Starting training with a new dog

I've recently had the opportunity to steal a new dog, to train for agility competition. Deo is going to be retiring this year, Flori is likely to never do agility, which means that I really only have Evo competing in agility. 

Storm is a one-year-old heading dog that is now living with me, with her sister Blizzard. She's a very enthused dog who I think will soon be a very strong, and fast dog. She's best mates with Evo, and they are (scarily) very very alike. 

Because she acts and looks like a 'grown-up dog', I've forgotten that she doesn't have a lot of the base skills that I train with my puppy. She doesn't understand markers, hasn't played with toys (in the way that I like), hasn't started fitness work, and doesn't have that many known behaviors. She already has some habits that are undesirable for agility. 

This means that I have to start right from the start, and work through basic skills. It's made me have to be very strategic about what we train - because there's no point in training obstacle skills until she understands basic communication and reward skills. 

Here's the general process and skills I'm working through with her at the moment: 

• Reinforcement markers for food, and toys
• Toy play and managing arousal levels around toys
• Stillness (staying on a platform, waiting in a sit)
• Fitness foundations (feet on objects, sit, down, stand etc.)
• Desensitization / exposure to new places and equipment
• Life skills e.g. decompression walks, recalls, enrichment activities

So whilst technically she 'could' start competing in 6 months' time, I highly doubt that she will be ready then. Hopefully, we can catch her up to start competing next year sometime!