Getting Started
Almost all dogs of all sizes, shapes, and ages, in good health, can do agility at some level. Same for the handlers. It’s a great way to stimulate, exercise, and play with your dog, and the handlers get a good workout, too! If you are interested in trying agility, you’ll need guidance right from the get-go. It’s extremely helpful to have basic obedience skills, including a solid sit, down, come, and stay. Your dog should be able to work off leash and show no aggression towards other dogs or people. It helps to know what rewards (food treats, balls, toys) motivate your dog!
The best way to learn agility is to take agility lessons. There are many resources for learning to teach agility, both in person and online. There are various training techniques and schools of thought on how to teach agility, but all of them are based on the theory of rewarding success. When the dog does something successful, you reward and praise them! You will start with one obstacle at a time, but as the dog and handler progress, you will soon be linking several obstacles in a row, and eventually string together an entire course.
Sound interesting? See below for some great resources and information!
Local Training Resources
Maxine Holmes
holmes_maxine@yahoo.com
Burlington, VT
802-862-5909 or 802-363-4423 (cell)
Breeze Thru Agility
elise@breezethruagility.com
Brattleboro, VT
802-722-3453
Website
Lynn Smitley
lsmitley@comcast.net
Dummerston (Summer)
Chester (Winter), VT
802 380-0062
Kim Ingraham
paws4funvt@gmail.com
East Montpelier, VT
802-279-3151
Website
Lisa Barrett
mytmutts@yahoo.com
Huntington, VT
802 434-2744
Show Me the Biscuit
Cassy Lamothe
clamothe@aol.com
Amy Haskell
amyhas@aol.com
Williston, VT
802-879-3130
Website
Waggles
Lori Bielawa
loribwaggles@gmail.com
Williston, VT
802-879-5455
Website
Smiles and Wags
Shelby Schwartz
smilesandwagsvt@gmail.com
She comes to you!
802-879-5455
Website
Online & Other Classes
CleanRun
Fenzi Dog Sport Academy
Northeast US Agility Seminars Facebook page
Daisy Peel, TheAgilityChallenge.com
Agility Competition Organizations
- American Kennel Club (AKC)
- Canine Performance Events (CPE)
- North American Dog Agility Club (NADAC)
- UK Agility International (UKI)
- United States Dog Agility Association (USDAA)
The dog agility organizations listed above allow any dog to join, regardless of pedigree. All organizations run multiple trials in the New England area throughout the year.
When you are ready to trial, you will have to register yourself and your dog with each
organization that you plan to trial in. Some people choose one organization and only focus on that one. Others will join more than one. Each organization has slightly different rules and registration processes.