FLAOA

FLAOA will offer 3 (three) 6-week agility classes this fall, as follows:

•  Puppy Agility, Thursday evenings, 8:00 p.m.  Prerequisite for this class is either prior completion of our puppy/small dog obedience class, or being currently enrolled in it.  Small adult dogs will be allowed to enroll, provided their handlers understand that, because the class is geared to puppies, jump bars will remain on the floor for the duration of the set of classes, and other equipment will be flat or extremely low.  6 weeks with Jennifer.
• Beginner Agility, Sunday afternoons, 12:30-1:30 p.m.  Prerequisite for this class is that dog and handler teams have already completed a beginner obedience class.  This class will be an introduction to the sport of dog agility, covering the various pieces of equipment (obstacles), foundation work, basic handling skills, and more.  6 weeks with Jennifer.
• Intermediate/Advanced Agility, Sunday afternoons, 2:00-3:00 p.m.  Dog/handler teams enrolling in this class should already know the various obstacles and be able to do long sequences, full courses, or already competing and have completed an obedience class.  Each week will present a new course, with focus on handling skills and techniques, strategies to run the course, etc.  6 weeks with Jennifer.
  

Some helpful info for all agility students:

• The instructor will be available during registration to answer any questions you might have; she will also have a handout of class info for you at that time.
• Registration will be at 6:00 p.m. on Thursday, September 3, at the Cornell Livestock Pavilion, located on Judd Falls Road, right off Tower Road on the Cornell campus, between Tower Road and Route 366.  Registration is held WITHOUT dogs.
  
• Each student should complete a class registration and an agility questionnaire  form prior to arriving at registration, and turn it in, along with a copy of their dog's vaccination records.  (You can access the registration form here and the agility questionnaire here.)
• Students should arrive about 10 minutes early for each week's class to help set-up the equipment, as well as help put the equipment away at the end of each weekly class.
• Students will need to bring their own dog treats to class.  Crates are also welcome.
• If you plan to enroll in an agility class, please drop Dusty an email to reserve a space in the class (sagedust@htva.net).

 The dates for Fall Agility Classes are as follows:

SUNDAY CLASSES:

September 6, 20, 27, October 4, 11, and 18.  (There will be NO class on Sept. 13.)

THURSDAY CLASSES:

September 10, 17, 24, October 1, 8, and 15.

With FLAOA's agility czar, Celeste Rega, still on sabbatic, and Fernando Soberon heavily involved in his research this semester, Dr. Jennifer Gerdes will be our instructor.  Jennifer and her samoyeds have earned numerous agility titles, as well as titles in other dog sports such as obedience, rally, weight-pulling, herding, and more.  Last year, Jennifer's puppy, Ava, also served as one of FLAOA's "kissing puppies" during RDO Day (Responsible Dog Ownership Day), raising money for a local dog rescue organization. 

Come out and join the fast-paced fun of dog agility!

For the summer of 2009, FLAOA will NOT be offering any agility classes. 

Open Practice is scheduled for 3:00pm-5:00pm in Sagedust Square (directions can be found here). 

Open Practice continues to be free for FLAOA members; $7/day for non-members.  For those enrolled in other FLAOA summer classes, the yard is available for practice for free at times when no classes or open practice sessions are schedule.  Others wishing to use the yard during "off hours" may do so for $7/day.  All must sign in and have a waiver on file; the sign-in booklet & waivers may be found in the storage box under the green table in the picnic area.

FLAOA's agility czar, Celeste Rega, is on sabbatic until fall.  In her absence, we're fortunate enough to tap into the skills and knowledge of Fernando Soberon, talking him into offering some Just For Fun (JFF) agility classes.  We've named them "JFF" because he does not use the same methods and techniques in his training that Celeste does.  Those who enroll in the spring JFF Agility classes that we offer, and then decide to continue on with classes with us in the fall, may find themselves having to retrain some things; hence we wanted to make a distinction between Fernando's classes and the classes that are regularly offered by Celeste.  Prior to moving to the Ithaca area, Fernando trained and competed quite successfully in agility in Mexico with his Australian Cattle Dogs.  (Wife Melanie brings the Golden to the mix!)

For the summer of 2009, FLAOA will NOT offer any agility classes. 

Hopefully, we won't have any of the white stuff shown above during our classes; however, given the area's reputation for less-than-wonderful weather...

Contact: Celeste Rega

CREGA@twcny.rr.com

607-227-4679

Agility is a great way to have fun with your canine companion. It can instill confidence in the shy dog and teach self-control to the over-zealous. In brief, it's a sport in which a dog runs through a timed obstacle course as directed by the handler. Agility training strengthens the bond between dog and handler, and provides fun and exercise for both.

All FLAOA agility classes are taught in a positive, reward-based atmosphere. The use of the clicker training method is taught and encouraged but not mandatory.

Instructor:  Celeste Rega

7 week (1 hour) class that introduces dogs and handlers to the various agility equipment used in competition and allows them to become familiar with its execution. It begins teaching the basic handling skills necessary for directing the dog to perform individual obstacles. NOTE: No dogs 1st week.

Equipment performance that will be covered:

find the opening of the chute, tire and tunnel
chute fast and straight
tunnels dealing with the bend
contacts methods target, word or clicker
weave poles introduced
moving objects are OK - Buja board and low teetering planks
jump chutes (intro of jumping skills and parallel motion)
follow the hand
learning to target
motivation and teamwork (dog needs to work with handler, but not to the point of being velcro)
small sequences 2-3 obstacles
table (automatic down /sit on command)

Then                                            and Now        

6 week (1 hour) class that picks up where the Beginner Agility class ended. This class further familiarizes the dogs with the equipment and starts teaching the handler some of the basic techniques of agility handling required to execute sequences of obstacles. Some of the things that will be covered:

contact obstacles introduced low and raised
weave poles continued
jumping skills continued
handler skills introduced front and back crosses
go on (continue in front of handler)
get out (move side ways to handler)
tunnel dog can find either side

6 week (1 hour) This class will move from obstacle familiarization to working as a team. Each handler must become familiar with how their individual dog works in order to properly address areas of the agility courses that might cause a handling problem.
increase sequences

incorporating handling skills smooth arms, shoulders, etc.
how to walk a course
strategies
"rules"
independent performance of obstacles

6 week (1 hour) class that teaches handlers how to maneuver their dogs through more difficult sequences than previously seen and trains the dogs how to execute those sequences in the process.

4 week (2 hour) class that introduces potential competitors, who are considering entering a trial for the first time, to the methods of getting information about trials, trial entries, what they need to do to meet entry requirements (AKC, NADAC, USDAA), what equipment they will need for themselves and their dogs, what to expect, how they can help out and other valuable information. Each week a Course will be set up by the participants, they will act as ring crew, timers, scribes, gate stewards and fill other jobs for experience and take turns running the course with their dogs.

 (even when they blow their contacts!)