# How many classes do you and your dog(s) participate in regularly?



## Aussie27

I'm starting to do my budget for a puppy in a few years and part of my budget is saving up money for at least a few rounds, maybe more, of training classes. My goal is to actually train the puppy in at least one dog sport, preferably two, so I was wondering how many classes throughout the year that people enroll their dogs in?

This is mainly for those who compete in dog sports but also those who do dog sports for fun can answer as well, because I haven't decided whether it'll be a "for fun" thing for me or more competitive.

ETA: I think this might've been better in the training forum but I saw "Dog Sports" and just posted here instead without thinking... so my apologies!


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## Wirehairedvizslalove

Right now, we are focusing in on Rally obedience. After we earn our novice title, I am thinking about looking into something like Frisbee or flyball.


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## Aussie27

How many classes per year would you say you do for that?  Do you just take one class for the level and practice elsewhere, or do people generally take classes up until they earn the title?

Flyball or frisbee would be super fun. I am hoping to do rally-o and then something like flyball or agility, depending on which the dog and I enjoy more.


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## Wirehairedvizslalove

He began basic obedience classes before I got him and we jumped right into Rallyo, and yes we are just taking 8 week classes back to back until we get a title. We started out in novice rally and now we are in intermediate and I don't see us moving out of intermediate and into advance in the near future or even at all. So, I guess divide 8 weeks by 52 weeks in a year is between 5 and 7 classes that we pay for, each cost $110.00...


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## Aussie27

That's what I figured most people did so thank you for sharing that! Most of the classes I found were only 6 weeks long so I'll have to look around for an 8 week one because I think I'd prefer that to 6 weeks. The training center I found has three levels of puppy classes so I'm hoping to at least do two of them, mainly for socialization because looking at what they teach, I'll be working on it all anyways.

Good luck on your rally title, by the way!


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## CptJack

I compete in agility. 

I started in something like late October or early November of 2013. There was a 6 month long break after I completed the formal classes available at that time and I wasn't sure if I was going to compete or not, took a month off as a break (that I regretted), and there are breaks for trials (mine and my trainers) and vacations (mine and my trainers) or weather, but. 

Overall it's pretty much a class, a private lesson, or a club practice ever week. Some weeks it's been a class, a private lesson AND a club practice. That's one dog - the currently competing agility dog - and one sport. 

It's pretty much a weekly class for about 21 weeks of class time + an additional 9 where we're on break between session before competition. If I only had just one dog and I wasn't planning on being competitive, I'd try to budget/plan to be in class basically once a week all the time, or to be on 'break' between classes with every intention of going right back in at either the next highest level or next time ANYTHING I was interested came around. Classes are good for me, they're good for the dogs.


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## CptJack

Oh and I will say:

At least with agility, I cannot imagine dropping classes and/or lessons just because I've gotten titles. I can't imagine dropping agility classes if we end up going to Champs in a few years. I can't imagine EVER dropping those classes/lessons, to be honest, at least not entirely. We've finished our Open standard title (which means we're in Elite there now) and I am still learning a ton from classes (we start again Friday, but hopefully - they just started offering this class) and private lessons there are no words for it. 

The nature of the sport, at least for us, seems to be that something is always falling apart or needs solidified, or thee are new handling/training challenges on the course itself. Plus, I don't have the ability to have full sized contact equipment in my yard, so we need the lessons/classes/etc. to have access to work that.

ETA: I also forgot, actually that there are separate weaves and contact classes, so I guess now all the agility classes, assuming you just did each once and then stopped, would be foundations, beginner, intermediate, advanced, weaves, and contacts. So, pretty much 42 weeks of active classes, with 15 weeks, total, between those classes. So, 13 months?


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## Wirehairedvizslalove

To add to CptJack, once we get our title, if I find out that we have a passion for rallyo then we will continue in it. I just want to try different things and see what sticks to us best since I'm very new to the dog sport scene! I'm not competitive, so I don't really feel the need to get to the highest level of anything. But yeah, if you really enjoy doing a sport then absolutely stick with it! Thanks for the good luck!


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## Aussie27

That makes a lot of sense! I did a basic obedience course with Cali a couple years back, and although I didn't really like the trainer's training style, it was a good experience and I liked how structured it was. So I imagine with a trainer with a training style I agree with, it could be much more fun and a great learning experience for both the dog and I. I plan on watching a lot of videos on training and such before I get the puppy but I know the level of instruction that comes with an actual trainer will be invaluable... at least for me as I might be a bit rusty in the training department, because although I do successfully teach Cali tricks with clicker training, I don't know as much about teaching things like impulse control. 

