Training for Sports
Among the many dog sports you and your Lab can participate in are agility, flyball, and freestyle. It's not difficult to find classes for each of these activities. Ask your trainer if he or she offers such classes, contact your local Labrador Retriever Club, check the offerings at your local community college, or search the Internet. Agility, flyball, and freestyle all have national organizations (as listed in Appendix A) that can direct you to people in your area who participate in a given sport.
Your Lab shouldn't train over any but the lowest jumps until he's at least eighteen months old. At this age, his growth plates will have fused and won't be damaged by repetitive motions that can lead to orthopedic problems.
Before you sign up for a class in a particular dog sport, be sure your Lab is ready for competition — he should know and respond to basic obedience commands. If you have to call him several times before he comes or if he won't sit or lie down the first time you tell him to, do a little remedial work at home or in a class before trying a dog sport.
