Getting Involved In Agility...

[Bundyburger]

How do you find a club to do agility? Do you have to join a club and then go through obedience classes with them first or how does it work?

Bundy's nearly a year old now, and I really want to look into getting into agility with him. There are a few things we need to work on obedience wise first I'm sure but I'd like to find somewhere I can take him with that ultimate goal in mind.

I don't know where to begin and search brings up everything with the word agility in it!

Also, he's not currently reg'd with Dogs Vic because I lost the rego papers haven't had him transferred over from Tas. It involves jumping through a few hoops on the breeders end to get it done, so it hasn't happened yet because I didn't think it would matter much. I'm guessing I'll need to try and make this happen?

Edited September 3, 2010 by Bundy's Mum

[Vickie]

There are some clubs listed here:

http://www.dolforums.com.au/index.php?showtopic=108588

some clubs will have an obedience prerequisite first & others do not.

Edited September 3, 2010 by Vickie

[Bundyburger]

Thanks Vickie, found one from that link nice and close to home Will get in touch and find out more

[Staff'n'Toller]

I guess you can register him as an associate if you don't want the hassle of getting signatures etc.

[FHRP]

I guess you can register him as an associate if you don't want the hassle of getting signatures etc.

Nooooo, don't do that! You won't need to have Bundy registered in your name until you decide to compete and that can't be before he's 18 months old, so plenty of time!

[Bundyburger]

I guess you can register him as an associate if you don't want the hassle of getting signatures etc.

Nooooo, don't do that! You won't need to have Bundy registered in your name until you decide to compete and that can't be before he's 18 months old, so plenty of time!

Sweet I can get it done, it just involves lots of hassles... and fees.

I'm really excited about getting into agility, I know Bundy will love it.

Edited September 3, 2010 by Bundy's Mum

[Luke W]

Get on a waiting list for a club as soon as you can.

All clubs in Melbourne have loooong waiting lists.

[Erny]

We've just started up our agility 'arm' at Pro-K9. Have the 2nd group running through now. We don't insist that you be a Pro-K9 Member or do your training through us, although it seems there are things we teach in our Foundation Obedience Classes that is very handy for people to have learnt and subsequently taught their dogs as they are things that Pro-K9's Agility Instructor likes people to use as part of agility motivation in the learning phase. We do of course need people to have control of their dogs and if that is in question, yes .... obedience training is something they need to give attention to, to be able to proceed past certain levels within Agility and we do reserve the right to insist that people complete our Foundation Obedience Level if we feel it necessary.

Whether you wish to train for competition, or just wish to train for fun. Both are fine and we don't discriminate . Our training is suitable for both - even if you start out thinking you only want it for fun but change your mind part way through, what you've been taught will stand you in good stead for competition training if that's what you end up choosing to do. We do train for safety - so it's not just a matter of habituation and then running up and down, over and through the obstacles. You do learn body language and how to use it and also about contact training - ie you learn the finer points to agility training. This especially sets up for when you are beginning to link obstacles together and your dog is running freer but relying on some direction.

I especially began the agility component because of the enhancement it provides to the handler/dog relationship. And of course this has a benefit to obedience as well.

At the moment our agility beginner levels are run on Sundays. But we do envisage training the higher levels on a weekday/s evening/ at our flood lit grounds in Lyndhurst. And potentially will run most of our agility classes in the evenings during the hotter months of the year.

We're in South East suburbs Melbourne - I don't know if that is convenient to you but feel free to email me. My website link is in my signature below.

Edited September 5, 2010 by Erny