Queen City Dog Training Club

The question as to who is ready to enter Agility Classes seems to have come up. To some a person who believes beginning Agility classes before taking Obedience Classes, is a simple matter, and it "is" difficult to convey how challenging Agility is for an owner, and the dog. Yes, a good many people believe they have trained their dog, but aren't using the same criteria as a professional program, and then the training success assured has never been challenged. Obedience work is actually learning to communicate with a dog to develop a partnership where your dog immediately knows what you ask, and reacts immediately in a positive way. Until then you aren't ready for a fast paced activity like Agility. Imagine running along side your dog, calling out where you're going next. You must assume dog understands, and you're body is in the right position to support your voice, or hand signal, otherwise you or the dog will run into an obstacle the dog was supposed to go around and then back through, which could cause an injury, due to the confusion. Even if no injury, dogs can get frustrated when they get wrong signals, or fault gets placed inappropriately, and having reinforced your relationship through training basics can help you and your dog deal with things that don't work out well. When Agility Staff explain these things, it comes out as excuses. I'm a Lifetime Member of Queen City Dog Training Club, and I've been involved with dogs through many activities. Each step on the way, I've had to build a partnership with that dog first. It doesn't matter how many dogs trained, it's necessary to start with the basics with each one and then work toward the activity. I've had several Agility dogs, so believe I can speak to the challenges required in this fast paced sport. Some activities can cause injury, so I totally support our Agility Staff in their decision to place requirements on owners and their dog(s) before participation. Queen City has gained an excellent reputation over the many years we've had Agility as one of our club's activities and I give them 5 Stars!