Agility In Victoria

[murve]

I'm in Yarra Glen but happy to travel as far as KCC South and Bulla West.

K9 told me not to even bother going on the wait list, I've been told Croydon was the same but might email them and see if they are willing to assess us and I will join if they like us. Happy to go on a Sunday morning if I have no other choice.

Thanks for the tip for Geraldine, I will give her a call this avo, a private lesson might even be the way to go at first and she doesn't sound expensive.

The problem isn't that we can't do the obedience - she's a naturally very obedient dog. We have flawless recall (and I can call her off anything, at any time, anywhere), sit / drop / stand / stay / jump / up & down (on and off obstacles) / "in" (for tunnels and confined spaces), heel is good but needs a fine tune for closeness.

It's the matter of no intake opportunity for at least 6 months or a waiting list so long I'm told not to bother even trying to get in!

I must admit being so new to dog sports there is certainly an air of "your not good enough" whilst trying to get involved, that is really off putting. All I want to do is train my dog in something she loves and hopefully get a few titles along the way.

my daughter went on the K9 wait list 3 yrs ago, Nothing, no emails to say they closed the waiting list,

she tried at Action dogs ;last year, passed the intro night with flying colors, then she was knocked back due to the fact a GSD jumped & landed on our Pappy, he of course yelped, this happend before the session even started, funny thing was the GSD was accepted.

Our Pappy boy is now at Southern with a Agility Trainer who is great, this trainer starts with foundation & my daughter & Pappy love it, they only work on Agility

[piper]

Wow, what a shame that it is so hard to start a dog off in Victoria.

I understand triallers wanting to train at multiple clubs but in a way they are also limiting the future of the sport by preventing new people from starting out. I am glad it is not like that in SA and those wanting to train are easily able to.

[Erny]

Pro-K9 ran Agility Classes - really good ones too, even if I do say so myself. Aimed at anyone (ie didn't have to have their aims set on trialling) but taught correctly from the outset so that trialling would always remain an option if they wanted to change their mind, but moreover, aimed at training for safety. We had no hard nor fast rule with having to reach advance level obedience training through our school, although we did encourage at least sufficient basic training to be undertaken with us. This helped much with the understanding of motivation and delivery of reward, but admittedly for some the basic level training was not always an essential and there were therefore, a few exemptions. Initial introduction level lessons were on-lead (all due care taken) and we worked up to off-lead.

Although I was surprised, given the numbers of people wanting to training in the agility sport (which I whole-heartedly support), the problem is the costs of running. Private business meant no ground-hire subsidy and also means paying professional instructors. Generally two instructos required for the purposes of setting up, moving and packing up equipment. More instructors to cater for different levels which overlap the others as far as times are concerned. Even at "cost" price, the attendance level was not maintained and this in itself made it difficult to achieve what we wanted to achieve in terms of services/levels etc etc.

For this reason I closed the books on our agility component with a view to restructure it in such a way to make it more affordable, but I still very much want the "ideal" of what I wanted for people to be able to enjoy, achieve and thrive their training on to be able to be attained.

If anyone has any ideas of what they'd like, how they'd like it, and how it might be achieved, and a group size sufficient to have it run, Pro-K9 would be happy to entertain the idea :).

Edited August 25, 2012 by Erny

[Bundyburger]

Erny, I looked at your classes and they sounded amazing, however cost was a factor.

I wanted to get into agility with my boy, but it's awfully disheartening at the lack of options available, I've just about given up on the idea now.

[Saffioraire]

I understand the risk involved in aprivate business starting classes from scratch - with finding instructors / cost / etc - what gets me is that the existing clubs don't attempt to expand their own offerings or amount of classes to accomodate for the obviously large demand.

Actually what gets me the most is having to be elite at a sport before being considered good enough to train. There is an attitude that is expressed with this which leaves a whole lot of people feeling like Bundyburger - and surely it is not good for the world of dog sport or purebred dogs. Which would lead me to think that maybe there is an area of Dogs Vic which should be dealing with this also?

Anyway - Bundyburger I don't know where you live or how far you are happy to drive but Geraldine who Tollers mentioned offers private lessons at $25 an hour which seems pretty good to me!

I am still waiting to hear from Action Dogs but seeing as I had to scratch this weekends shows I will go down to Croydon tomorrow and see what the deal is there.