I'm not sure if agility classes are offered year round in many of the training centers in the area I plan on living in, since it was a bit harder tracking some down compared to obedience and rally-o classes but I'll have to look. I would really like to have at least one activity that I stick to year round since obviously it's a great experience for the dog as well as the owner. Plus, one training class a week is definitely manageable so I think as long as it's in my budget, I'll try to almost always have the dog in at least one class since it'd be a nice break from training at home.


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## ForTheLoveOfDogs

Agility classes are once a week, year round with about a month off during the winter. I take a private lesson about once every two months in addition to classes. Trials are about once or twice a month for now. Agility is a very expensive dog sport. Then there's the added expense of making/buying own equipment for working at home.

During the warmer months we did some Barn Hunt classes periodically. Barn Hunt is more casual for us and kind of "whenever I feel like/can afford it". 

During the Summer we train for Dock Diving in my parent's pool. Dock Diving requires no classes, only practices during "trials". We will enter a few competitions in the Summer possibly this year. Dock Diving is only a Summer sport around here pretty much and is very laid back.

In the Winter, we are bored crapless. I usually end up putting Kairi in some kind of obedience classes. She is about to start Conformation Handling classes. We also did random Trick Dog stuff. This is just filler stuff, not real "sports" exactly. 

Agility is the by far the biggest time and money commitment of all the things I've dabbled in so far. Basically, you only go as far as you really want to in the sports you and your dog are interested in. You will find out how casual or competitive they are in your area as you get involved. Agility is generally not a sport that you do super casually.. although some do I guess. If I continue Barn Hunt, I only plan to pick up a title or two and be done with it unless she clearly begs for more. In agility.. I will keep going until I decide to retire my dog. In Dock Diving, I hope to compete in the Summers and that's about it. 

Get involved, decide what you and your dog like and expect it to be ongoing and expensive.


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## Aussie27

Yes, from what I've read, agility does sound like one of the most major time/money commitments!

I would really love to maybe do some barn hunts or dock diving in the summer, assuming the dog ends up loving the water, which I'm going to try and encourage. Definitely will be doing some casual things such as those and I am a bit interested in maybe taking the dog to a herding lesson just for fun since I've heard a lot of dogs enjoy that as well.

I will take your advice about getting involved and deciding what the dog and I like. I am looking very forward to be a super involved dog owner, from dog park trips to hikes to trick training and the classes.


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## CptJack

Agility is a weird one, at least in my area/venue.

We have people who do it only do maybe 3 or 4 trials a year, and we have people who travel in RVs and are at a trial every single weekend. We definitely have people going to, and placing well in, Champs (NADAC nationals).

But. 

What we don't have a lot of are people who are seriously competitive in the sense that they're trying to beat anyone or are judgy pants. In fact I can only think of maybe 2 and they're not regular club members, just people who show up from way outside the area once in a blue moon. I think that's ultimately what I love about agility and why I stick there. You're not trying to 'win'. You're trying to do well with your own run, get a Q, get the points, and get the title. First place doesn't REALLY mean anything anywhere but the huge competitions. What matters is you don't have course or time faults and that's down to you and your dog and you're training. How you do has no bearing on anyone else's performance, how they run has no bearing on yours and I like that. 

I do not, however, EVER want to retroactively add up the amount of money I have spent doing this. I find it mildly horrifying and/or terrifying. Especially since I started at "Eh, I'll do the classes" and went to "I'll do ONE trial" to "HOW MANY TRIALS CAN I FIND THAT DON"T REQUIRE OVERNIGHTS". Next year I fully expect that to expand to overnights during some parts of the year (because I will have a legal adult to stay home with the dogs). This stuff's addictive.


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## ireth0

We are almost always in at least one class, two when I can afford it.

Technically they are 6 week classes but they just run continuously so as soon as one set ends we start the next. We just pay in 6 week increments.


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## elrohwen

Oh gosh, way too many. Most of our classes are 6 weeks long, with about a week off in between, so let's say about 7 sessions per year. My dogs train in rally, obedience, agility, nosework, and do conformation. Watson has trialed in nosework and rally, but we really do it for fun and aren't competitive. I just really enjoy doing classes and if we get to the point where I think they're ready to trial and I feel like doing it, then we trial. But I don't take classes with the express goal of entering a trial by X date or something.

My puppy is usually enrolled in some sort of obedience class and an agility class each week. Sometimes I put her in a breed handling class too if we have a show coming up. I will probably only pursue rally with her and not obedience, but an obedience class lets us practice a lot of good life skills, like stays and sit/stand for exam that a rally class wouldn't cover. We play around with disc on our own and are going to do a seminar in March, but we don't have access to classes or anything. I think agility will be her primary sport.

