Great shot! Another cute puppy picture. I second the agility training as a great way to bond with the dog and to teach the dog to move where you want her too.


There is a broad spectrum as to when a dog is ready for the field. Tica was super coordinated and ready to go at 5 months. She is not a very large dog though, and a working dog at that. We had our first easy backpacking trip at 9 months. She wore her pack with nothing in it and did just fine. She did almost get me injured a few times as she was on leash and, well, there are squirrels out there. I did not put any weight on her until she was almost 2 years old.