[Bundyburger]

Saff, Action Dogs intake was in August, so they probably won't do another till around March. Geraldine is a possibility for me once I get off my crutches, it's just disheartening when you've put all this work into your dog an dhe loves what he does but it's still never good enough to make it into any clubs so you can learn properly.

[megan_]

None of the specialist clubs require advanced obedience. Action dogs is the only one that even requires an assessment. All the dogs Vic clubs are run by volunteers who also train their own dogs. I've been to action dogs and now go to k9 and a lot of the volunteers are the same people. K9 didn't take in a second foundation course this year due to the grounds being resurfaced. Were training somewhere else at the moment which is much smaller so we can only train every second month.

For my next dog I'm going to use the club to practice on equipment, but I'll do my own training. There are so many great resources out there at the moment.

Be aware that action dogs uses a different handling system to croydon (ie the way you tell your dog what to do), so I suggest picking a system and always using that one.

[Cosmolo]

When we wanted to set up agility classes catering for those who may want to trial our difficulty was finding an instructor especially for weekends (the only venue option) due to instructors other committments etc. I run classes for pet owners requiring no level of formal obedience but it's the lack of an appropriately experienced instructor that prevents us from running trial type classes.

[JulesP]

Geraldine is great. She taught me at Croydon. She is a nice instructor who is also one of the best competitors in Australia - a winning combination.

For Croydon you will either be assessed individually to see if you can go into agility depending on what you have been doing with your dog or they might want you to go into the obedience classes first. There is sometimes a short wait to get into the agility classes. They also hold classes on a week night. The classes are very good.

[Sayreovi]

my daughter went on the K9 wait list 3 yrs ago, Nothing, no emails to say they closed the waiting list,

she tried at Action dogs ;last year, passed the intro night with flying colors, then she was knocked back due to the fact a GSD jumped & landed on our Pappy, he of course yelped, this happend before the session even started, funny thing was the GSD was accepted.

No it wasn't.

It's interesting as I don't think people really understand the amount of work it takes to train a dog properly and safely, we started off with 10 people and now only have about 5 a week. Maybe they thought that they would be on equipment quicker? (it was months before we went on contacts and only did up to 5 other obstacles at a time)

Frankston is similar with their foundation but it's obviously shorter!

[JulesP]

It's interesting as I don't think people really understand the amount of work it takes to train a dog properly and safely, we started off with 10 people and now only have about 5 a week. Maybe they thought that they would be on equipment quicker? (it was months before we went on contacts and only did up to 5 other obstacles at a time)

Frankston is similar with their foundation but it's obviously shorter!

Agree! I see so many people kicking up about having to pass the obedience level that Croydon requires. But then I see people like Geraldine taking each new puppy through all the levels.

[Saffioraire]

Geraldine is great. She taught me at Croydon. She is a nice instructor who is also one of the best competitors in Australia - a winning combination.

For Croydon you will either be assessed individually to see if you can go into agility depending on what you have been doing with your dog or they might want you to go into the obedience classes first. There is sometimes a short wait to get into the agility classes. They also hold classes on a week night. The classes are very good.

Thank you. I've heard a mixed bag about Croydon but I will go down tomorrow and suss it out, see what they say.

Megan I think perhaps your perspective is too close to the "inside". I understand there are a lot of clubs who train but the resources available to those trying to get in a few and the waits are long. There is no way I can choose what "method" is best until we start training for agility and see how she responds to it - if she doesn't respond well with what I do first then maybe I should consider changing it up, but there is no way as a complete novice someone could confidently make this decision.

I do understand the need for a certain level of obedience. I consider myself lucky that my dog was born obedient, and naturally wants to please (a nice big tick for the WSSD!)

[megan_]

Sorry if I've given the wrong impression - I too am a newbie and have never trialled. I put myself on every waiting list I could find when my boy was 1 - he's now 4 - and trained at erny's before I got into a club.

I'm now redrafting my girl. I sent an email to frankston 2 weeks ago and they said we're in - no tests, no waiting lists. I also zoned my boy up to croydon. He showed one sit-stay and walked on my left for a few paces and he was in. We went on a waiting list but started the next week! There are only 4 people in this class. There was room for more but no one else had signed up.

It is hard to get into the elite clubs (my girl didn't get into action dogs - 10 spots and 35 dogs tried out), but there are places out.

With respect to a handling system - ie how youre going to use your body to tell your dog what to do - my suggestion is to pick one (or just adopt the one the club uses) and go with it. I didn't do this at first and I'm paying for it now.