My older dog is doing a private agility lesson and a Rally class each week (or some other form of obedience if there's no Rally on the schedule). He has his rally novice title and really enjoys the sport, so we're just building focus and confidence and might go for more titles at some point. I doubt he will ever trial in agility but we're having fun working on it. He loves nosework and we did classes in that for a couple years, but that's something we can do on our own at home now.

I want to do nosework with the puppy as well, but it conflicts with her agility class so I've been trying to do it on my own.

We also do Fenzi Academy classes online, usually 1-3 per term and they do about 6 terms per year. They are really great for filling in any gaps from our classes. Every trainer has something different to offer and few will offer the complete package of every single little thing you wished you knew. Online classes have been really fun.

ETA: 8 weeks vs 6 weeks really doesn't matter at all. After a while they all blend together with about a week's break in between (and I enjoy that break). Once you're out of basic stuff most classes don't have a "syllabus" or anything. It's fluid based on what the instructor has thought up to work on, and where the dogs in the class are at, but they're not strictly progressive.


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## Kyllobernese

Right now there are not any actual Obedience classes in our area but I joined a group that has access to an indoor arena (and heated room for when it is too cold) and they also have all the Agility equipment. Last year I was training at least three times a week but right now we are just training two days a week. I trained Kris, my Dobe, in Obedience all last year and part of the year before, plus in Agility and I have two Shih Tzu x Maltese that I train in Agility. The woman we work with has three Papillons that she competes with and although she is not actually our instructor, has taught us lots. My sister has a Rat Terrier that she competes with. Now comes the really expensive part as our Agility trials start in March and there is also a Rally trial for Kris and hopefully some Obedience trials coming up.


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## kadylady

Agility is my main sport right now. I have one night a week reserved for agility classes for the girls. Both of them are competing now so our schedule is usually Tuesday night classes, then either trialing on the weekend or if we aren't trialing on a particular weekend I will usually rent some floor time at the agility club and set up my own practice. We average 2 trials a month. So at least twice a week dedicated to agility training. That doesn't include anything we do at home (right now we are having short random weave sessions, wobble board stuff, maybe some 1 jump work). 

When I first started Rally I took a couple classes with both Luke and Zoey before and while we were competing. I teach Rally now and only compete in it a couple times a year so most of my training for that is one my own or with a training buddy or at drop ins or matches. 

When I got Skye at 8 weeks old she was in class constantly, at least once a week. Puppy class, basic level 1/level 2 classes, disc class...pretty much anything to just keep her in a class environment. She was also helping as my demo dog when I was teaching classes and that has helped her learn to work in class/trial type environments. 

As far as when you stop taking classes....hopefully never! I'm constantly taking classes not just for my dogs but for me. I want to keep learning and bettering myself, classes help keep me accountable with my training and make sure I'm not slacking, show me any holes in my training that need work....ect. Because of my teaching schedule I can't take a lot of physical classes so I also take online classes, which I have really enjoyed. The instructors that I take classes from...they are also taking classes. Always learning.


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## dagwall

I've dabbled in obedience classes, earned a CGC, took an agility class, found and fell in love with nosework, and just signed up for a treibball class just for something fun to do. Right now I'm basically always in nosework classes. We completed the four class series of foundation work and now attend travel classes that are basically drop in classes. We buy a punch card good for 6 classes (buy 5 get one free), a schedule of classes are posted online and you sign up for slots you want to attend. I've gone to two classes in a week, normally go to one, and skip some weeks if I'm busy. Sign up for all trials within a 2.5-3 hours drive of me.


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## dogsule

I did one obedience class (6-8 sessions) with my dog as a puppy and then started agility classes. I do one night a week year round of agility classes in my town and probably do another night about once to twice a month at a place an hour from here, also have private lessons here and there. We did agility classes for a year and then started trialing. Trials are approx 1 or 2 a month. Usually none in Oct and Dec. So far I have only trialed at one place cause it is only an hour away but I may try another place 2 hours away at least once this year. 

I have thought about doing rally but I don't think it would be a good fit with Belle, maybe the next dog. I wanted to do lure coursing with Belle but she was terrified of the motor that ran the bag around the loop so that was done before it started. Not much in the immediate area for lure coursing anyway though.


