Agility
Next Class: Saturday Feb 7th @ 4:45pm-5:45pm | SIGN UP HERE
Agility is probably the most well-known dog sport, and for good reason. It’s fast, fun, and incredibly engaging for both dogs and handlers.
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In agility, dogs navigate a course of obstacles in a set order and within a time limit. These obstacles include jumps, tunnels, weave poles, contact equipment (like the A-frame, dog walk, and seesaw), and the pause table. The goal is accuracy, speed, and teamwork.
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That said, most people who train agility never compete and have no interest in competing. At our club, agility is about building focus, strengthening your relationship with your dog, and giving them a physical and mental workout. It’s a great outlet for high energy dogs, and a way to get them super excited while still maintaining control and clear communication.
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We welcome dogs and handlers of all ages and experience levels. Whether you’re brand new to training or have done other sports before, there’s a place for you here.
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For safety reasons, dogs should be physically fit before moving beyond the first two classes (Intro to Agility, and Intro to Jumps and Tunnels). These foundation classes focus on skills, confidence, and understanding the game before adding more physical challenge.
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If you’d like extra time to build confidence or polish the basics, you’re welcome to repeat the first two classes at a 50% reduced rate.
1
Introduction to Agility
Formally Groundwork
5-week course | $150
Prerequisites: Beginners Class
Suitable for: All healthy dogs, including puppies (we do not do anything to compromise joints; no jumping etc.)
Our Introduction to Agility class focuses on building the foundation skills needed for safe, confident agility training. This class does not involve full-height or “big” agility equipment and is suitable for puppies and young or inexperienced dogs.
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Rather than jumping or speed, this class is about teaching dogs how to move with their handler, respond to direction, and work confidently in a dynamic environment.
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In this class, we focus on:
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Confidence and body awareness: Helping dogs become comfortable with movement, balance, and different surfaces using low-impact equipment such as touch pads, planks, ladders, cavelettis, and a mini teeter.
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Handler communication and responsiveness: Teaching dogs to respond to handler movement, body position, and cues, including which side to work on and where to go next, even without constant verbal direction.
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Distance and direction skills: Building the dog’s ability to work away from the handler, including short sends to targets and learning to take direction at increasing distances.
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Foundational agility handling skills: Introducing basic handling concepts such as front crosses, start-line stays, and both verbal and non-verbal release cues.
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Engagement and play skills: Developing motivation, focus, and the ability to switch between working and playing, which is essential for future agility training.
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Stimulus control: Teaching dogs to respond appropriately to verbal and non-verbal cues and to understand when a cue applies and when it doesn’t.
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2
Intro to jumps and tunnels
5-weeks | $150
Pre-requisites: Beginners Class & Introduction to Agility
Dogs should be comfortable being crated for short periods in class.
Suitable for: All healthy dogs, including puppies
This class builds on the skills developed in Introduction to Agility and begins preparing dogs and handlers for more structured agility training, while continuing to prioritise safety, confidence, and correct movement.
Full-height agility equipment is not used in this class. All jumping and obstacle work is introduced at low, appropriate heights to ensure correct technique and minimise injury risk, making this class suitable for young and developing dogs.
In this class, we focus on:
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Pre-run preparation and connection
Teaching both dogs and handlers how to physically warm up and mentally connect before running, to support safe movement and focused performance. -
Safe and correct jumping skills
Introducing jumping mechanics at low heights, focusing on collection, extension, and efficient movement. Puppies will use ground-level bumper bars rather than raised jumps. -
Tunnel skills
Building confidence and understanding through longer tunnels, including turns and chute-style tunnels. -
Start-line stay development
Strengthening and proofing start-line stays so dogs can remain focused and ready to work, even as excitement increases. -
Contact foundations
Continuing to develop contact understanding using low, safe equipment such as coloured planks and mini obstacles. -
Introductory sequencing
Introducing short sequences and simple courses, gradually increasing complexity to develop flow, responsiveness, and handler timing.
This class is designed to bridge the gap between foundation training and more advanced agility work, ensuring dogs move safely, confidently, and with clear communication before progressing to higher equipment and faster sequences.
