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Exciting and fast-paced,
AGILITY has become the favorite recreational activity of many dog
owners over the past decade. This sport has grown in "leaps
and bounds". It is a very lively and energetic
dogsport and great fun for both dogs and owners.
Many people have watched the
top competing dogs in Canada, (or in the U.S.) on television, or the
Top Dogs in special events. While they are certainly amazing,
many people don't realize that it has taken these dogs and owners
years of rigorous training to get there. These dogs and owners
are athletes and compete on a level much higher than most of us will
ever attain. Your pet dog will not be making these astounding
jumps and heights, and with such speed, without a tremendous amount
of time, effort and training at an advanced level.
Many people compete seriously
(but still for fun) in agility, and earn titles, either in
Canadian Kennel Club Agility Trials, which is for CKC registered dogs
only, or through another venue, most often in Canada it is the
Agility Association of Canada. Mixed breed dogs, and
purebred dogs as well, may compete in AAC agility trials.
These trials are offered year-round throughout Ontario.
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"Trust"
at Muskoka Agility Dogs Match 2006 ~ Photo Roy Williamson |
The majority of pet dog owners
just want to have fun with their dogs, possibly not having the time
to commit to more serious training, or are unable to travel to events
and trials.
I began classes a few years
ago for this group of people, most having been in my obedience
classes and wanting to continue doing something fun with their dogs. |
FUNGILITY is available for all
dogs to participate in, as long as they are physically fit. An
overweight dog will need to lose some weight, and gain some condition
before indulging in this activity to avoid possible injury.
Puppies may start to learn the equipment and can participate using
many of the obstacles other than normal jump heights. Puppies
should not be jumping anything above their knee height until their
growth plates have closed, usually between a year and a year and a
half, depending on the breed and size. This is a great
socializing opportunity for puppies also, with a variety of other
dogs and sizes to meet as well as new people. They will also
learn a few basic obedience skills at the same time.
My first Shetland Sheepdog,
Storm, and I took some lessons a number of years ago. Storm was
a little "standoffish" fellow, and he had a great time and
obviously looked forward to these classes, along with meeting other
dogs and people.
In my FUNGILITY classes, all
dogs and owners learn each piece of equipment at their own speed.
FUNGILITY is just a heck of a
lot of fun, both for the dogs and the owners. It is also a
social event for both. Naturally, these classes are not
suitable for a dog that is aggressive to people or other dogs.
Although
formal obedience training is not a pre-requisite, your dog must
respond well to you and want to focus on you. All dogs will be
on a leash, or tab, until they are capable of moving through the
course freely. Puppies can start to safely learn the equipment
but none will be able to jump beyond knee level until their growth
plates are closed. Dogs should have a special toy, used only
for training, as a reward, and treats are used extensively. Ask
what treats are suitable before coming to the first class. Dogs
trained to a clicker respond quickly to training. Dogs may only
wear a flat collar, and no corrections are used in training.
This is a fun class!!!
Classes
begin when the weather and ground conditions are suitable, usually in
May or June, and run into the autumn. The course is changed
weekly, and is structured to fit each dogs' ability.
Trust
and I took lessons with Linda Yielding in Huntsville in 2005.
Linda is an AAC judge and an excellent instructor. I would
recommend her to anyone interested in trialing their dog. Trust
is a pretty "serious" girl. She surprised me with her
enthusiasm in our classes and had a great time. I sometimes
"reward" her after tracking by running her through the
fungility course.
Our
Fungility classes are for fun. If you're not sure if you want to
compete in trials, you can learn the equipment with us, and then be
able to make a decision if agility is something you want to be more
involved in.
CLASSES:
Classes
are beginning on Tuesday, June 10th. For a registration form or
inquiries, please contact me. You may click on "email"
at bottom of page to reach me.
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The
great pleasure of a dog is that you may make a fool
of yourself
with him, and not only will he not scold you,
but
he will make a fool of himself too.
~ Samuel Butler (1835 - 1902)
Susan
Coutts ~ susiec@thot.net
Canadian
Kennel Club
Muskoka
District Kennel Club
Cross
Country Tracking Club
Canadian
Association of Professional Pet Dog Trainers
Founder
of "keepers"
Evaluator
for the CKC Canine Good Neighbour Program
CKC
Jr. Tracking Representative for Zone 4, Northern Ontario, 2007 |
Karen and Ralf |
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2007 Good Dogs Play Susan Coutts ~ All rights reserved.
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