Agility is the greatest dog sport out there, at least we think so! There is no other dog sport where you and your dog are running maximum speed while navigating a course of various obstacles all while staying extremely connected the entire time. There is no greater feeling then the bond that is build while learning this sport. Typically this is a highly competitive sport where speed and accuracy are key. A course can consist of anywhere between 15-25 obstacles consisting of mostly jumps and tunnels. Other equipment can be weave poles, a-frame, dog walk, teeter. All pieces of equipment require extensive training to do them safely and correctly. Prior to other beliefs, you will not find us luring any of your dogs over the jumps or obstacles or evening teaching you to run right next to your dog. Teaching forward drive and independence from the start is crucial to a confident, fast, happy dog! On the flip side the teaching owners how to become great handlers. Knowing how your dog will respond to your natural body language like motion, eye contact, position, chest direction, makes for effective and clear cues.

Agility is not for every dog. Certain traits and skills are needed to make this an enjoyable sport for you and your dog. Most importantly your dog needs to be motivated to work. Typical motivators are food or toys. It helps if your dog is highly driven for one or both of these things. Secondly, but just as important, is having a good recall. This is an off leash sport after all. In some competition venues you will not find fencing around the ring. So teaching your dog to stay with you around heavy distractions is high priority. We are not looking for perfect controlled obedience, we would prefer your dog to be a bit “pushy” to have fun! Lastly, your dog MUST be physically sound, and appropriate weight.

If your dog has all the skills above we would love to have you join our agility family here at Golden Compass! All teams must start in our agility foundations class and work up from there. Most of our classes run for an hour and a half long with maximum of 6 teams. Dogs will need to be relatively comfortable in a crate. This I a necessary skill for any sport dog. Please reach out to us through any method of contact to schedule your agility evaluation.