think of doing this? He is AKC-PAL listed so he could, theoretically at least, win titles and compete in AKC agility trials. I'm not expecting him to win (especially since he would be in a height class with much faster terriers), but winning isn't the point. Is it REALLY possible for a Pug to love doing agility??
Replies
three_cute (about 1 year ago)
yay for little gus! Isn't it wonderful what surprizes they bring with them. I think sam would do well in a course but he is just to highstrung and would be barking at the moving vehicles or sitting on my lap like a giant gargoyle. Stella is like your molly and would just look at me and roll her eyes and trude would hide. Thats super tho that little gus did that!!
Frankie2009 (about 1 year ago)
Congratz Gus on your agility ! yes there are lots of pugs that do agility and out score some of the "faster" dogs. So if I were you take him to the classes. go too youtube and type in pug agility and you come up with a lot of clips of pug doing it.
Kat_and_Rex (about 1 year ago)
Well done Gus!
JanandSass (about 1 year ago)
Yay for Gus! You wouldn't necessarily think of pugs as the most agile of beings because of their physical "attributes" - but maybe they could be. Perhaps you could start a group for training pugs on the agility course. Even for those who might not ever place at the top finishes, it could go a long way to improving their fitness levels and be fun for them at the same time!
RedRoss9 (about 1 year ago)
Gus is a pretty long legged Pug, and he doesn't seem to pant much or breathe as hard (or loudly) as Molly does. His former owner used to take him on hikes at a local park and he did well. I'm familiar with the trail she told me about and I can't do that hike without hurting myself, getting all sweaty and out of breath, and then not being able to move for 2 days! I think he's a good candidate, and I think it will be good for him and for me. I could stand to lose a few pounds myself!
Sadiesmommy1010 (4 months ago)
If Gus enjoys it go ahead! I would do anything to keep my pug happy and healthy(agility is a GREAT form of exercise for dogs!)
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