Beginners is a 16-week course designed to introduce dogs to agility and the performance of agility obstacles. Time is also devoted to the foundation skills agility itself depends on — holding a start-line stay, coming to hand, and learning to take direction from you at a distance.
The class focuses on teaching handlers how to communicate with their dogs and gain a greater understanding of how dogs learn.
We're not an obedience class — we won't be drilling sit, down and heel. What we do teach are the specific skills agility asks of a dog, and how to communicate them clearly. Basic obedience helps, but it isn't a prerequisite; keep working on it at home alongside class.
None. This class assumes no prior agility experience. Dogs must be at least 9 months old before the first class meeting — a dog's growth plates take time to close, and it's important to limit repetitive stress to those areas as they grow.
Handlers are expected to practice during the week outside of class. The exercises generally don't require home equipment, though students may eventually consider acquiring a jump, a 12-foot plank, and PVC weave poles.
Suggested verbals
Your dog doesn't care which words you choose — but they care a great deal that you use the same ones every time. This is the list we suggest for students starting out.
| Behavior | Verbal |
|---|---|
| Instruct dog to stay in a stationary position | Stay |
| Release dog from a stationary position | Break or OK |
| Marker word | Yes |
| Instruct dog to get toy or food presented | Get It |
| Behavior | Verbal |
|---|---|
| Tunnel | Tunnel |
| A-Frame | Frame |
| Dog Walk | Walk It |
| Weave poles | Weave |
| Jump — take the jump in extension | Jump |
| Table — get on table and down | Table or Table Down |
| Initial 2O2O stopped contact training | Touch |
| Behavior | Verbal |
|---|---|
| Drive straight ahead to the next obstacle on the line | Go |
| Drive away from the handler laterally | Out |
| Wrap the front of a jump, turning right tightly 180° | Dig |
| Wrap the front of a jump, turning left tightly 180° | Check |
| Dog turns right approximately 90° | Right |
| Dog turns left approximately 90° | Left |
| Backside jump | Back |
| Threadle — take the non-obvious side of the jump or tunnel | In-In |