AgiliPup 201
Orientation

This is not your average agility foundations class. We’ve deconstructed every aspect of agility, from equipment to conditioning, to design a curriculum that would build exceptional foundations for any pup dreaming of agility. This class is for puppies and dogs of all ages and handlers of all skill levels.

Over the next 6 weeks we’ll work on building your pup’s body awareness, overall self-confidence, physical strength, flexibility, and coordination. We’ll even cover the foundations for handling so you and your pup will be confidently communicating and conquering obstacle courses by the end of the curriculum.

Class Supply List

Required

you’ll need these for class

  • clicker

  • variety of treats

  • 2 bowls, plates, upside-down frisbees, or similar

  • 2 cones, garage pails, chairs, or other upright objects

  • floor target

    • Your floor target should be large enough to fit two front or back paws. Think long cutting board, exercise step, sofa cushion, yoga mat, etc. Anything that is a different feel/texture/color from your floor will work great.

  • platform

    • something for your pup to get up onto. Think training platforms, your couch, an ottoman, an upside-down bucket. etc.

  • wobbly surface

    • a rolling pin, cutting board, and duct tape will do just fine!

  • boxes in a variety of sizes

    • save those delivery boxes! one should be large enough for your pup to get into

 

Recommended

not necessary, but nice to have

  • training platform

    • cato board, klimb table, exercise step, cot/elevated dog bed

  • wobble board

  • free-standing agility jump

 What Is Agility?

 

Agility is the ultimate canine teamwork sport, relying on your team’s confidence, conditioning, and communication. Or agility can be an enriching activity that you do with your dog(s) in your living room or backyard. You don’t ever need to compete if you don’t want to. Either way, agility will strengthen the relationship you have with your dog, improve your dog’s self-confidence, body awareness, strength, flexibility, and coordination. (And probably yours, too.) While it isn’t necessary to have large, fancy equipment to enjoy, train, or compete in agility, I’ll introduce you to the equipment so you know what it is called.

 

equipment photos are from Max200.com

Meet the Equipment

Don’t worry, this won’t be on a test and you don’t need any of this equipment for class! It’s just for your information.

Jumps

Yeah. There’s more than one kind.

To complete a jump without point faults in competition, a dog must clear the jump from the correct side without knocking the bar off. For your dog, this will mean regulating their stride, timing their liftoff, jumping with the correct forward and upward momentum, landing calculations … there’s a lot!
A jump is at least two stanchions or legs (depending on who you ask) usually with jump cups or strips to hold the jump bar at the correct height and may or may not have wings. Heights are typically marked on the wing or stanchion and are measured from the ground to the jump cup.

Single

Panel

Double or Ascending Double

Triple or Ascending Triple

Spread or Long Jump

Contacts

To complete a contact obstacle without faults the dog must safely enter, complete, and touch the yellow contact zone on the descending side of the equipment. Some competition venues will also require that your dog touches the yellow on the way up. And for the see-saw, it must touch the ground before the dog gets off.
For your dog, that’s a lot of calculating! Angles of entry, stride regulations, deceleration, strength, balance, coordination, and confidence.

 

Dogwalk

 

A-Frame

 

See-Saw or Teeter

 

Other Obstacles

Completion without fault will depend on the venue and a few other factors.
Completion of a set of weave poles always means your dog enters with the first pole on their left or at their left shoulder (depending on how you look at it).
Tunnels are usually harder to keep your dog out of, they go in one side and hopefully come out of the other. Usually a lot faster than they went in. The saddle bags on the tunnel keep it from rolling away or shifting while dogs zoom through.
A pause table will require your dog to wait in some position for some amount of time (usually 5 seconds) before continuing.

Tunnel

Weave Poles

Pause Table

Training or completion of any obstacle or course successfully comes down to three things…

One: Communication

Your handling and your dog’s ability to read and understand you

Two: Confidence

In yourself, your abilities, and in your teammate

Three: Conditioning

Body awareness, strength, flexibility, and coordination

Throughout this class we’re going to work on exercises that will build a solid foundation for all three of the main ingredients for agility success. Each week we’ll discuss how each exercise will strengthen your team’s communication, confidence, and conditioning.