[Not wanting to risk it]

I never thought I would be in a place where I could say I understand that reasoning, but now I do. The past 5 years of my marriage have been horrible as I have suffered the consequences emotionally, legally, and financially of my husband's gradual decline from early onset alzheimer's. Some of what has happened he truly cannot be blamed for, some is debatable. I am facing years of care-taking and all the legal and financial responsibilities, and we will end up very poor. As a caretaker, I will be very lucky to survive it without serious health consequences myself. I am being asked daily to pull forth all the forgiveness and loving that person can possibly provide unconditionally in some very difficult (sometimes downright hostile) circumstances and with no appreciation or recognition from my husband.  Yes, I would think twice about a second marriage. A person only has so much of that to give.

ETA: I would imagine that is how some of the previously mentioned people also feel.

[When High school and college did not turn out as you expected.]

4 minutes ago, Mainer said:

Also, I'm very sorry about your DH.  (((hugs!)))

As a special ed teacher, thinking about some of my students with ADHD... it really depends on the kid whether they will want to go to college, or if they do, whether an online program would be a better fit. There are so many variations of ADHD. One of my elementary-aged students that comes to mind is incredibly talented in what I would call interpersonal skills, and also with just plain old common sense and a strong work ethic. Even though he's academically slower than his peers, you can just tell that he's leaps and bounds ahead of his age for these other things. It sounds like your DD is similar in some ways. I really can't wait to see what this kid gets up to in the future! I'm sure he'll be making loads more money than me ? 

Yes. This describes my Dd. She is really taking on a lot with this job and doing it all very, very well. She has to communicate with a lot of people and she has to be on time and stick to a schedule. And she HAS to be nice to them all no matter their personalities. On top of that it is physically demanding at times. The owner took me aside recently and told me they have never had anyone like her working for them ever. She has always been a little slower in academics. It took her longer to learn to read. Math facts took longer, but she would do all the work I put in front of her without complaining. I toyed with having her evaluated, and then I had to set that idea aside b/c I was taking care of our elderly friend, then dealing with my own health scare, then Dh's Alzheimer's. 

She does seem to have a gift with piano for some reason. She also has the ability to get people to do things for her. I'm not kidding. People give her things for nothing and they change their schedules to accommodate her. I do not understand why. It has been this way since she was very young. If I had her with me at yard sales I would not have to pay for anything she wanted. I have recently had to tell adult friends of mine to tell her 'no' b/c they just seem to think the world will end if they don't say yes. Ds and I joke about it and if we ever want a deal on something we are buying or an exception made, we bring her with us. Not kidding either.  

[When High school and college did not turn out as you expected.]

6 minutes ago, PeterPan said:

Total aside, but if it's there, you don't want to know anyway. All it will do is make you sad. (says the woman who's done genetic testing on her kids) As you say, just embrace life and live it fully, every day. And I'm so sorry your dh is having a hard time. I hope your church or people around you are giving you good support. It sounds very hard.

I have support from some very good friends and the owners of this business I count among them. It is a difficult road, but in some ways easier b/c now I know why Dh did the things he did and didn't do the things he didn't for the past 4 years. I thought he had just become a selfish jerk, or worse, that he had been that way all along and I never noticed!

I am really amazed at the way events have worked for us. Dd working has been a major factor in us being able to get though the waiting period for SSDI. Both of my kids have contributed, and I have a job now too. There have been other miracles too. The money should never have worked out. But it did. I don't know how. I just took it day by day.

ETA: You are right, I don't want to know.

[When High school and college did not turn out as you expected.]

2 minutes ago, Lori D. said:

(((Shanvan and family))). I am so very sorry! 

Have your children been tested so they will know if they will be facing this themselves?

A contemporary of mine (I'll call her "C") a few years older than me, was the mom of a kindergarten classmate of DS#1. "C" lost her own father to Early Onset Alzheimer's when he was in his 40s, after having it for just 2-3 years. "C" 's older sibling developed it in her 40s, and passed away after about 6-10 years. In her early 40s, "C" developed it as well. She was on meds that helped keep it from progressing so rapidly, but she passed away about 2 years ago, about 15 years after diagnosis. "C" has 4 children, who were in their late teens when "C" was diagnosed. I don't know if some or any of the children have chosen whether or not to be tested, but it has definitely impacted their choices about college, relationships, etc.