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## CK9

Agility is our serious one which we do a weekly continuous class, private 1-1 lesson every other month, equipment at home and trials.
I also try to do other block classes (6 weeks normally) just for fun and to try something different. We didn`t do much last year as we was working on his reactivity, but this year so far starting in April he is booked onto Nosework, Rally, Barn Hunt and Tricks. I`m also hoping to try Tracking if I can find the right class.
I would love to try dock diving but the dog would think me insane if I tried to get him to dock dive lol


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## Aussie27

Thank you all for the insight, it's been much appreciated! 

Elrohwen, I'd never even thought of online classes, even though I've seen threads about them. That's something else I'll have to keep a look out for.


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## Laurelin

In agility, I've been doing classes for... 3-4 years straight now. I'm constantly enrolled in classes. I never drop out.

Nosework and other stuff is more sporadic but I'm almost always in nosework. And now we're adding in barn hunt practice. I go to drop ins, open practice, private lessons, online courses and seminars as I'm able. Right now not often but in the past very often.

I think for most people agility is an ongoing always in classes type thing.


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## Laurelin

Agility is definitely one of the most expensive dog sports out there. My flyball friends keep trying to coerce me since a whole weekend there costs about $50. And half a day practices are $5.


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## CptJack

Flyball classes and trials/events (tournaments?) are actually MORE expensive than agility, here, but a lot of that has to do with a whole lot of travel and overnights once they stick you on a team.


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## Laurelin

Maybe they are lying to me. 

I am kind of tempted because they let me cuddle sport mix puppies. xD


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## sydneynicole

Oliver is a puppy still, only 7 months old. Currently, he's in a basic obedience class (weekly for 6 weeks) and agility foundations class (weekly for 6 weeks). We started the agility foundations 3 weeks after the basic obedience, because he needed a good sit/stay/recall for the foundations class. It worked out well because he is so quick to learn and eager to please. 

He's already signed up for the next level of both obedience and agility, and he's also signed up for a 'sport sampler' class. That meets once a week for 6 weeks and you get to try out nosework, agility, treiball, rally, tricks, and disc. 

I don't see us not having at least one class a week unless financially I'm unable to do so. 

I guess I'm desensitized to the cost of this all because horse showing/training is 100x more expensive. Just getting to the show is $200 unless you own your own trailer, never mind paying your trainer, entry fees, local association fees, usef fees...ugh! My horse is an old man now so now I play with dogs


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## elrohwen

Aussie27 said:


> Elrohwen, I'd never even thought of online classes, even though I've seen threads about them. That's something else I'll have to keep a look out for.


We've only done FDSA classes, but there are some other options out there too depending on your sport of choice. Lots of stuff to spend money on. Haha


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## MrsBoats

Regular weekly classes are a must if you're fairly new to your dog sport. You really need eyes on you, the handler, to make sure you are handling your dog correctly...and that goes for obedience, agility, or rally. Usually if the dog is doing weird stuff....it's because we are making them do weird stuff. Having an instructor with a good eye will help you understand if you're doing (or not doing) X then your dog is going to do Y. Lots of times, people don't realize they are doing/not doing X or why they should or shouldn't do X. 

If think for someone who isn't new to a sport....like working in a sport with a dog for 5+ years at all the different levels, I think those people can get away with doing run thrus setting classes. They aren't teaching the basics because at that point, the handler should have a clue. But...people still need those eyes of others on them to make sure they are handling correctly and cleanly and that the dog can work under different environments and stimuli. 

I've been in competitive obedience and rally for about 10 years and 7 years running agility. I don't really do weekly classes anymore. I bailed out of my weekly agility class last fall because a) I needed the money for trials LOL and b) I could get the same benefit at run thrus and a monthly lesson with our instructor instead. I train a lot at home with a video camera so I can watch myself and I do obedience and agility run thrus weekly so I can have people watch what I'm doing in the ring and get feed back there.


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## CptJack

I think there's one more element of weekly agility (or more often) lessons/classes/practices that doesn't really apply to you (or necessarily rally or obedience, but IDK).

Equipment. Fullsized, regulation, equipment. Can I use a contact trainer and teach 2X2. Yep, but I still need the dog on a fullheight a-frame and dog walk often or they lose the 'feel' for it, knowing when to shift their weight, what kind of speed they have coming down, etc. There's also a matter of surfacing. That's also the BIG EXPENSIVE stuff that takes up a lot of acreage and I just don't have the flat space to leave up if I want anything else out there, and I don't have somewhere to store the thing.

And I have quite a bit of flat room compared to someone in an apartment or the middle of town.


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## elrohwen

CptJack said:


> (or necessarily rally or obedience, but IDK)


I would say the equipment thing sort of applies to Rally. Sure you can print out all of the signs yourself, but it's a lot of work to print them all out, laminate, find holders, etc. And to set up a whole course you need a decent amount of space. I like to teach the stuff at home, but leave it to the instructor to actually set up a course. Not nearly as expensive as agility to do at home, but still a consideration, especially for someone who is new to the sport and doesn't know how into it they'll be.


