# Foundation or Beginner Agility Classes



## LynnI (Mar 27, 2010)

I love to hear what, how & how long it took for people and their dogs to learn agility (non competitive & competitive), please humor me 

How long was your first course, 6 wks, 8 wks?

Did you do any foundation work on the flat first? If so, what?

How soon were you introduced to the equipment?

How much information did you get on body language, and handler body awareness?

Did they have you sequencing, if so how many obstacles, what obstacles? Straight lines, turns? Speed circles?

At the end of your course what could you do?

And did you, sign up for the next level? If not, why?

Any problems? What and how was if fixed?

Thanks a bunch :bounce:


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## TorachiKatashi (Sep 29, 2010)

I've never taken a class, so this is based on what I've read on various class websites, but I think most Foundation/Pre-Agility classes tend to focus on the obedience and groundwork more than anything else. Maybe some exercises for balance and rear-end awareness. I wouldn't expect to be on any equipment before the second or third "level" of classes. Of course, it varies depend on the curriculum of the class you want to attend. That's just how the club here works.


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## RaeganW (Jul 14, 2009)

*How long was your first course, 6 wks, 8 wks?
*
My trainer does continual classes on a drop in basis.
*Did you do any foundation work on the flat first? If so, what?
*
Not really. The closest thing I think we did were jump chutes and some recall work.
*How soon were you introduced to the equipment?
*
The first night. Jumps and contacts at partial height, focusing on contact position rather than running over. I think we did some weaves as well (guide wires + an ex-crate so once the dog was in he couldn't pop out).
*How much information did you get on body language, and handler body awareness?
*
Some. It's more "you're doing this, do that instead," instead of a topic in and of itself.
*Did they have you sequencing, if so how many obstacles, what obstacles? Straight lines, turns? Speed circles?
*
Not much. Front crosses were touched upon and we did 3 jumps in a 180, but we spent most of the time on obstacle fluency.
*At the end of your course what could you do?
*
Most obstacles, one at a time. 
*And did you, sign up for the next level? If not, why?
*
I did buy more classes, but we are still on the beginner level. Some of this is because Gatsby got issues, I was out of classes for five months because I almost died, and I don't practice as much as I should, but now that I think about it I don't think the class is really pitched to the kind of competitor I want to be. Which is, very. I stick with the trainer because I haven't found another positive class. I was going to take one through my club, but then I almost died.
*Any problems? What and how was if fixed?
*
Gatsby got issues. We're in a relationship class with the same trainer, based on Suzanne Clothier's work.


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## MissMutt (Aug 8, 2008)

*How long was your first course, 6 wks, 8 wks?*
Sessions at my club are 8 weeks long. So, I believe I took two 8-week sets of Beginner Agility from April 2009 to August 2009.

*Did you do any foundation work on the flat first? If so, what?*
Some shadow handling.. mostly rear crosses. Did a lot of work with post turns also (using jump stanchions with bars on the ground).

*How soon were you introduced to the equipment?*
Marge had seen most of the equipment within weeks. First week was jumps only and shadow handling stuff, second week was jumps + tunnel, eventually low A-Frames and Dog Walks, etc.

*How much information did you get on body language, and handler body awareness?*
Some. The obstacles (not in sequence, but by themselves) were mostly introduced first. Holding arm out to keep dog out away from you, standing up straight, pointing shoulders in various directions, etc. was some of the stuff covered.

*Did they have you sequencing, if so how many obstacles, what obstacles? Straight lines, turns? Speed circles?*
My first sequence was, oh, maybe my sixth agility class? It was a simple, straight, tire-tunnel-jump kind of thing.

*At the end of your course what could you do?*
Move on or stop.

*And did you, sign up for the next level? If not, why?*
I actually kind of _had_ to move up to the next level (Advanced Beginner). The rest of my class had dropped out and I was the only one left. They were no longer offering Beginner Agility taught by that instructor. I would have had to change to a different teacher.

But yes, I felt confident enough to move up... I hadn't done huge sequences up to that point, but I had done boxwork, worked weaves at home, etc. She was proficient on all obstacles (with the exception of the teeter) when I moved up.

*Any problems? What and how was if fixed?*
Occasional stress issues, but I don't believe they have any thing to do with the path that I followed with training her. Biggest agility problem is front crosses, which is a mostly "me" thing but does involve her too to some extent.


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## LynnI (Mar 27, 2010)

TorachiKatashi said:


> I've never taken a class, so this is based on what I've read on various class websites, but I think most Foundation/Pre-Agility classes tend to focus on the obedience and groundwork more than anything else. Maybe some exercises for balance and rear-end awareness. I wouldn't expect to be on any equipment before the second or third "level" of classes. Of course, it varies depend on the curriculum of the class you want to attend. That's just how the club here works.


What do you mean by 'second or third level of class' ??? 2nd or 3rd week? or not being introduced to the equipment until the 2nd or 3rd Course of 6-8 wks?