[Saffioraire]

Sorry if I've given the wrong impression - I too am a newbie and have never trialled. I put myself on every waiting list I could find when my boy was 1 - he's now 4 - and trained at erny's before I got into a club.

I'm now redrafting my girl. I sent an email to frankston 2 weeks ago and they said we're in - no tests, no waiting lists. I also zoned my boy up to croydon. He showed one sit-stay and walked on my left for a few paces and he was in. We went on a waiting list but started the next week! There are only 4 people in this class. There was room for more but no one else had signed up.

It is hard to get into the elite clubs (my girl didn't get into action dogs - 10 spots and 35 dogs tried out), but there are places out.

With respect to a handling system - ie how youre going to use your body to tell your dog what to do - my suggestion is to pick one (or just adopt the one the club uses) and go with it. I didn't do this at first and I'm paying for it now.

Ok yes I see what you mean, I intend on learning the system that I'm told! Ha! I'm a bit of one for getting in or choosing a club (depending on what the situation is) and sticking with it.

Nice to hear that Croydon was so accommodating, will definitely go see them tomorrow. They are my closest club so of course my first preference despite me having to compromise Sunday shows for training etc. I don't have any issue with having to display a level of obedience but I don't want to have to do a CCD trial to prove it, or be UDX to be considered. A sit stay and a heel is no drama.

I just assume Croydon is an elite style club - I know their flyballers are very good. We watched them training once and went to ask about how to get involved.... well it was like Pretty woman when Julia Roberts walked in to that high end store to buy a dress in her "poor mans" clothes ...!! Lol

Finding Geraldine has been a big boost, and seeing her FB status tonight of all her students getting titles is nice to know it could be us one day :)

Good luck with your own training!

[Sayreovi]

I just assume Croydon is an elite style club - I know their flyballers are very good. We watched them training once and went to ask about how to get involved.... well it was like Pretty woman when Julia Roberts walked in to that high end store to buy a dress in her "poor mans" clothes ...!! Lol

Ohh come to Frankston! Our flyball team is great, everyone is really nice and I would love to see a WSS doing flyball! Beginners start at 11 and apart from having a good recall there is no formal level required :)

I've been told flyball at Croydon is very hard to get into and it's that reason why (and politics, what else?) it's dwindled down to very few people when they were once the biggest club in Victoria.

[Saffioraire]

Well Croydon was a surprise! I asked to do agility and was handed a score sheet, of which we could tick every box, so she said we would be assessed next week (as the instructor was already busy) and if we passed we could go into a class as soon as there was a spot available - which fingers crossed won't be too long by the sounds of it. I might have to hang out in an obedience class while waiting but that's ok - who knows might succumb to the desire for letters on a pedigree and go for that CCD after all!

AND I got to meet some pretty special Poodles and made to feel like I was really welcome... THANK YOU!!! Even got some awesome tips and looks like I am going to give in (despite my stubbornness) and have a crack at clicker training, just to make sure we blow some socks off next weekend.

So thank you DOL people :) It's pretty nice to know you can always find help somewhere if you ask.

Ohh come to Frankston! Our flyball team is great, everyone is really nice and I would love to see a WSS doing flyball! Beginners start at 11 and apart from having a good recall there is no formal level required :)

I've been told flyball at Croydon is very hard to get into and it's that reason why (and politics, what else?) it's dwindled down to very few people when they were once the biggest club in Victoria.

Thanks Tollers but there is not much chance you will see me doing flyball these days!! We were asking for my OH's kelpie x collie crossbred dog, who would do very well at it. Then again maybe one day I might think about it...... but probably not! Lol

I want to do tracking and herding as well and there is only so much time in a life.

[jrm88]

Glad you enjoyed your visit :)

And the lil poodle always loves meeting new doggies/ppl !

Hope to see you nxt weekend! :)

[kasoo]

Hi Saff,

I am also at Croydon and just today we passed our Basic 2 Obedience. Next week I will be signing up for Agility too. Might see you there. :D I know Croydon has recently trained up some new Agility instructors so hopefully that means extra classes??

[megan_]

I started their foundation course 3 weeks ago. 5 people got in but only 2 of us actually turn up, so a lack of instructors doesn't seem to be an issue.

[jrm88]

I think a lot of people get in, then realise they actually have to do more training at home to progress and so don't end up turning up.

I am loving training there :)