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## Aussie27

Thank you everyone for all the input!

I think what I'll probably do is just try a lot of intro classes and try to pick one to focus on. I plan on doing a lot of training even outside of classes because I would really like to do trick training and just have a "go everywhere, do everything" dog, so I think one class a week would probably be a good number to start with. Although it'll probably be a couple each week when I'm first trying to figure out what the dog and I like best. I'd really love to have one obedience or rally class and then a flyball or agility class. Something more mental and then one that additionally provides a more physical outlet.

If anyone does flyball, could someone explain that to me a bit? I understand the teams but are classes common? And if you're on a team, is it mandatory to go to at least most of the events? I'm thinking eventually it would be fun to compete, but I don't know if I'd be able to do regular weekends of it. Maybe once a month or so! I'm hoping the dog will become a big hobby for me, because horses used to be my hobby until my horse passed away and I just really struggled to get back into it. So I'm hoping to always be doing some sort of dog-related activity whether it's a nature hike, training class or just a long game of fetch.


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## CptJack

I don't know how flyball works anywhere but my immediate area/one training club. 

Here you do classes (foundations, maybe repeatedly, then another two classes), and then they put you on a team. There is usually a backup or two available on those teams so you don't have to go to EVERY tournament, but it's still a lot and a lot of it's a road-trip type deal. 

I almost took the classes this year, but was told that the classes are primarily focused on ultimate competition as part of a team and setting those teams up. Since that was the case they asked me to make sure there would be ROOM for an 'extra'/spare, without taking the spot away from someone who WOULD be on a team. That's more than understandable but I opted to just walk away because I didn't want to be 'in the way'. 

Basically, here at least, flyball is not something you do classes for casually. It's something you do with intention to compete from the get-go and I can't do the overnights even once a month. The money and time just isn't there.


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## Aussie27

Is agility something you could do a bit more "casually"? As in, if you do it you're not automatically expected to compete? I think the year-round classes would definitely be do-able and it would be a great thing for both the dog and I. I think I would eventually like to compete at one point with it, once I'm comfortable with my handling skills and the dog is competition ready, but I don't think I would want to have the pressure to compete? If that makes any sense. 

I did once go watch an agility trial with Cali, since I really wanted to try it with her, but there weren't any local clubs. So I'm extremely new to the concept of trialing and competition. I did horse shows through high school, and enjoyed competing, but I don't know if the setup of trials are similar or not to horse shows.


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## CK9

Aussie27 said:


> Is agility something you could do a bit more "casually"? As in, if you do it you're not automatically expected to compete? I think the year-round classes would definitely be do-able and it would be a great thing for both the dog and I. I think I would eventually like to compete at one point with it, once I'm comfortable with my handling skills and the dog is competition ready, but I don't think I would want to have the pressure to compete? If that makes any sense.
> 
> I did once go watch an agility trial with Cali, since I really wanted to try it with her, but there weren't any local clubs. So I'm extremely new to the concept of trialing and competition. I did horse shows through high school, and enjoyed competing, but I don't know if the setup of trials are similar or not to horse shows.


Depends on your area, I guess. In my area there are a ton of fun agility clubs. I don`t really like them though as the ones around here don`t take things like equipment safety into account.
I`ve been to several competition clubs and was never pressured into competing. I was asked if I`d like to compete so the trainer could support me but thats it. Quite a few people were there just to get out and have fun with their dogs. Shelter volunteers attended one with several shelter dogs to get them out of kennels for an hour. 
I do agility casually in the eyes of some agility folk lol. We only do the odd trial and I`ve never felt pressured into doing more. A trainer should only talk to you about competing when s/he feels you and your dog are ready anyway and if they keep pressuring you to compete before you feel you`re ready, I would recommend finding a different club.
Cali is super adorable btw.


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## Aussie27

That sounds like the type of club I would be looking for. I'm not too sure how many agility clubs there are in the area but I think there's at least a few so I might have to go talk to the different trainers before deciding!

And thank you! She is definitely adorable. Those are old pictures from when she was maybe a couple years old, but she still looks about the same... just the tan from her face has crept out a bit more. I would really like to bring her out with me when I move as well but it'll depend on what is best for her, since she's gotten pretty attached to my mom while I've been in undergrad (I've been unable to keep her here with me) and she doesn't adjust well to new places. It would be fun to get her involved with something too though if it ends up working out best that she comes with me.


