Austin Dog Agility Classes
We're so excited to be offering dog agility classes at our Community Center in Austin, TX.
You can start with our beginner dog agility class, or even check out a single Intro to Agility class (one session) to see what you think. We offer intermediate and advanced agility classes, too- but we stay focused on FUN more than competition.
Why Train Agility?
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It's a great way to have fun with your dog
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It's excellent exercise (for your dog, and for you!)
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It works on your dog's self control and obedience skills in a fun way
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It can help build confidence in your dog
Do I need to take the Intro to Agility?
While it's not 100% required, we highly recommend the Intro class! This is a great opportunity to check out the obstacles and see if your dog is ready to enter agility classes.
What requirements are there for agility?
Dogs need to have experience with basic manners, especially skills like sit, stay, and doing that even with distractions! Agility classes are a great fit for many dogs, but if your pup is reactive, has aggression toward other dogs or people, is extremely fearful, or is experiencing health issues, agility may not be the right fit. We do offer private lessons for pups who can't be in group classes, and can adjust the exercises to fit the needs of most dogs in that lesson.
Will you offer agility competitions?
Nope! Or at least, not formally. While we offer the basic skills that you can take with you into competition level agility, that's not what we do.
Do you think my dog would be good at agility?
Dog agility training is great for a lot of dogs, but it's hard to know without trying! Some dogs love all the obstacles from the beginning, and others take some time to get used to all the new things. The Intro Class is a great way to start!
Where are the dog agility classes?
Our dog agility classes are all held at our Community Center in North Austin, at 7020 E Hwy 290
Can I do dog agility training with my puppy?
Yes! We offer a special Puppy Agility series that introduces puppies up to 10 months old to the dog agility obstacles in a safe, fun way. This means lowering the obstacle heights and avoiding any sharp turns or other movements that could be tough for a puppy's growing body. It's super cute, very silly, and great for developing new skills and bonding with your puppy!
Should I Train My Dog In Agility?
Agility dog training has a bunch of great benefits:
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Enrichment: All training is enriching for dogs, and agility is no different. Agility is all about focus and communication, so there is a big mental component for dogs.
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Exercise: Dogs also get a nice dose of physical activity with their mental enrichment. This combination can be more fulfilling than just physical exercise on it’s own.
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Communication: Agility is all about quick responses to information, which prompts your dog to pay more attention to physical and verbal cues.
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Confidence: One of our favorite things to see is a low confidence dog realize that an obstacle is really fun, and then gleefully try it again. Agility is a wonderful ego boost and even though we may have to take things at a slower pace at first, the payoff is huge.
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Impulse Control: Your dog will absolutely have a favorite obstacle, it takes so much willpower to make that good decision and listen to your cues instead!
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Obedience: Really? Yes! Most of your basic manners cues are reinforced in agility. Stays, recalls, sits, and downs are all cues used in agility. But, because the are part of a fun activity the practice doesn’t feel so tedious!
We’ve invested in special equipment that gives us lots of adjustment options for different ability levels. We can make the obstacles flat and low for puppies, senior dogs, shy dogs and dogs that need to take it easy. And if your dog doesn’t do well in a group class, we offer private training options and gym rental options so you can work solo.