Deciding When to Retire Your Dog

Agility careers don't last forever.

This article was originally published in the August 2024 OVERview digital magazine.

Sport dogs all have one thing in common. Their careers will not last forever. How do you know when it’s time for your dog to retire?

Know the signs.

“Listen to your dog,” said Dave Grems. Based in Wimberly, Texas, Dave is a longtime handler, sometime instructor, and USDAA judge. “Do they still want to do agility? Do they have the same joy they once had? We have to pay attention to what they want and set aside our own wants.”

“I think we all know deep down when it’s time to retire our partner,” said veteran handler and veterinarian Julie Harbo, DVM, of Phoenix, Arizona. “We need to pay attention to the signs that our partner may not be going into the ring or coming out with as much enthusiasm as they were in their youth.”

“The signs could be a loss of interest … a much slower course time … a drop in Q rate,” Dave explained. “Your dog may not show the same drive and determination they once had. This is a team sport, and when one member of that team is no longer having fun, it’s time to weigh what is best for all.”

Said Julie, “It breaks my heart to see a dog who’s just out there to please their owner and isn’t having fun. I would rather have my dog looking back over their shoulder longing for the ring than looking like they don’t want to do it anymore.”

If physical limitations become an issue, agreed Julie and Dave, it’s best to retire your dog rather than risk injury. Said Dave, “I’ve had to retire three dogs from agility because of medical issues. I never knew that their last run was their last run until days or weeks later. I didn’t have that joy of celebrating a wonderful career at the end of a retirement run. But as long as I’m happy with my decision to retire that dog, I don’t need a big celebration. I have memories, videos, ribbons and titles that trace the path of our time together.

“And retiring from trialing doesn’t have to mean retiring from the sport altogether,” he added. “Spy, the dog I’m currently considering retiring from trialing, will be just as happy continuing to do agility at class and in the backyard. He can keep on playing as long as he wants, while I keep a close eye on his vision and his general steadiness — things you can’t always monitor when you’re running at a trial — to pick up on any changes.”

Ease into retirement.

Assuming your dog is sound and still happy to play agility with you, is there a way to ease them into retirement?

“I would love to have all my dogs start in Championship height and progress to Performance and Veterans, then just run lightly until they start to slow down or show difficulty,” said Julie. “Then they are retired. But I have to evaluate each dog individually.”

“Easing into retirement is perhaps more for us than for them,” said Dave. “It’s a difficult decision to opt not to step into the ring with a partner who has brought you so much joy. But we can still enjoy their companionship in a variety of other ways.

“One of the first things we determine in the early days of training our dogs is what rewards they like best. Is it walks, games of fetch, loving interactions? There’s no reason to stop using those same rewards after an agility career is done. And if there are now physical limitations, what can you substitute that will bring them joy?”

“I’ve had the opportunity to retire five dogs,” said Julie. “They’ve all been happy after retirement and didn’t seem to miss agility. I feel that it isn’t the agility they’re missing — it’s the time they spend with you and the bonding with you."

Move on to new adventures.

“Once they’re retired, I do tend to leave them home,” she continued. “I don’t want them to have to watch me play with the other dogs and not them.”

In addition, Dave said, “Is it in your older dog’s best interest to be cooped up in a crate all day at a place where they’d rather be running?”

“Always put the dog first,” said Julie. “Please don’t keep running that dog, looking for the dog you had three or four or five years ago. Look at your dog as they are now. Make sure they are happy.”

Said Dave, “As with any athlete, there is a peak to a career, and a time to let it go. There may never come a defining moment that says, ‘This is the time.’ It’s more moment to moment — and ignoring those moments can lead to disaster. Listen to your heart. If you think it’s getting to be time to retire your dog, then it probably is.”

“Retirement isn’t the end,” said Julie. “Think of it as moving on to a new adventure. Our dogs give us so much, and they live for the day. So do what the dogs do: Run with joy every time you step to the line with your wonderful partner.”