Agility Class

Morey and I have been to several weeks of Agility Class now so I thought I would provide an update on our new adventure. There have been about 10 dogs in the class and they are actually talking about splitting into two classes because it's so large. There are all types of dogs in the class including Welsh Corgis, an Airedale, poodles and several mixes. It's fun to watch the different sizes of dogs go through the same obstacles. The level of training of the dogs is varied but all of them are excited and enjoy the class. The instructors are insistent on setting the dogs up for success, rewarding the dogs with treats and verbal praise and making it fun which I really appreciate.

Each week we practice several different obstacles. Since we are in the Intermediate class we are starting to learn how to link obstacles together in a sequence. We run our dogs through the obstacles off leash one at a time and the rest of the dogs are crated in a long row of crates at the field. Morey hasn't been crated for a long time and he at first he looked confused when I told him "den". He has learned that the agility field is a very fun place and doesn't like having to wait his turn in a crate.

Morey tends to get a bit overexcited at class and it can be hard to get him to focus when it's his turn. He does respond well to the clicker and always goes through the obstacle with great enthusiasm which entertains the rest of the class. For example, when I tried to get him to go through the tunnel he decided to jump over it. I think I will start exercising him before class so he can be a little more focused!

In some cases, Morey's training is an asset to agility. He is great at staying at the starting line until he is released and he isn't hesitant about any of the obstacles. However, as I am learning, his training also can present difficulties. He is used to staying close to my chair and so we have to work on getting him to work from a distance rather than staying next to me. He also has a much larger repertoire of trained tasks and when he can't figure out what I want he starts going through all his trained tasks. For example, instead of going around the barrel, he first did an "up" on it and then started "touching" it. As he gets more practice he is starting to understand what he is actually supposed to do with each obstacle but in the meantime it makes for some interesting runs!

As I am learning, agility class is not only to teach the dog how to go through the course, it's also to teach the person. There are certain ways you're supposed to turn your body and use your hands to direct your dog through the course. An added challenge I am having to figure out is how to navigate the obstacles from an accessibility standpoint. The ground of the field is mulch and the only way I can even navigate it is with my free wheel. I am not able to move my chair/body like able-bodied people can and so I have to find my own unique way of going through the course. The instructors have been very helpful in making suggestions of how I can adapt the typical way of running the course and are helping me teach Morey how to run the course from a distance rather than needing me to direct him through each obstacle. As part of our club dues we can go to the field to practice on our own and I think Morey and I will be taking advantage of that in the weeks to come so we can figure out how to make things work for us.

Morey and I are both enjoying our classes and learning new things. We've also been practicing some of the obstacles at home which has been good motivation to get back in the habit of regular training. I'll have to see if I can have someone take some videos of us during class because words can't do it justice!