Hoping that the research quickly comes up with treatments to help your DH, and to also prevent others from having to go through this. Hugs, Lori

Doctors do not think my husband's case is genetic. There is no history of it in his family. He is somewhat of a medical mystery, but Alzheimer's in general is anyway. I have done all the research, and while the popular line is that there re drugs that slow it--that is not actually shown to be true. Drugs only control symptoms, and at best for about 6 months IF they work at all, and they don't work for about 60% of the people. Dh has been suffering with this for a minimum of 4 years. I knew something was wrong. Had to force him to go to a doctor. I won't go into the details. They are not pretty. 

I am glad you raised the issue of the possibility of inheriting Alzheimer's b/c if that were to be a possibility, I would want my Dd to have a chance at doing something she loves and not feel forced to spend her time in a classroom. So that adds a whole new perspective to the argument.

[When High school and college did not turn out as you expected.]

5 minutes ago, PeterPan said:

I think the important thing to remember is if she wants a degree later, she can still go get it. College will still be there, and there are lots of programs aimed at adult and returning learners! Adult students do BETTER than younger students often times, so the extra bake time might even to your dd's benefit. 

Also waiting for college when you don't know WHY you'd be going is a good thing. It's a ton of money and it's often wasted on the young, who change their majors, end up wanting to do something totally different later, etc. Real life experience would help her know her holes and WHY she would want to do something. It's a wise idea.

Yes. I did not mean to imply that being in favor of college is narrow minded. Just the idea that every kid should go straight into college (though I was guilty of thinking that way for many years).

[When High school and college did not turn out as you expected.]

I have to add a funny aside to this discussion. I mentioned one of the owners is a former high school chemistry teacher. She will not employ any kids who are not at least attending college part time. And she also told my daughter repeatedly that she is not allowed to date until she has her masters degree! That is how strongly she feels about education. I really like her for that!

[When High school and college did not turn out as you expected.]

10 minutes ago, Lori D. said:

Yes, most scholarships are for full-time students, but not all. Our Community College awards some smaller scholarships (few hundred dollars to use towards books) for part time students. Thankfully, the tuition at our CC is only 1/4 the cost of that of the local university (for full-time in-state students, about $3400/year compared to $12,200/year).

Check out the school's financial aid/scholarships website pages, and also apply to FAFSA to see if DD might be eligible for any Pell Grant money. Other than scholarships, the only other financial aid that she might be eligible for would be Federal Financial Aid -- loans and Pell Grant awards. Pell Grants are awarded for a maximum of 12 semesters, and the amount awarded is determined by the EFC # from the FAFSA. (Note: until the student is 24yo, the parents' financials have to be included on the FAFSA, except in rare cases such as the student is in the military, married, or has a dependent child.)

Another thing to check into: would the business allow DD to work part time (20-30 hours/week) to allow DD to take 12 units (3-4 classes) per semester, in order for her to be a full-time student, and thus possibly eligible for scholarships? (Although, at many universities, tuition scholarships have a requirement of 15 units per semester, so that would be something else to look into.)

The scholarships she has won are from private organizations, so she may be able to use a few of them depending on the wording. 

I am not that concerned about our income/FAFSA. We will be very poor. My Dh has Early Onset Alzheimer's. We are already poor and only going to get worse. Most of our income will be from SSDI.

They will definitely work with Dd to make sure she can get her school work done. 

[When High school and college did not turn out as you expected.]

17 minutes ago, bolt. said:

I think you will be able to tell a lot about these business owners by how they talk to your DD about college and continued employment with them.

If they want her to forgo it completely, they are using her. If they say supportive things and hope she manages to fit college around the edges of her work, they are probably indifferent. If they truly value her (in an ideal world) they would create some sort of ‘use work time for professional development by perusing a college degree’ model of employment.

Its worth waiting for that information before looking seriously at donating her whole future to their endeavours.

Has already been discussed. They will not employ her if she is not at least taking classes. I know these people very well. They have been employing her for 2 years already. The owner is a former high school chemistry teacher. Originally she would not allow her to work there during college at all (except during summer break). Knowing what they know now about how my Dd learns and about her abilities, they are willing to employ her while she takes classes part time working toward her degree.

What I need to do is look at what part time looks like financially. I have no idea if any financial aid applies for part time students. That may be where there is a catch.

ETA: Up to now I viewed this as a good way for Dd to make money and pursue her interests. The idea of doing it full time was not being considered, so there are more details that would need to be discussed. Dd will be getting a high school education that would enable her to attend a 4 year school at some point, if not now, then later. However, if she is going to attend part time, then maybe I would just have her start taking classes at the local CC now rather than wait until later.  She has already won a bunch of scholarships too. Need to see if she can still use them if she's part time.