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## LazyGRanch713 (Jul 22, 2009)

I love to hear what, how & how long it took for people and their dogs to learn agility (non competitive & competitive), please humor me 

How long was your first course, 6 wks, 8 wks?
*Well, our classes run in 6 week sessions. Re-sign up on week one, pay your money, and you're in for the next 6 weeks. If it's not for you, you just don't re-sign up. I like it that way, because there's very rarely a long break in between and we get a lot of repeats who stay in the class, so you get to know the people and the dogs over time. We (Tag and I) have been at it since November of 2009. He was 6 months old. I have NO intentions of dropping out; if the instructor ever decides she doesn't want to teach anymore she's going to have to put a restraining order on me! ;D
*
Did you do any foundation work on the flat first? If so, what?

*The first week we basically played at class. Nothing was expected. After that we got introduced to contacts (he already knew, I so proud!). So we moved onto very low "walk over" jumps to gain a good, safe jumping style. (A few times it's regressed and we went back to square one for a week or two...boom. Problem solved.) When he was old enough to do two or 3 obstacles at a time, she introduced us to front crosses and I spent a good month lumbering and tripping during class. But it clicked. *

How soon were you introduced to the equipment?

*Pretty soon, but Tag is outgoing and confident and knows very little fear. He wasn't scared of the tunnel, loved the A-frame (With a spotter on either side, leashed dog). He also thought the table was like some sort of vending machine. The first few weeks of equipment introductions were basically put or lead your dog onto the obstacle, treat, get dog off obstacle (no treat), and we did this a few times. Tag was clicked for sticking his nose in the weave poles, and he's turned into quite the little Weave Nut *

How much information did you get on body language, and handler body awareness?

*LOTS. The times "Tag messed up" she was able to tell me what *I* did that caused him to mess up (take the wrong jump, drop bars, etc). Simple things like take another step right, or keep running past the final jump, and it was fixed. Voila. As far as Tag being aware of HIS body, backing and teaching the contacts from OFF the obstacle really helped. If he goes past a contact I'll remind him and he'll back up slowly, lifting his rear legs dramatically until he finds the contact, then scoots 2o2o. It's really quite cute. He's been the contact demo a few times because they're so reliable.*

Did they have you sequencing, if so how many obstacles, what obstacles? Straight lines, turns? Speed circles?

*Our beginners sequences were really easy. Mostly a straight line to get the persons' confidence up, and IMO it helped (at least for me). When I saw my dog was capable of taking direction and doing as he was asked, I started getting ants in my pants to start trying harder things. The only obstacles we were really working with were some very low jumps, the A-frame, small dog walk, the open tunnel and the pause table. Once we graduated that, we started doing turns, front crosses, and lead outs. I LOVE lead outs. *

At the end of your course what could you do?

*Some sessions it seems like we've regressed, and some it seems we've improved by leaps and bounds. It just all depends on how much we've worked on things at home! 2 weeks ago I felt like agility was the most foreign thing on the planet to me, but last week we were "ON". If I get flamed for this so be it, but in Tags case a lot of success depends on my own energy. If I'm feeling low, depressed, or sloppy, he kind of ignores this strange person I've become. If I'm upbeat, positive, and happy, we click. 2 weeks ago I was feeling like crap. Last week I felt great. Case in point, IMO  *

And did you, sign up for the next level? If not, why?

*I wasn't signed up, Tag was promoted into advanced and I had to come along  Honestly I was hesitant, I was scared it would be TOO hard for us and I didn't want to set Tag up to fail. Plus, I knew everyone in my class already. I can be ridiculously shy when meeting a crowd of strangers. But, the courses aren't World Team Challenging, we fit right in, and the people don't bite, so it's all good *

Any problems? What and how was if fixed?

*A few times we've had problems where Tag, for whatever reason, has decided he CAN'T do an obstacle. (This has occasionally happened in rally training, too). We work backwards and re-train it, it's been resolved in a matter of minutes. In a few cases, I re-name the obstacle. (In Rally, Tag would NOT finish right if I told him "Finish". I re-trained it with a touch-my-right-hand, circle around, and RUN to get the food I just threw in front of me. I re-named it "Around". If I say "Finish" on accident he hesitates. NO IDEA why, I'm just glad it's been fixed!!) 
The thing I really like about our classes is no one pushes you to do more, faster, better. The instructor seems to realize that for a lot of dogs, less is more, and if you push push push for something "better" you're liable to have performances go down the toilet. She keeps it fun and friendly, the dogs and people are all friendly, and everyone pitches in to help set jumps, the tire, etc. My mom occasionally stops by to watch, and she even commented to me that our trainer always has something nice to say to every one. If someone has a crap run, it's never "that sucked, you screwed up here, here, and here". It's more like an honest critique and let's try it differently next time, and there's ALWAYS next time. I take agility seriously because I think Tag is quite capable of more I could ever handle him to be, but she keeps my head out of the clouds and helps me remember it's just a dog class. No more, no less!*

Thanks a bunch :bounce:
*Hope this helps some! *


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