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## CptJack

Yeah, our club isn't going to pressure anybody. In truth most of the people who take classes don't end up competing. It's just that the ones who do also tend to stay in classes all the time. There's certainly no pressure TO compete being applied.


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## elrohwen

You can definitely do agility for fun and never compete. I doubt Watson will ever compete, but we take lessons every week. I do think that as you get better, people who have no interest in competing tend to drop out. But nobody in the class cares whether you compete or not. I try to train with the most "serious" agility people possible - good trainers who know what they're doing, rather than people who just drag new dogs over obstacles on leash and call it "agility for fun". But I still feel zero pressure. I've trained at a couple different places with a couple different instructors as well.


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## dogsule

CptJack said:


> Yeah, our club isn't going to pressure anybody. In truth most of the people who take classes don't end up competing. It's just that the ones who do also tend to stay in classes all the time. There's certainly no pressure TO compete being applied.


Same here!


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## Aussie27

I think eventually we will compete, but I imagine for at least a couple years it will just be practicing and lessons.


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## elrohwen

Aussie27 said:


> I think eventually we will compete, but I imagine for at least a couple years it will just be practicing and lessons.


It takes most people 1-2 years to be ready to compete. Longer with a harder dog. So it sounds like you would be on a similar progression to most people. If you're considering competing at all I wouldn't call that "casual" at all. And it's usually good advice to steer clear of places that do "agility for fun" without any intent to prepare you for competition. Whether you want to compete or not, getting good instruction and doing things correctly and safely is super important.


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## CptJack

elrohwen said:


> It takes most people 1-2 years to be ready to compete. Longer with a harder dog. So it sounds like you would be on a similar progression to most people. If you're considering competing at all I wouldn't call that "casual" at all. And it's usually good advice to steer clear of places that do "agility for fun" without any intent to prepare you for competition. Whether you want to compete or not, getting good instruction and doing things correctly and safely is super important.


Yeah, a lot of things are just safety considerations. Even if I was never going to compete and knew that with certainty (somehow - most of the people I know who compete said they weren't going to), things like going over full height equipment on leash is a problem, and there are some serious safety considerations around. 

The rest is about learning good habits. There are a lot of rules that relate to performance of things that aren't all that obvious/intuitive, and some of them relate to safety and some of them just *are* (like you always enter the weaves with the first pole on the dog's left shoulder, no matter where YOU are). Pick up bad habits and you're up a creeek because it's not training, it's untraining and then starting over. 

(I have no idea how to 'rank' competitors. I probably wouldn't say casual either, because short of a very few people doing nationals and world type teams, there's not much differentiation.)


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## elrohwen

CptJack said:


> (I have no idea how to 'rank' competitors. I probably wouldn't say casual either, because short of a very few people doing nationals and world type teams, there's not much differentiation.)


I feel like if you're competing at any level, or plan to compete some day, you're passed the point of being casual. Probably the large majority of people who do agility aren't out every single weekend or working towards big national level competition. They're just going to classes, working with their dog, and getting out to a trial once in a while when they can.


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## Aussie27

I definitely plan on "shopping around" for an agility club for the reasons that were mentioned... I want to make sure we're receiving quality instruction and I don't want to be doing anything to put my dog's physical soundness at risk or being doing anything before the dog is ready. What age do agility foundations classes usually start at?

That is true about it not really being that casual if I do the weekly lessons and have intentions to eventually compete. I really do want to make dogs a hobby (although really, even more than just a hobby since dog ownership is a 24/7 deal) once I get this puppy so I think it will end up being more than casual.


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## elrohwen

The place Hazel does agility allows puppies 6+ months. There isn't a specific puppy foundation class, but the beginner class is foundations so it works fine. The advanced beginner class involves a few more obstacles but nothing that can't be adjusted for young dogs and we have a few youngins in our class.


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## Aussie27

Does actual obstacle training, like jumps, tend to just start at 12 months or does it start a bit earlier usually?


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## CptJack

Aussie27 said:


> Does actual obstacle training, like jumps, tend to just start at 12 months or does it start a bit earlier usually?


Actual obstacles/jumping training on them at full height is almost always 12 months or LATER - sometimes 18. That's contacts, jumps, and weaves. The only thing really done before then is the bottom of the contacts to practice 2o2o, and jump-bars. Maybe some really, really widely spaced 2X2 weave work, but mostly. No. It's groundwork.


