My Own Agility Class

For those that don't know, I am starting my own agility classes that I
will run out of my own backyard. Basically this is just for any of
the people in my local training club(the abusive/correctional one)
that would rather actually learn how to handle and positive train a dog.

I had my first class that I did myself at my house yesterday. It was
only me and my other friend. The other girl didn't come this time and
my sister decided she didn't want to.

We just worked mostly on jumpers courses, trying to encourage speed.
Her Lab, ebony, is preetty slow at times.. She has no toy drive, so
its hard to motivate her.

But anyway, here's the video:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=TdIQx38MZw4

And Ebony got tired and just had no drive at all anymore, so we put
her away and went ahead and worked on Marq's contacts:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=lf939aiaoxg

This ended up being more of just a practice then a class, though I did
touch on some things in my friend's handling and gave her tips to keep
her lab sped up.

Saturday I should have two springers with their 12 year old handler,
my friend's lab AND aussie pup, my Marq, as well as Cocoa, and maybe
my sister's springer too. I talked it over with my friend, and
hopefully we can get enough equipment(we combine equipment) to make
two courses. One for large dogs to train on, one for the small dogs.
Then we will switch the courses up mid-class and change jump heights,
and then finally at the very end make it into one long course and
adjust jump height according to each dog.

Now I must start planning and figure out the course I'd like to use!
One that can be split up into two smaller courses, while still being
able to do a few other short sequences in that small section of the
course for handling execises.

But also, because I will have two puppies, they will be placed in
their own little class and they will be working mostly on wobble
boards, raised planks, tandem turns, and speed(over 4-8" jumps), and
maybe get started on v-weaves or slanted poles(not enough to bend the
spine).

So, if anyone has any course plans, or think they could help me find a
good one for these purposes, that'd be great! Any suggestions are
welcome.

Just remember puppies should not be doing any kind of weaving until they are at least 10 months old due to potential growth plate injuries, same goes for repetitive jumping.

One question...What time should I be there?
HAH! wishful thinking...

Yes, of course. That is why I mentioned in the first post that we would not be closing the poles to make the spine bend at all.

Come on over any time!

Hi Tessa... you asked for suggestions, so hope you really want just that, a "suggestion'. lol. You have a great set up in your back yard!! You can't really advertise that you're "teaching classes" and puppies shouldn't be allowed on that equipment, as you don't have insurance. Also, while this is a good place for you and your friends to practice, you really need a qualified agility instructor. I believe you're in an agility class right now, with a trainer you really like and that's really helping you out? Any chance you can talk that instructor into coming out to your house to do a 1 1/2 hr session with you and your friends, once a month? This way, you can invite as many interested friends as you like, with age appropriate dogs, split the cost of the session and give you all something to work on in between classes. A trainer can trouble shoot some of the problems I see in your videos and make it fun, at the same time. (They also carry their own insurance should something happen.) It will also establish your house as a great place to practice and draw more friends there to practice with you during the week. There are many trainers, including myself, that will do semi- private sessions for a small group of individuals requesting we come to their home. We have some top knotch agility instructors in my area, that have drop in practice time available to purchase for owners outside of group classes. Your place would be ideal for that! My thought would be to get yourself/home course established first by having an agility instructor come out and help you and your friends, once a month. Then by word of mouth, more people will want to come out and practice there too.

hmm... how far from me are you?

me and Maddie just want to play/practice on your equipment! lol! but you can " train " us

What time do I need to get there I wish I had some *nice* people to train with... Our group can be a bit *cranky* at times , and by cranky, I mean some of em can be down right nasty! I wish I could come!!

I'm not charging. I can't as a junior charge for any money whatsoever. This is all FREE of charge. I'm doing this purely from my own free will, no payment involved.

The puppies can be on very low jumps and tunnels. They will not be placed on the full size equipment until much older and already have all their foundation training.

BTW, all the kids and their parents know FULL well that I am NOT insured and they are allowing this. Whenever I am boarding, grooming, or training, that is the first thing I tell people. I am not a professional yet, I do not have insurance, but I'm knowledgeable, experienced and kind to the dogs, and would love to help them out.

