Agility Classes

Agility Classes

The classes listed below are designed to help you learn the skills needed to compete in real Agility trials.

Foundation I - first building block designed to introduce puppies/young dogs & new handlers to foundation work that will help them develop a successful partnership. Your journey begins by learning how to improve your dog’s focus, teach body awareness, provide mental stimulation, reward curiosity, and learn to work as a team.

Positive reinforcement is used to build the partnership – rewarding your dog for doing what we wants and ignoring behavior we don’t want them to repeat.

Areas of focus: maintaining a solid sit / stay, recall to side, body awareness and positioning, focus, sends, targeting, and flat work. Intro to equipment is minimal and would include table, tunnel, and jump caveletti work. Dogs will be worked on and off lead.

Agility terminology and handler body positioning will also be introduced. You’ll learn how to break down why your dog moved in the direction they did based on how your body was positioned during the exercise.

Advancement is at the discretion of the instructor. Students might need to repeat class until team meets the requirements in the class skills outline.

Pre-requisites: Controlled work on lead; come when called; sit/stay preferred. Click for detailed class outline.

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Foundation 2 - designed to learn skills needed to handle the ”gap” (path between obstacles) as we put Foundation 1 skills to the test. We’ll take things up a notch as we work through fun handling games, contact behaviors, one-jump exercises, and short sequences. The goal is getting you and your dog prepared for Beginner agility.

Foundation 1 and Foundation 2 classes build focus, body awareness/positioning, and most importantly a strong partnership between dog and handler...powerful tools to get your team off to a great start!

Advancement is at the discretion of the instructor. Students might need to repeat class until team meets the requirements in the class skills outline.

Pre-requisites: Foundation Agility Skills 1 or pass evaluation before acceptance to this class. Click for detailed class outline.

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Beginner - designed as the second building block after Foundations in your Agility skills. We will focus on basic sequencing, contacts at lowered levels, handling, and weave poles.

Pre-requisites: graduation from Foundation Agility Skills (FAS) 2 or an evaluation of your team to ensure that you meet the criteria used to graduate from FAS 2. Click for detailed class outline.

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Intermediate - designed to build on the skills from Beginner class, we will focus on finishing your contacts, weave poles, adding handling skills, such as serpentines or obstacle discrimination, and building to longer sequences of obstacles.

Advancement is at the discretion of the instructor. Students might need to repeat class until team meets the requirements in the class skills outline.

Pre-requisites: graduation from Beginner or an evaluation of your team to ensure that you meet the criteria used to graduate from Beginner class. If your dog has an Open level title or higher, you need to register them for the Advanced Agility Skills class. If your dog has an Open level title or higher, you need to register them for the Advanced Agility Skills class. Click for detailed class outline.

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Advanced Agility Skills - designed for those teams already competing at the Open/Advanced/Master competition levels. We will focus on fine tuning your handling skills, learning to read lines, evaluating increasingly difficult courses, and developing successful handling options for those courses. Designed to finish the skills needed to successfully compete in Agility trials. Focus on handling and advanced level sequences.

Pre-requisites: graduation from Intermediate or an evaluation of your team to ensure that you meet the criteria used to graduate from Intermediate class.