Fun, Fun, Fun! Agility is a dog and handler acting as a team in a ring full of obstacles with the goal being to take the obstacles in the order shown, in the fastest time with the fewest errors. Anyone can do it! The agility ring is like a playground for your fur-kid. They will be running, jumping, playing and spending time with you.

Since your dog will be off-leash, you will need some control on getting your dog to listen to your commands; the four basics of 'sit', 'down', 'stay', 'come' will provide a wonderful start. If your dog loses focus wile on the course and gets the "zoomies", you need to be able to recall him/her and continue the course. Your dog should also be able to handle being in an area with a lot of other dogs and people without becoming aggressive or fearful.

When your dog goes through the tunnel for the first time or successfully performs a jump, your pride will grow! And your dog will pick up on your sense of happiness, in turn, making him/her feel good about themselves. Each success becomes even more empowering as your relationship strengthens and blossoms.

Shy dogs may start out very timid, but come out with a new found sense of confidence. Dogs with high energy levels can channel their attention with direction. Positive motivation is a good thing.

So, let's get started! Sign up for a class or private instruction. You will learn the obstacles: jumps, tunnel, teeter, table, A-frame, chute, broad jump, dog walk, weave and others. Next, you will learn course navigation and handling moves. As you continue in the sport, you will learn that your dog watches your body language as much, if not more so, than your verbal cues. You will learn new ways to communicate this with your dog.