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## elrohwen

So far we've introduced her to the dog walk and Aframe. Low heights and mostly to get her comfortable, just a couple times. We've done a ton of teeter foundation, just banging it down a lot from the ground. Tunnels and chutes. Jumps only at 8" and only like 2-3 at a time, not sequences or anything, and only in the last month or two. Weaves we've worked on finding the entrance and shaping a couple poles, nothing at speed where she's doing real weaving. Getting on the table and lying down. The vast majority has been ground work, wobbly boards, going around cones, working 2o2o with boards on the ground. She's 10 months now. We won't be doing anything full height until 14-18 months just to be safe.

The most important things have been being able to work her off leash from a young age (something Watson never got in obedience so he wasn't off leash until we tried agility at 15 months) and getting on a variety of surfaces that move or make noise.


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## Aussie27

Thank you both! I'll keep that in mind when looking for classes. I knew that a lot of it is to be left until after the growth plates were closed, just wasn't sure exactly how long after 12 months that would be. I plan on spaying after the first heat though so that should help with her growth plates as well.


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## elrohwen

There is so much you can do with a puppy before they are old enough to do full obstacles. I know some people don't start classes until later but as long as it's the right class (not focused on obstacles from day 1) it's totally worth it to start as young as possible. Being able to work all of the foundation stuff over and over (like banging down a teeter) only helps later. I always felt like Watson and I were rushed in his classes. But since Hazel started so young we've been able to really perfect the foundation stuff and I feel like she's much stronger because of it. When it's time to do full height obstacles she's going to kill it.


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## Aussie27

I agree completely! I'm not very experienced in dog training, but when it comes to training horses, it's all about setting a proper foundation and starting with the basics. So I definitely know what you mean. I'm thinking at least by eight months I'll have her enrolled in an agility foundations class, potentially earlier, depending on time and finances. But even then, I'll be doing all sorts of training outside of class time so those things she'll know should also help when we get to start agility foundations.


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## ireth0

Our local group had a 'sport puppy primer' class for young puppies (like 12-18wek ish) that included a lot of just getting them used to different surfaces and comfortable. No -real- obstacles but working on exposing them to different things in a positive way and building confidence.


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## elrohwen

ireth0 said:


> Our local group had a 'sport puppy primer' class for young puppies (like 12-18wek ish) that included a lot of just getting them used to different surfaces and comfortable. No -real- obstacles but working on exposing them to different things in a positive way and building confidence.


I wish we had something like this. Our puppy classes mention doing this sort of thing, and they might have you walk across one or two weird things, but IMO they should spend at least 10min every class just doing this. Or make it into its own class.


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## ireth0

elrohwen said:


> I wish we had something like this. Our puppy classes mention doing this sort of thing, and they might have you walk across one or two weird things, but IMO they should spend at least 10min every class just doing this. Or make it into its own class.


Yea, it's really awesome. Honestly I would even do it with a non-sport prospect puppy just for the extra exposure and experiences.


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## elrohwen

ireth0 said:


> Yea, it's really awesome. Honestly I would even do it with a non-sport prospect puppy just for the extra exposure and experiences.


I'm doing an FDSA class right now called Empowerment, for confidence building basically. Lots of making noise and walking across weird stuff. That should be foundational for every puppy.


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## Aussie27

http://trainingloyalcompanions.com/index.php/dog-training-classes

This is a link to the place where I'm thinking of at least doing puppy classes. Does the class layout and material look good?

(Not sure if this link is allowed here so I'll remove if necessary)


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## elrohwen

Aussie27 said:


> http://trainingloyalcompanions.com/index.php/dog-training-classes
> 
> This is a link to the place where I'm thinking of at least doing puppy classes. Does the class layout and material look good?
> 
> (Not sure if this link is allowed here so I'll remove if necessary)


Looks good for basic manners and such! It might be nice to find a place that does more sports stuff so you can seamlessly transition as the pup gets older, but the basic classes this place offers look solid. ETA: I like that the level 3 class takes it on the road.

Lots of places will require a basic obedience class before taking any sports specific classes. Sometimes they will force you to take it at their facility which is really annoying. Most will let you test out or take your word for it if you tell them where you went and when the class was. But it's just easier if you stick to one place for most of your activities, if you can find a place like that.


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## Aussie27

That is a good idea as well! A lot will depend on location too since I won't want to have a commute over half an hour since I imagine I'll have coursework and some other stuff to do some evenings, so I wouldn't want to waste too much time driving to and from the classes. I will have to look for some additional options. The training center above also does an event on Sunday afternoons where vaccinated puppies can come in and socialize so that is another thing that they offer there which I imagine would be really beneficial.


