Agility – Barnlake House

Introduction

We have a very strong Agility section, both with people who compete around the country, and those who do it just for fun. Dogs need a good grounding in obedience before they can do this – most of our Agility handlers came through from the obedience courses before joining the Agility Classes.

Agility is a popular type of dog activity where the handlers’ ability to train and the dog’s enthusiasm can be used to full advantage. Agility can be done by nearly all breeds of dog from 12months onwards.

Most dogs who begin agility training have already attended courses in the companion dog section at Barnlake. However, people who have previously been trained for Agility are welcome to contact us with a view to joining the classes.

Beginners Agility

These classes take place indoors over the winter period.

The first eight week Course introduces the dogs to all the equipment, building up their confidence and learning the commands. The handler starts to learn the moves, techniques and control needed to guide their dog around a course. The following blocks of 8 weeks continue to develop the partnership between handlers and dogs, combining agility skills and control. This is preparation for joining Agility Club.

Agility Club

This takes place outside over the summer months and is open to any dog which is confident on the equipment, combined with control in the presence of other dogs and people. Daytime and evening sessions available.

All handlers and dogs are taught to the best of their ability, some pursue it as a hobby and some go on to compete in Agility Shows around the Country, with a remarkable amount of success!

A wide variety of handlers and dogs attend agility club and we will endeavour to fit you into a class which suits your dog’s level of experience and the handler’s interests. Some people enjoy a more social evening whilst others are training their dogs to compete at agility shows around the country.

As well as regular training sessions we hold in-house agility competitions for club members throughout the summer.

The Instructors

Hilary and Linda

Hilary and Linda started their training in the companion dog training section at Barnlake where Linda is now a qualified instructor. Between them they have over thirty years experience of competing at agility shows around the UK and took over the agility section in 2002. They have trained a variety of dogs to competition standard including Pugs, Beagles, GSD’s, Border Collies and crossbreeds.

They continue to train their current dogs and regularly compete at Agility Shows. They also attend training sessions hosted by some of the top handlers in the Country, enabling them to keep up with new techniques and developments in Agility.