Agility Training
The group accomodates dogs of all ages and breeds, including young dogs and veterans. We do ask that all new dogs, regardless of age, have a good level of basic obedience and are well-socialised around other dogs before they begin agility training.
We always advocate positive training methods and encourage play in all our sessions. Handlers may bring any treats and/or toys, although we do ask that toys are silent to minimise distraction to other dogs. We keep our sessions limited to a small number of dogs (a maximum of 6) to ensure everyone gets the time they need.
The group has a full set of agility equipment, which conforms to the competitive standard equipment of the Kennel Club and British Agility Association. Any profits from our weekly training fees go to maintaining and updating this equipment.
We are fortunate to use the facilities at Dowry Barn Livery Yard in Slaithwaite, where we have access to an indoor arena and on-site equipment storage. The arena is fully enclosed and has a hard-packed sand and fibre surface.
Click here for further details about our training sessions.
Agility Health and Fitness
We take your dog's short- and long-term health very seriously. Agility is a fantastic activity for dog and handler, but like any energetic sport it carries a risk of injury. The continued high-speed running and jumping can be particularly hard on young, undeveloped joints and bones. For this reason, puppies from 6 months old are welcome to work with us on foundation agility exercises, but will not be allowed on the equipment.
Dogs should also be a suitable weight for agility. You should be able to run your hand along your dog's side without pressing hard to feel the ribs, but not be able to feel or see the spine. Dogs carrying excess weight will struggle with some of the required obstacles, and will be at increased risk from joint-stress injuries at a younger age.
If you have any concerns about your dog's health at agility, please let us know. We are always happy to discuss ways of increasing and managing your dog's fitness levels, as well as warm-up and cool-down exercises for agility.