There are a lot of things I need to consider. I am just sort of surprised to be considering a very different approach than I planned. 

[When High school and college did not turn out as you expected.]

Jean, I had already decided Dd would be going the 5 year high school route, partly b/c of time lost while I was caring for our elderly friend, followed by time caring for Dh, and partly b/c Dd just takes longer than Ds did at all academics. 

Margaret, I do suspect there is some ADD at play for Dd. Never had her formally evaluated, but it is not hard to see. 

I am glad to 'hear' some experiences that sound similar. I definitely don't want to be one of those people trying to fit a square peg into a round hole. I have always felt that the education has to be suited to the makeup of the child. My SIL did not pay attention to her son's make up and went ahead and put him in a 4 year college away from home and it was a disaster. A very expensive disaster. Everyone who truly knows our situation and knows my daughter and the business is telling me to let her do it. Here and there a person will come along with a criticism and tell me 4 year college with a degree is the only way. Those people like to say I will ruin her life if I don't get her into a 4 year school and make her go. The more I hear that the more I realize what a narrow minded unrealistic view of the world that is. 

[When High school and college did not turn out as you expected.]

Please post here if you and your child have made out-of-the-ordinary decisions for high school and beyond. Did your Dc go into business, apprentice for someone, go to trade school, join a family business? Anything non-traditional.

I have some decisions to make for my Dd and it is looking like we will not be going the traditional 4 year full time college route. That worked well for Ds, but Dd has some opportunities and I don't think 4 year full time college is going to work. She has the chance to become a partner in a well established business. (Which I may explain better later.) I have thorough knowledge of this business and the owners. Dd has already been working for them for several years on a part time basis. She has worked so hard and done so well, and she has natural talent. The owner has no family to take over, and they want her there. That Dd can make money in the business is indisputable since she has been a major contributor to our finances for the past 2 years while I was sorting out my husband's Alzheimer's and applying for disability.

None of this is what I planned. I planned for a somewhat rigorous high school course load followed by 4 years of college, full time. If she joins this business permanently, part time college is all Dd would be able to handle. Dd is not the student my Ds is. She needs more time to complete assignments and she gets very antsy having to sit for too long, so maybe this is better, idk. It's what seems to be falling into place, so I would like to hear from others who did things differently.

[Back after a long hiatus.]

I don't remember how to multi-quote! 

Quill- I did know that Mrs Mungo has been gone for quite a while.  Lots of others too. 

PeterPan-- Don't need anything right now. I sent her to stay with a friend halfway across the country, and she is working for part of this summer there. I am  still sorting out legal and financial stuff. Waiting for Permanent disability to be approved. Once I am done with the estate planning and elder care attorney then I will consider what I have here to use with her and what I want to accomplish with her. She's a very different kid from Ds, so I need a different plan, and under the circumstances, I am really going to be focusing on what is important, not only for school, but for life. Her high school will be mostly get-it-done high school, not like Ds's at all. Part of that is b/c of circumstances and part of that is b/c I realize how much unnecessary time and money I wasted on things that really did not matter for Ds's schooling. 

soror- the diagnosis was a relief. At least it explained why Dh was behaving like a jerk for so long. He just could not handle anything. He was an accountant and refused to do our Ds FAFSA. Told me to do it myself since I am home and don't do anything all day. That was almost 3 years ago. I almost had a breakdown over that. Dh always took care of finances and I had no idea where to even find the answers to anything for the FAFSA! It didn't occur to me at the time that he was sick. I thought he had just turned into a selfish jerk. He didn't seem concerned in any way, either. That was so odd to me. I was up at night with knots in my stomach and he just slept like a baby.  Multiply that incident by every single thing you might ever need your spouse for. HE refused to see a doctor and I had to trick him to get him evaluated. When he realized where we were going he told me he was going to tell the doctor what a --- I am and began listing all my offenses. I had to take over all of our finances about a year and a half ago and we had a negative balance in our checking account. He had us very near to bankruptcy. There's more, but I will spare all of you. I don't enjoy reliving it. Alzheimer's is a cruel disease, for the patient, and maybe even more for the family and caregiver. Yes, it has been a rough time. Caregiving for our 94 year old friend was easy comparatively. I miss him so much. He was my best friend. He was a cooperative and easy patient and grateful for everything. None of which applies to my Dh now--though he cannot help it. This is what Alzheimer's has turned him into.