Yes, I am in a new class so that hopefully I can relay some of the things that I don't know to these people combined with the things I already know, which is basically mostly names of certain handling techniques. I've already taught m much of the stuff to my past six or so(?) agility dogs, I just never knew the names of the stuff. But this trainer is about an hour away. I'm also pretty much flat broke and as of right now still starving myself from my lunch(have to save up lunch money) to get to the classes that I am in now. I am doing the best with what I've got. And it is MUCH better that these people get to my place where they can learn to train positively and correctly.

ETA: I would also like to mention that these dogs are MUCH safer with me than at the trainers that they are with, because I teach foundation exercises, attention training, and do not sequence until the dogs are ready. My trainers shove even the most timid of dogs, and even puppies, on full height equipment(teeter, dog walk, a-frame) as well as 20 foot long tunnels, and drag them through long sequences, never really spending much individual time on just one obstacle before putting it into a sequence. And that's just the start of it.

Lol! Hmmm.. probably about 1 hr 30 min or so away . Come over any time.

Not a class or group practice, but I went over to a friend's to help her do more agility training.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vzWhVVS0QNI

Hi Tessa.. got your email. Hope you got mine. You say you're doing boarding, grooming, training, teaching privates and now teaching a class at your home, as a 16 year old, without an adult trainer. Even if you are doing all of this for free, being qualified and the liability issues of this, were my concern. Hope you understand. You've stated that you know more than the previous agility trainer and that they are abusive. That your 4-H obedience instructor is abusive and that you also know more than she does. It's awful that you've had such a negative experience in the learning proccess, when it comes to dog training. There must be someone positive you can learn from. How about the family member that finished Marq or has the agility set up at your home? It is a nice set up and someone did a great job with Marq before you started showing him and it appears you might have their support and guidance in dogs? If not that family member, then I hope you'll learn all you can from the agility instructor you've recently found, before you start teaching classes on your own. Parents may say "great" now, when they drop their kids and dogs off at your house, but you'd be suprised at how quickly that can change when someone or a dog gets hurt. There is a big responsibilty that goes with that. Especially when you're using certain pieces of equipment. You're right, it is impressive that you are the one that's put all of the agility titles on your dogs listed and one other, at just 16 yrs of age. Just hope you'll be careful.

Marq lived with his breeders until he was 5 years old. They finished his AKC Ch. I finished his UKC Ch entirely by myself. My parents know practically nothing about dogs. My siblings also train, but are far from knowledgeable as they still stick to the abusive trainer's methods. I am the "dog genius" of the family. My dad built the equipment, but it is mine and no one else touches it.

Many of the kids that are coming to my classes I have known for 4 years +. I'm friends with them, their parents, and we are much like a big family. They know there's always a small possibility of the dog's getting hurt, but they are also aware of the precautions I take, and that their dogs are actually safer with me than the "real" trainers.

And I am learning from the trainer. So far I've been finally able to put names to handling maneuvers that I've already been teaching and advising my friends to teach their dogs. I'm sure I will learn more as the class progresses. But even before I could pay for my own classes, I've done my share of reading up, still continue to read most everything I can, get advice and tips from people that do train under good trainers through Youtube, as well as learn from my own mistakes, and continue to become better and better.

ETA: Otch, I do appreciate your concern, but these dogs are in safe hands.

Well Tessa... it doesn't appear that any of us real trainers can give you any advice on anything you don't already know, so I'll respectfully stop giving any further advise. Your videos are obviously not posted to solicit opinions or help from trainers, but simply to show people what level you're at. You are a good Jr handler and working hard with your own dogs in obedience and agility. So I hope you and the friends working on your equipment at home have a safe and enjoyable summer. Your dad did a great job on that equipment. Since you say you're better than anyone in your family with dogs and you're better than all of the trainers you've had, but "they're just too embarrassed to admit it", as you put it, I hope you'll respectfully listen to your current agility instructor and take as much instruction from her as she's willing to give, before you become better than she is too! Sorry, couldn't resist. Good luck.

