Our agility program starts with Foundation Agility Skills, where we begin by honing your dog’s obedience skills in a new environment – one with agility equipment in it. We strive to find the balance between your dog’s play drive and his willingness to work with you – and your ability to engage your dog in a positive manner. Remember, positive training is crucial in agility. Your dog will be running free when you play agility, and you cannot make a dog run free with you by using punishment!

Each dog and handler team advances through the classes at its own rate, and class sizes are kept small to enable each dog and handler to have maximal exposure to equipment and running opportunities. Safety is stressed for both dog and handler.

For class dates and times, please check our Class Schedule page, and to to find how to sign up, go to Registration info (fees are there, too).

All classes are held outdoors. And folks are welcome to observe our classes at any time, though we request that you use discretion in approaching any dogs you don’t know (that means ask the handler if it’s OK).

Puppy Agility / Agility Foundation

Familiarize your dog with training techniques that will help in his agility career – or in whatever you do! Present physical and mental challenges to help him gain confidence and physical awareness, as well as greater competence with obedience skills. Some of the activities we work on in this class are targeting, motivated stays (and releases), circle work, and speedy recalls.

This class is really not about the agility equipment, but rather about your relationship with your dog and his willingness and ability to respond to your physical and verbal cues. We work with planks, a Buja board, mini-agility equipment, jumps at very low heights, and tunnels – and one class with an intro to the “big” contact equipment, with the exception of the dogwalk. Plenty of time for equipment – let’s learn front crosses and lightning fast recalls!

Class duration is 6 weeks, one hour each week. Puppy kindergarten or other basic obedience class is a must to prepare for this class. Clicker training is used.

Fun with Agility

This class is offered occasionally.

The class is an intro to all the agility equipment in some form or another with a smattering of foundation behaviors (using cones, planks, perches, ladders, Buja board, plus some obedience behaviors important to agility). There will be no jumping to speak of (for puppies the bars will be on the ground), and the contact equipment will be set very low.

The idea is to introduce the dogs and their people to agility in a fun environment. Those who want to continue will be required to join a “real” foundation class when we next offer one (or when the time is right for them).

Class length is 4 weeks, one hour per week. Puppy kindergarten or other basic obedience class is a must to prepare for this class. Clicker training is helpful and used, but not mandatory.

Agility Obstacle Intro

In this class, dog and handler are introduced to agility concepts and equipment in a stepwise, positive manner. The focus is on making agility absolute fun for the dog. Safety on the equipment is stressed. Jump and contact obstacle heights are kept low. Most work is done on lead. Prerequisite: Mountain View’s Family Dog class or similar program and Agility Foundation or Puppy Agility, or approval by instructor.

Agility Contacts & Weaves

This is the third in our progression of agility classes. We’re aiming at fast and accurate contact work using the targeting method. Weaves will be taught using channel weaves and 2 x 2s. This class is quite active, with stations set up for independent practice as well as instructor-guided exercises.

Agility Jump Skills

Jumping is such an important piece of the agility “puzzle” that we devote a class to the skill. In this class we work through the “basic 5″ jump maneuvers: forward send, recalls over jumps, serpentine, 270 degree jump, and the wrap. All of these maneuvers will be practiced in short sequences. In addition, jump grids will be used to help teach the dog how to find the optimal take-off point and to teach when to extend and when to collect.

This class naturally follows our Contacts & Weaves  class, but it may be taken at any time after the foundation classes (Foundation, Obstacle Intro, Contacts & Weaves). Jumping skills need to be worked throughout the dog’s agility career, and this class can help to improve those skills at any point  - except this class is open only to orthopedically mature dogs, i.e., over 15 months of age for medium breeds.

Beginning Handling

Using short sequences, the handler will learn how to guide the dog around the course efficiently. Handling techniques will be presented and practiced, including lead-outs, front, rear, and blind crosses, and how to use them in sequences to optimize the dog’s performance.

Novice Agility Preparation

For dog/handler teams who have successfully completed our foundation classes or equivalent (subject to instructor approval). Preparation for competition in agility trials. Rules of the various agility organizations (primarily USDAA, AKC and UKC) are discussed and representative course segments and an occasional full course from these venues are presented.

Competition Agility

For dogs who are competing in agility trials, or with instructor approval. Advanced level courses are worked on. Course strategies are discussed.

For other competition agility classes, do check out Team Run Agility at Mountain View.

Agility Open Runs

Courses are set up and run. This class is loosely monitored/taught. Advanced courses are set up in addition to side sequences. We also play games such as Snooker and Gamblers. You may choose to run with the monitored “class” or use our second field of equipment to play independently with your dog.  A great opportunity to expose your dog and yourself to other equipment in a new and different location! Definitely a class for experienced handlers and dogs; if you and your dog are just beginning agility, please check out our more basic classes or contact us for a private session.

UKC Agility (offered occasionally)

UKC Agility is a great way to get started in competitive agility. Trials are less pressured than in other venues, and course times are more generous. The focus in UKC agility is #1 safety. In this class we review the equipment and rules that make UKC different from other venues. Dogs will learn to negotiate the UKC AG-II equipment and will work on course segments. Prerequisite for this class: Dog ready to compete (or already competing) at novice level, which means they are comfortable on all the “usual” agility equipment. This class is held sporadically, generally in the early spring.

Agility Fun Runs

Agility Runs for Novice and Advanced competitors, offered occasionally. These events are organized to simulate agility trials, to help the dogs become accustomed to the bustle and confusion of a trial, though on a lower level. A great opportunity to get your dog on new and different equipment under mildly stressful conditions. Spectators are welcome, free of charge.