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## elrohwen

Aussie27 said:


> That is a good idea as well! A lot will depend on location too since I won't want to have a commute over half an hour since I imagine I'll have coursework and some other stuff to do some evenings, so I wouldn't want to waste too much time driving to and from the classes. I will have to look for some additional options. The training center above also does an event on Sunday afternoons where vaccinated puppies can come in and socialize so that is another thing that they offer there which I imagine would be really beneficial.


And they do offer Rally, so maybe do everything here except agility. That's what I do. One place nearby for obedience and stuff, and then I drive further for agility. This place has agility classes, but they don't sound that promising. Two levels isn't really enough if you actually have students competing, so it seems like it's more for fun.


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## Aussie27

That's a good idea as well! I still can't decide whether I'd rather do obedience or rally but I imagine I'll probably end up enrolling in a class of each and deciding. What are some major differences between the two?


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## elrohwen

Aussie27 said:


> That's a good idea as well! I still can't decide whether I'd rather do obedience or rally but I imagine I'll probably end up enrolling in a class of each and deciding. What are some major differences between the two?


For my dogs, I do a lot of obedience classes for the first year or so before I bother with Rally. Obedience classes will usually include practice on stays, recalls, and sit/stand for exam, both of which are useful in general. Vs Rally classes which are a lot of heeling but no stays or anything. Watson is to the point where I don't think he'll ever compete in obedience, and his stays, recall, and stand for exam are good enough for us, so we'll probably only do Rally classes from now on. We both enjoy it a lot. My puppy is young and needs proofing on stays and all of that, so we'll keep doing obedience for now. It's easy to transition to Rally if you have the skills for obedience classes. Whether she'll compete or not is up in the air.

For differences, they seem very similar at first, but up close the feel of them is pretty different. Rally is almost all heeling, with some sits and downs thrown in. Lots of left turns, right turns, pivots, etc. I really really enjoy all of that stuff. You can talk to your dog and it's pretty laid back. Obedience is much more precise, and the cues you can give are limited (you can only cue ones, perhaps only verbal OR hand cue, etc). My main issue with obedience for Watson specifically is that there is down time between each exercise. Unlike Rally or agility, you don't go in and do the whole thing as one fluid piece, but you'll do heeling, then wait a couple seconds, then set up for figure 8, then wait, then set up for recall, etc. It's not a ton of down time, but it's enough that it would be killer for him and I would totally lose him. For other dogs, or better handlers, it's not that big of a deal. There is a beauty and a precision to obedience that is really fun to watch and train for. I may end up doing it more with Hazel since she is a different dog than Watson.


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## Aussie27

That makes a lot of sense and it seems like there might be more "everyday" value in an obedience class, so I might follow your lead on that and start with obedience and move on eventually to rally-o. Unless both the dog and I love it so much that we don't want to switch over. I guess I'll have to wait and see what type of personality my dog ends up with as well... the breeder seems to have consistent temperaments in the puppies she produces so I have an idea of what to expect but of course I won't know for sure until I meet the puppy and watch as she matures.  I do personally prefer a laid back atmosphere though so I feel like I would end up referring rally in the end.


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## elrohwen

Aussie27 said:


> That makes a lot of sense and it seems like there might be more "everyday" value in an obedience class, so I might follow your lead on that and start with obedience and move on eventually to rally-o. Unless both the dog and I love it so much that we don't want to switch over. I guess I'll have to wait and see what type of personality my dog ends up with as well... the breeder seems to have consistent temperaments in the puppies she produces so I have an idea of what to expect but of course I won't know for sure until I meet the puppy and watch as she matures.  I do personally prefer a laid back atmosphere though so I feel like I would end up referring rally in the end.


Rally's a fun way to get your feet wet with less pressure. The skills required for a novice course aren't hard, you just need to learn to read the signs and navigate a course. Most dogs with enough obedience classes will have all the skills and it's a matter of putting it together for Rally. The handler's job of learning the signs and interpreting them quickly is honestly one of the hardest parts.

Even if Hazel ends up being good at obedience, I can't see going past the novice level. I think I'd rather devote my training time to agility.


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## Dogsignalfire

Only nose work for now! I went once every other week since we started in October, $50 class each time. But at this point, Lancer is familiar with birch + the class itself has never covered vehicles or exteriors while I was there. And the way the instructor runs the class is very casual- restarting from Intro to Nose Work again last week since two new handlers came in. All levels are mixed together in one class. But it's the only way, since there are very few dogs to begin with. So I think I'll start going once a month now or so, at least until the instructor decides to start on vehicles or exteriors for the whole class.

Otherwise, with my next puppy, I'm also planning on starting classes in AKC tracking and flyball as main sports, on top of once a month nose work class!


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