You try to make me out as some egotistical idiot that hasn't a clue.

That isn't true. I'm well aware I have much to learn, but I'm also aware that I'm not completely ignorant.

My family honestly doesn't have a clue. My parents still believe in choke chains, dominating, spanking dogs, putting their nose in pee, etc. (Of course, they are NOT allowed to touch my dogs in any harmful way, but they do still believe in that junk.)

As far as my trainers go, their ignorance is outstanding. I might not know everything, but I already know more than they do. They are still stuck in the past, refusing to give up their abusive and ignorant methods. Other chazzers that know more about my trainers will agree to this as well.

I have only had two trainers(my first abusive ones, and then this new one), and the new one is fantastic. I NEVER said I was better than the new trainer. Please do not try to make it out as if I did.

Never called you an idiot. Never said you were stating you were better than current trainer. Reread my post. It was an attempt to be clever, you didn't get it. I do find that you lack humility for someone your age, when you've had a handful of adult trainers try to help you on a few videos you posted and you've argued with them. I admit, I have a hard time with some of your statements about your level of experience at 16 and that's my problem, not yours. I don't want to hurt your feelings and I'm afraid I will if we continue. Good luck in your agility classes and with your friends this summer.

When someone attacks my ability as a trainer, of course I am going to defend myself. Of course I will kindly explain and respond as I have in this thread to try and help you to actually understand that I am knowledgeable and experienced.

I can only myself respond kindly. I cannot force you to respond with the same kindness.. but I do wish you would have. Personal attacks and rudeness won't get you far with people.

I agree totally with Tessa on this one.

Otch, you say that people should only take classes from certified trainers?

I am doing puppy Ob classes, and in all honesty I know more than some of the trainers I know. I am be no means a certified trainer, but I do know a lot. And no, I do not have insurance to pay for anything that happens, but you need to remember that these are HER FRIENDS, not total strangers. And that's the same way with my training classes. And she wasn't advertising for "Agility Training Classes" She just labed the title that and yes, she is teaching classes...to friends!

*sigh* Tessa is not a bad person or some arrogant, not knowing anything teen. I think you need to have a little more faith in the younger generation.

I've never said people should only take classes from "certified" trainers but rather used the term "qualified". You're right, Lizmo, certified by a particular organization, doesn't make you a great trainer. I believe you'd have to have read previous responses to posts, that myself and a few other trainer/breeders have gotten from Tessa, as well as a few personal emails I've received, in order to understand my concern. I realize without all of that info, this may sound like a dispute about her handling skills, so my apologies. Her emails to me are very different from her posts on threads. There's a lot missing from this thread, that I'm also responding to and have made this confusing, as a result. I know Tessas' not a bad person. On the contrary, she's tried to do some very nice things for her friends and their dogs. I don't think she's an "arrogant, not knowing anything teen." I think she's a great Jr. handler and will be very successful when she's an adult, if she continues. I know she works very hard with her dogs. That does not lessen my concerns about some of the videos I've seen though. There's something to be said about investing the time and hard work it takes to obtain the education and experience needed, before you're qualified to start training someone elses dog. I've seen inexperienced trainers (adults, not kids) with poor handling skills do real harm to an owners dog in the training process. Tessa said to me that only kids come to her right now, that "she'd train the adults she knows because she knows more than most of them but they're too embarrassed to admit it". She said they don't take her seriously because of her age. She said that people are "in awe" of her level of expertise... until they find out she's a kid. That was kind of a red flag for me and why I mentioned the lack of humility. A few of us tried to help Tessa, when she posted a video of her "training" a 12 year old and her Rottweiler on an open road, week before last. Unfortunately, things have gone "south', since then. I do have faith in the younger generation. I have a 15 year old and a 23 year old. While I'm certain they've found it a challenge to teach this old dog new tricks, they have taught me a lot and have respectfully tried to learn from me, as well. I'm very proud of their accomplishments. Haven't you read and grown tired of some of my bragging about them? Lol I also have faith that you, Tessa, will enjoy your agility class and the more positive/encouraging trainer that you're now exposed to. Hope we can call a truce now.