[Back after a long hiatus.]

Things look a little different here. Came back today to search for Mrs Mungo's Oatmeal recipe. I'll be in and out as I revamp Dd's final years of high school. We have had a crazy couple of years. First I was caring for our 94 year old friend who was really like my father. He died a little over a year ago and I was an executor to his estate. Now I am the caretaker for my Dh who was diagnosed with Early Onset Alzheimer's in February of this year. It was and wasn't a surprise since his behavior has been off for several years. As I deal with his disease progression I am also attempting to get Dd's schooling back on track. But I just wanted to pop in and say 'Hi' for now. It's been a while.

[If you were atheist/agnostic but converted...]

Reading Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis. Whom I now consider a heretic, lol. (Just my personal opinion. Not seeking to discuss.)

 

Interesting. I don't think I would go as far as calling him a heretic, but I think I understand where you are coming from.

[Paying for College]

I always thought we would help Dc, but our financial situation changed about 5 years ago when my husband lost his job. He was out of work almost to the end of unemployment funds. He did find another job, but making half of the salary we had lived on for most of my Dc's lives. We can afford to do nothing monetary for our Dc at all. It seems we have a very unique position.

 

Ds was fortunate enough to receive a scholarship at a state university, and b/t that and grants his tuition is fully covered. He also received scholarships from 2 different clubs he is a member of. The university allowed for stacking scholarships, so every semester he receives a refund of several thousand dollars. He has no loans, and says he will not take any. HE works part time and during holidays he adds lots of extra hours, but there are weeks he has no hours at all. He does not have a car and won't be looking for one until he can afford insurance. He has paid for his own computer, buys his own clothes, and sometimes even his meal if he is out. I drive him to the train he takes to the university and he gives me $20 for gas about every other week.  He has a unique job and if he travels for it on long weekends, he can sometimes make $1000 or more in a 3 day weekend. 

 

When we are back on our feet again I am hoping we will be able to help him more than we can now, even if it is by not having him pay for gas. This is not exactly the situation I wanted for him, but we are thankful he is able to attend the university and not have debt. He was accepted into every college he applied to (7) and had a very generous scholarship to an expensive private university, but he would have had to pay about $3,000 a year and take loans. And he didn't want to take loans, so that made his decision easy.

 

Dd is a completely different student. I will be having her apply to 2 local schools when the time comes and she will have to choose from them or the CC. I have no idea if we will be able to help her at all by then. She also has a part time job right now that pays very well. She pays all of her expenses for extracurriculars and some of her clothing.

 

None of this is how I would like things to be. They are reality for us though. I have apologized to my kids about how much they have to pay for. Neither one of them feels slighted in the least. They are both happy to be able to contribute. 

 

​I just wanted to say it is still possible for some kids to pay their own way. I had to pay for about the same as my Ds does, but I lived at home rent free, and so does he.

 

 

[I have to buy a new washing machine. Today]

Buy a used one that is at least 10-15 years old. Back then people understood that water is necessary to properly wash clothes.

[Content Warning about the new Anne of Green Gables Series on Netflix]

We have never watched AOGG before. Any version of it. I never watched any of it or read the book(s).

 

But my dd16 read the books and liked it and has not watched any of the movie/tv adaptations.

 

And my dd11 is literally in the sofa reading it for the first time right now.

 

Soooo. No thanks to this version.

 

Also, I think people forget how some old versions aren't as rosy as they thought as a child. Little House on the Prairie comes to mind. I totally forgot how adulty some of the content was until I was watching it with my kids. And I quickly stopped watching for that reason. Rape scenes and more. I don't know know if previous versions of AOGG falls into the line, but it might not be a bad idea for adults to rewatch it with their new parental eyes.

There is really NOTHING objectionable in the Kevin Sullivan productions (meaning the first two, not the 3rd one called 'The Continuing Story).  I was very strict about what my kids watched when they were younger and the first two movies were the very first 'movies' I allowed them to watch.  The ONLY thing I can think of anyone objecting to might be the scene where Diana is drunk b/c of Anne's mix up.

 

ETA: I cannot comment on The Continuing Story b/c it was so horribly done that I shut it off after 10 minutes.  What was objectionable there was the extremely misguided attempt at completely changing the storyline.

[What's the last book you read aloud to your kids, and how old were they?]

