Beginner Agility Class

Our Beginner Agility Class is for dogs and handlers who are new to the world of agility. It's a six week course. Each class session is approximately 1½ hours long. The cost of the course is $70.

In Beginners you and your dog will learn how to complete 14 different agility obstacles, including:

Dogwalk

The Dogwalk requires the dog to walk up, over and down in the direction designated by the judge. The dog should touch the safety contact zones both on the ascent and the descent (mount and dismount). Faults are assessed for missing the safety contact zones.

A-Frame

On the A-Frame, the dog is required to walk up, over and down in the direction designated by the judge, touching the safety contact zones both on the ascent and the descent. Some venues (AKC for example) do not require the dog to touch the up contact, but requires the dog to touch the down contact zone. Faults are assessed for missing the safety contact zones.

Teeter

The Teeter is a dogwalk requires the dog to walk up, over and down. The dog should touch the safety contact zones both on the ascent and the descent. Faults are assessed for missing the safety contact zones, and for leaving the plank before it completely settles on the ground (typically called a fly-off).

Jumps

The performance of the Jumps (single, double, and triple) is simple. The dog must go between the standards, and over the bars in the direction designated by the judge. Knocking the bars will be faulted.

Tire

The Tire is a hoop suspended in the air. The required performance is for the dog to jump through the hoop in the direction designated by the judge.

Tunnel

For the Tunnel, the dog's job is to get in and go through in the direction designated by the judge.

Chute

With the Chute, the dog's job is to get in, and go through in the direction designated by the judge, pushing through the fabric chute.

Table

The dog must get up on the Table and assume a control position while the judge counts five seconds. In the USDAA the control position is always a down. In AKC, the control position might be either a sit or a down. Faults are assessed for the dog leaving the table before finishing the performance during the judge's count.

Weave Poles

For the Weave Poles, the dog is required to enter the line of poles from right to left in the direction designated by the judge, and weave alternately down the line. All odd-numbered poles will be performed on the dog's left, and all even-numbered poles will on the dog's right. Faults are typically assessed for going past a pole on the wrong side.

The dog remains on leash at all times. Basic obedience is not required, but very beneficial. Toward the end of the six weeks, you will be putting together 2-3 obstacles, to get a taste of how much fun Sequencing I and Sequencing II classes are going to be.

To contact WAG for more information or to sign up for classes visit our Contacts page.