Q: Does my dog need obedience training to start agility?
A: Yes, your dog should know the basic commands to enter a beginner agility class. In the very beginning, we'll work on-leash, but towards the end, we'll start to sequence off-leash if we feel dogs are ready. We strongly recommend Basic Obedience or Sports Obedience class which we offer every six weeks.
Q: My dog is less than 9 months old. Can we join a beginner agility class?
A: Not yet. agility involves a fair amount of jumping which can cause long-term damage if the growth plates in their bones aren't fully closed. Also, you'll get more out of the class if your dog has developed some focus and obedience. If you've never taken an obedience class with your puppy, you'll need to take Puppy Kindergarten and you can move onto Puppy Sporting after that. Once your dog is old enough (1+ years), you can move into agility. If your dog is on the cusp (9 months - 1 year) and has good obedience, we recommend taking an agility private lesson where we can evaluate your dog's skills and recommend what the next step would be.
Q: My puppy has taken puppy kindergarten already and knows the basic commands. If we want to get into agility, what class can we take next?
A: Please take Puppy Sporting. In that class, we'll get your dog use to motion under their feet (i.e., rocker board) and build confidence through fun exercises. You'll learn how to keep your dog's attention and regain it if they loose focus. since they are still puppies, we'll do exercises in short duration vs. regular Sports Obedience where the dogs are a little older and have more attention.
Q: Do I need to bring anything for a lesson?
A: Please bring high value treats for your dog. We'll use those treats to lure them over the obstacles and keep their attention.
Q: I don't see a beginner class for a few months. How can I start now?
A: Again, we highly recommend starting with Sport Obedience first so you can get your dog ready for off-leash training, working on both sides of your body, impulse control, and the general obedience needed for agility. If you still don't want to wait, please consider taking a private agility lesson, so you can get through the basics. This also allows for a lot more schedule flexibility and we can customize the lesson to your dog's specific needs.
Q: I've taken some agility classes at another facility or I took classes a long time ago. Can I skip your beginner agility class?
A: Maybe. it really depends on you and you're dog's skill level. We would recommend taking an agility private lesson to get a fair assessment of your skill level. Again, we like to keep the regular agility classes for folks whose dogs know the equipment and can work off-leash.