Jane Eyre with my 15 year old Dd.  Before that To Kill a Mockingbird and Ds (18) sat in for that.  Before that was A Tale of Two Cities with both kids.

[Supplements for mild anxiety and depression]

I think it might depend on the cause of the depression? Not sure about that.

 

Omega-3 supplements really help mitigate my PMDD-caused depression and anxiety.

 

As a side note: 5-HTP can be contraindicated in people with heart disease. There's not a study (I think) 'proving' this, but there has been some writing about how too much 5 HTP can raise serotonin levels too high, which may lead to heart valve damage & scarring. (I used to take 5htp, and am pretty sure it caused some damage my cardiologist is treating. I was not taking a large dose.)

Thank you for posting this. I am not currently taking it, but have in the past and was about to start up again. I've had a recent unexplained jump in my blood pressure and heart rate, now controlled with medication.  I think I'll skip the 5Htp.

[Family of 5, what do you spend on groceries/week?]

I spend about $100/week for a family of five (parents and three boys who are 17,16,8). But I also spend a lot of time cooking nearly everything from scratch; we don't eat much meat; I don't buy any beverages except milk; and while we eat a lot of produce, I get what's in season and less expensive. Groceries also aren't that expensive where I live.

 

My point is that your food budget isn't just about monthly totals, it's about where you live and the choices you make about food. If you can afford what you're spending and your family is happy with the food and you're happy with things, then your food budget is fine no matter what others are spending.

 

This is us too.  I try to keep it to $100/week and that includes toiletries (like toothpaste, deodorant,toilet paper, but not my make up or face lotion), cat food and litter (but not dog food-that's a separate expense), and all cleaners or detergents.  I do occasionally buy some ready to eat items, but mostly I make everything from scratch and plan, plan, plan.  I repurpose leftovers and try not to throw food away. I roasted a chicken today and for the next two days we will be having chicken soup and homemade bread for dinner--salad too maybe b/c we happen to have the fixings left over from weekend.  I recently informed my husband that if anything ever happened to me his grocery bill would at least double.

 

There are weeks when I end up spending a little over (never over $120) and weeks where I can get away with spending $50, so it probably evens out to about $100/week.  

 

We also benefit from teen Ds having a good paying job and sometimes buying his own meals at college or out just b/c it is more convenient.  The only special diets I have to consider are Dd's food allergies, which are a pain as far as reading labels, but generally not expensive to work around. 

 

Also, I am very frugal (cheap) and I watch high cost items like paper towels and aluminum foil.  Dc have been taught to use those items sparingly.  I learned to do without a lot of things when Dh lost his job. He has been at his new job for almost 2 years, but I still stick to the budget from his unemployment days b/c we are still playing catch up.  

 

ETA: Family of 4, NOT a big coupon user

[Anyone do dog agility?]

Look at NADAC. I think they're the friendliest and liked their rules the best.

For differences b/t AKC Agility and NADAC, see this post http://shotgun-puppytraining.blogspot.com/2010/03/differences-between-akc-agility-nadac.html

 

There are fewer trials offered in our area for NADAC vs AKC.  And for kids, I will add that participation in the AKC Juniors program can equal scholarships, many of which are not that hard to get.

[Anyone do dog agility?]

Chester was actually fine with wait, stay, and even whoa commands (the last stopping in his tracks). But he was so fast moving through stations that it was almost a blur. Over jumps, through tunnels. He was a champ. Took directions perfectly. Stopped on the apparatus when he was supposed to stop.

 

I was just sort of ridiculous when the other dogs in his class mostly had to be coaxed. I hate to make it seem like I'm exaggerating, but a super-fit Vizsla with a sky-high drive can really move.

 

Bill

I'm familiar with Vizslas.  They re great dogs.  My Dd finished a championship on one and is working on his grand championship with only 2 points left to go.  He is a goofball with a lot of energy and a little willful.  We've also had had a couple in our agility class.  One had a big problem with accuracy and the owner couldn't keep up.  The dog's brain moved as fast as her legs. She would make up her own course after she realized she made a mistake.  You could see the dog realizing it right after the owner's body posture changed to show discouragement or disappointment.  They switched classes and it seemed to work out for them eventually. Then we had a beginner who was having a hard time b/c his owner did not really understand how to reinforce commands.   That dog ate my son's tie at a show last year! Ds has never forgotten that!  Taught him not to leave his tie on a dog's crate! Right now we have one in class who is doing very well and running at the masters level.  

