So I have a little mini rat terrier foster girl, Morgandy, who has tons of energy.  She jumps like a deer (tiny but soars over the baby gate effortlessly).  LOVES to play ball.  She'll run for it, bring it back, drop it into my hand and be ready to chase it again....I have to stop the game because she'll want to keep going. Long walks only begin to tire her out. 

She's also very eager to please, just loves to be praised.  Comes when I call her even if she's on the scent of something.

So how do I (who has no experience in flyball or agility!) tell if she would be a good prospect for that?  I don't believe she has "post leg" either but not sure what other physical characteristics to look for.

I'm no expert when it comes to stuff like this, Mary Beth..... so someone here may be able to answer this better than I can.  As you know, I inherited Bailey so I worked with what I had.

IMO, the greatest benefit of a rescue, is what you see is what you are getting. If the dog is high drive and biddible at two years old, chances are they aren’t going to change. At two years old, you can get their hips x-rayed to make sure the dog is physically ok to do the jumping that is required.   With a puppy, there is a little uncertainty until it grows up. There are a lot of aussies in rescue for the exact reasons that make them excellent agility dogs. They needed a job, they needed exercise, they were bored sitting on the couch, and the list goes on.  Lots of border collies are in rescues for the same reason.   These are the high drive type of dogs that enjoy going out and running around. A lot of rescues are starved for attention and welcome the training and the close relationship that comes with it.   They can be very easy to motivate because they are a bit ‘needy’.

For people who already have a dog and want to use it, the issues of drive and biddibility are relevant too. If your dog is already high drive and biddible, you are in great shape to begin training. If your dog is little lower drive and not as biddable, there are things you can work on before and during your agility training to increase your chances at a successful agility career.

I think any dog should be physically suited for what you are asking.  For instance, make sure the dog is at an appropriate weight for his height and build. If the dog is overweight, it will put a lot of stress on his body.  There is a lot of conditioning that goes into being an agility dog.   Most agility dogs actually look skinny.... (Bailey is skinny!) 

Sounds like the little dog you have might be a good prospect given that she has shown good prey drive!

Hope this helps SOME !  Others may have better knowledge of this than I do.  It's my opinion that most dogs are happy when they have a "job" to do... but that job doesn't have to be a sport.  It could be anything specific the owner wants the dog to be involved in.  Agility is a great way to build confidence regardless of whether the goal is to compete or not!

I do! I don't have a lot of strength in my arms... so the rope makes it "slingable"... and I can throw it a LOT farther than I can a tennis ball. It's not awkward at all. Bailey is obsessed with it, as are several other dogs on the forum. He walks around with it in his mouth... you could get one and try walking around with it in your mouth, and you might learn to like it too, Bethany!

Mary Beth -- the AKC does not allow dogs to compete in agility trials until they are 15 months old.  By then the growth plates are closed (usually in a small breed dog...).  Before I started jumping Bailey, I had him x-rayed to assure the growth plates were closed ... it's just something that's a good idea to do.

Bethany, here's the thread where we discussed this last year on this forum...

http://rat-terrier.com/Home/tabid/37/forumid/4/postid/84243/view/topic/Default.aspx

I had Bailey checked out also by two ortho vets to make SURE his patellas were ok (they are) because he also developed a funny little skip when he's in what I call "trot mode".

Bottomline is... not enough angulation in the rear legs.

So this is why I don't "push" Bailey to RUN down the a-frame.... because he's not structurally built for it. I take what this little dog gives me, and try to be satisfied with it, knowing he's physically "handicapped" and there are simply some things he cannot do.. I'm ok with it... it's not like I'm trying out for the World Team, ya know?

I wanted to do agility with him, but NOT at the risk of hurting him... so I took every precaution I knew to take.

 Does the person have to run in flyball?   cause you know I can't run!

Nope, not me, but she'll be a cool little dog for someone.