What to Bring with you

To Class

TiggerRetires2019 06 01a

Dog

A happy, healthy and hungry dog. Because we will be using food as motivators, it will be to your advantage if your dog is eager to eat. If you normally feed your dog in the evening, you may want to withhold its meal on class nights, or consider the food motivators that you will use in class as its evening feeding doled out in small bits. Not only will having a slightly hungry dog aid you in getting and keeping your dog’s attention during class, but it is not wise or productive to ask your dog to jump or run on a full stomach.

crate

Crate or Exercise Pen

A crate or pen will be needed to confine your dog while setting up for agility classes and during class when needed. For both the safety of your own dog and others, WE ABSOLUTELY CANNOT ALLOW A DOG TO BE TIED TO THE FENCE, A CHAIR OR OTHER OBSTACLE AND LEFT UNATTENDED. A tie down stake is not sufficient since it leaves your dog vulnerable. Crates and pens of all types and sizes are available in pet stores, on the Internet, or by catalog. Let us know if you are having trouble locating one.

collarDog

Buckle Collar or Harness

No choke, prong, or shock collars will be allowed. Not only do the choke and prong collars pose safety hazards and risk injury to your dog, but they send the wrong message. Agility training is not about forcing our dogs into a particular behavior, but learning how to communicate with body language and enthusiasm. A buckle collar or chest harness is sufficient to keep your dog in your immediate control. Also, we recommend against halties or Gentle Leaders for agility training. These pull the dog’s head to the side and can be dangerous or create anxiety in your dog because it can’t look ahead to where it is going.

leashDog

Leash

A four-foot leash is sufficient and works slightly better than a six-foot-one simply because there is less leash for you to try to manage. A loop at the handler end will come in handy for some of our Teamwork exercises and for hands-free training. At some point, you might want to consider a short TAB leash as you start to work with your dog off-leash.

dog 2982426 960 720

Water

for you and your dog. Think of a class as going to the gym. You and your dog both need to stay well-hydrated. Some people also bring spray bottles or pump sprayers to wet down their dogs when it is really hot.

suggestions

Treats

Bring something your dog loves, something smelly and mouthwatering. Leave the dry kibble at home. You can try hot dogs, cheese, liver treats, or meat bits. Depending on the size of your dog, the treats should be cut up into ONE BITE sizes. They should not be so big that your dog has to stop what it is doing to chew on them, but they need to be large enough for your dog to get some satisfaction from the reinforcer. BRING LOTS. Do not be stingy at this point. You can always take the extra home and use them later in the week as you do your homework.

treatsBag

Treats Bag

You will need some kind of bag from which you can swiftly and smoothly remove a treat. The bag should be secured to your body somehow, such as on a waist belt or hooked to a pocket, so that your hands are free to work with the dog and use the clicker. Treat bags are available online, Target, Petsmart and other places for around $5 to $10. You may make one of your own or fashion one from something you already have, such as a fanny pack. Just be sure the opening is large enough so that you can get your hand in and out quickly and easily. It does NOT need to be large enough to hold all of your treats at once. You can restock your bag as needed.

plasticLid

Plastic Tub Lid - White

such as the kind used on yogurt or cottage cheese containers. We will use these lids as targets as we train our dogs to move away from us and go to a specific place. Most of us have plenty of these at home. At this point, size does not matter. We will eventually fade the targets away. You could also use a plain white washcloth.

148150 159789040729195 7119467 n

Tug Toys (optional)

We will spend a considerable amount of time teaching our dogs how to play with us. In agility, we want our dogs to think that YOU, the handler, are the most interesting thing around—not other dogs, equipment, or the nearest tree or shrub. We will do those through intense interaction with our dogs—play. The best way to play with our dogs is with a tug toy. We recommend you bring at least two different tug toys—a ball on a string, or a knotted rope for example. You may not need to go to the pet store for your toys. Think about what items fascinate your dog, e.g. a tin pie plate, a rubber watering hose, a pine cone, an empty water bottle. If you know your dog likes a certain, unorthodox object, bring it. We suggest bringing at least two toys in the early sessions, so we can see what really turns your dog on. Many handlers will say that their dogs are not toy motivated, but most dogs can be taught to be toy motivated and the tug toy will teach the dog to look to you the handler for stimulus and reward.