 

It does sound like you need a different class altogether.  You should start up again.  One of the women who came to our class had a border collie that she could command from one spot in the ring.   It was very impressive.  Banshee was a nice border collie--not one with crazed eye who looked like it would go out of its mind insane if it wasn't moving.  She was fast, but not as fast as the ones you see in most agility rings. You could consider that approach.  We played around with it.

 

ETA: I re-read your post.  If you are in a class with dogs who still need to be coaxed through or onto equipment, that is definitely the wrong class. You need to be at a class geared to teaching you and the dog to work as a team.  Lots of people have the problem of dogs that are very fast.  You don't have to be able to keep up with the dog, you need to be able to communicate with him, but in a way that you are both still enjoying the run. That's what a good instructor will focus on.

[Anyone do dog agility?]

I don't think they do, but I'll look! I have fond memories of 4-H as a kid.

This is how my kids started out and I still have one in 4H.  She is beyond what is done at 4H practices, but I keep her in it for the public speaking and leadership aspects.

[Anyone do dog agility?]

GSPs tend to be well suited to agility. It is pretty fun.

 

In my case, I started my Vizsla at 6 months. Earlier than commonly recommended (especially for jumping, which can put stress on growing joints) While mindful of the risks, the small jumps we did in beginning classes were puny compared with the jumps my highly athletic dog took during self-play.

 

We ended up in a class(es) geared towards casual dog owners. Which was not the ideal fit in our case. Not so much for me, as for my Vizsla.

 

Where most of the dog had to be cajoled through tunnels, jumps, and poles, Chester was like a loaded gun ready to go off. Despite whatever residual athleticism I've retained from youth, I was the weak link in our team. Chester had so much drive, speed, and sheer intensity that it was hard for me to keep up. With the less than perfect grounds of the city park we used, I face planted more than once.

 

I'd get scolded by the teacher for Chester being so fast. After a while, I started asking (with false innocence) if she'd like to show me how it ought to be done. LOL. She has no more success than I.

 

I was about to shift to a more competitively oriented program at a different club that had a super-intense teacher who would have loved Chester, but he was injured in a dog-pile up and needed to take a break for recovery. We never ended up going back.

 

I feel a little guilty. I also know I was totally outclassed by the Vizsla. It was like pairing an elite athlete with a duffer.

 

Bill

 

Bill, 

 

I don't know if this was ever suggested or tried, but some type of 'wait' command can be a big help with dogs who charge ahead.  If you can teach them to stop on contacts with 2 feet on 2 feet off and give the wait command, that gives you time to catch up and get ahead even.  That helps for standard courses.  Jumpers is another story, but there are ways to deal with the speed and still maintain accuracy.  That's what I love about agility, always figuring out ways to communicate better with your dog.  It's amazing when you finally figure it out!

 

There are different approaches to agility training.  We found that one of the instructors locally is all about training for speed, always trying to shave seconds off your time first and foremost.  The instructor we prefer is all about accuracy first, speed later at the pace the dog can handle while still maintaining accuracy.  

[Did anyone else watch 20/20 last night?]

What store is taking them out?

ACME, mid-atlantic to northeast states.  I think ACME owns Safeway.

[Anyone do dog agility?]

Disclaimer:  I am not a doggie expert nor do I play one on TV.  

 

We have two 12 month-old Australian shepherds males and they are extreme (and I mean extreme) high-energy dogs, so we are looking into it also (they actually ripped our couch to shreds when we went somewhere one day).   :ohmy:   There are a couple of dog parks here that have the obstacles (not sure if that's the proper term) and we've started taking them there.  Not only can they jump over all the hurdles and climb the ladders, etc, but one of them took a flying leap about 5' up in the air and jumped onto the roof of a doghouse (not an obstacle, Sir, not an obstacle).

 

One of my teens was reading that they need to be 2 years old to start agility training (? not sure if that's true or if it's breed-specific), because their bones aren't fully-formed before then.  Ours run like lunatics for about an hour when they go to the dog park.  Other dogs will get excited and try to follow them and they usually wear out (and our lunatics are still running with their tongues flapping in the wind).  We read somewhere that that breed was made to run 11 miles a day.  (?)  

 

Anyway, if you look online, there are a bunch of plans for dog agility obstacles (my teens have already been pestering me to make stuff for our backyard).

If you do decide to make agility obstacles,be sure to do the research about measurements if you think you may want to compete some day.  Weave poles especially should have proper spacing, for the comfort of the dog too, not just so that they are used to competition spacing.