57310 161641140543985 4874071 o

Trail Running Shoes and Clothing

You will be on your feet for the entire class session. You will be walking, jogging, running, and maybe even crawling through tunnels to encourage your dog. Come dressed to do so. The ground can be wet and/or uneven at times, please wear trail running shoes that provide more traction and stability on soft ground. Some recommended brands are Brooks Cascadia or Hoka Speedgoats.
clicker training not better

Clicker (optional)

This is optional as a secondary reinforcer or marker as we train our dogs. You can pick up a clicker at Petsmart. We will use a vocal “yes!” as the primary marker.

poodle

Red Bandana

If you know that your dog sometimes has space issues or issues with other dogs, we ask that you indicate that by putting a red bandana on your dog. We will let everyone know that a red bandana means to leave some extra room for your dog.

6986067085 bdd9defc50 b

Tote bag, duffle bag or Backpack

to haul all of the above.

Good Dog Agility

Aggression Policy

Although aggression from dogs in agility is unacceptable, it is behavior that we, as a club, inevitably will encounter.
Therefore, the following policies apply to behavior in agility classes:
It is ALWAYS the handler’s responsibility to make sure their dog has enough space and to notify other handlers of their dog’s issues. It is also expected that ALL handlers will be aware of their requirement to keep their dog controlled around ANY dog, whether or not they are wearing a red bandana.
Crate Rule – All dogs must be crated upon arrival to class for set-up and at the close of class for tear down – NO EXCEPTIONS. This is for the dog’s safety and so you are free to help with class preparations.
Dogs must be on leash at all times. The exception to this is when the dog is running a set, but he/she must be leashed immediately upon completion of the sequence.
Aggressive behavior will be determined by the instructor/training director.
The following course of action will be followed if a dog exhibits inappropriate behavior:

First Incident

  • Red bandana rule goes into effect and the dog is placed on 12-month probation
  • The Head Instructor fills out an incident report and notifies the Training Director.
  • The leash-at-all-times rule is reiterated to all students.
  • Crate rule is re-emphasized to all students.

Second Incident

  • Mandatory obedience and/or behaviorial training and suspension from class.
  • Documentation must be provided to show that the dog has successfully completed 8 weeks of training.
  • An evaluation of the dog’s behavior around other dogs is made by the staff of the class.
  • If both are done successfully, the dog may return to class.
  • The red bandana rule is still in effect and the 12-month probation re-starts.
  • The Head Instructor must record the results on an incident report and contact the Training Director.
  • The Training Director will contact the dog’s handler and notify them of reinstatement.
  • The leash rule and crate rule are re-emphasized again and a reminder goes out about the Aggression Policy.

Third Incident

  • The dog is expelled from GDA.
  • If the handler feels this final step is unwarranted, the handler has 30 days to make an appeal to the Board of Directors whose decision is final in this matter.

Growing up, I rode horses competitively. After I started my family and my technology career, I down sized to dogs. Agility was a natural fit.

I have been competing in agility over 20 years with pure breeds and mixed breeds. I currently have 3 Labs…Cork-12 yrs, Juice-5 yrs, and Fizzy-20 mths.

I have earned multiple championships with different dogs and organizations, and have several AKC Top 25 Agility Dog breed rankings for Labs. I have competed in numerous AKC and USDAA national events with multiple Top 10 finishes and been on the podium at regional and National events. Most recently I was on the podium at the 2023 AKC National Agility Championship finals.

Agility is constantly changing so I regularly attend seminars offered by top national and international trainers to keep my skills current. 

Besides agility, my dogs and I also compete in scent work, obedience, and hunt tests. When I am not training, teaching or showing, I enjoy traveling, scuba diving, and snow skiing.

I’m addicted to training. Watching the “light bulb” moments is such a rush. As dog trainers, we are very lucky to be able to connect and communicate so intimately with a different species. When it all comes together in that one special performance, it makes all the hours of dedication worth it.

My training philosophy is to build a strong foundation in both skills and theory so no course seems too difficult or unachievable. I look forward to sharing my knowledge and experience with GDA students to help them achieve their agility goals.