What are the advantages of being a member of your club?
Members of our club have the use of our indoor venue and equipment for practice from September until May on Tuesday evenings whenever lessons are not being offered. Members have the use of our outdoor ring and equipment 24/7 from May until the snow flies except when fun trials or formal trials are in progress. Members are given priority for any seminars or workshops organized by the club.
How do I join your club?
Any persons interested in joining SAA may apply for membership after completing two sets of lessons with our club or one set of lessons if at the novice handling level or at a trialling level. Because we are a volunteer group all members are expected to commit time and energy to club activities. SAA reserves the right to accept or decline membership requests.
Is SAA a business or a club?
We are classed as a club because we are a non-profit organization. All our members are unpaid volunteers. We charge for memberships, lessons and trials to make enough money to maintain and purchase equipment and to pay rent for our outdoor ring and our indoor venue
If I can’t attend all eight lessons in a session is it worth registering for that session?
Of course it is best if you can attend all lessons in a set as each lesson is built on skills taught in the previous lesson; however, because we have at least one instructor and one assistant instructor in each class, if you must miss one or two of the lessons during a session, your instructors will make every effort to fill in any gaps in your training. If after Lessons #1 and #2, and before Lesson #3, you find a change in schedule prohibits you from continuing in this session a gift certificate for a future set of classes will be offered. After Lesson #2, if you must discontinue classes, no certificate will be offered. In the case of illness or injury, reimbursement will be considered on a case by case basis by the club’s Training Committee
How many lessons will my dog need before we can compete in a trial?
All dogs (and handlers) differ in their rates of learning. The first set of lessons introduces the team to the proper and safe execution of the equipment. The second level of lessons introduces the handler to basic commands and body positions. The third level of lessons puts all this together and is practiced on short sequences of obstacles. At this point in your training, fun matches, offered usually during the summer, are a great way to see how you and your dog will react to a trial situation. Some dogs do not trial for several years after starting to train while some dogs trial within a year. It is up to the handler to decide whether or not the dog is prepared mentally and physically.
My dog is aggressive. Will agility help to calm him?
Aggressive behavior is not allowed in our agility classes. At registration a group of instructors evaluate all new dogs and if aggression is a problem suggestions for remedial training will be offered. Once the dog has learned to control his fears he will benefit from agility because of both the mental and physical energy it requires.
My dog is very large. Will he be safe on the equipment?
Very large dogs must be handled carefully to ensure safety. As some large dogs have trouble controlling their back ends, training for dogwalk and teeter can be started at home by training the dog to walk along planks set on the ground. Repetitive use of tunnels and weave poles will be limited but the correct use of all equipment will be taught.
My dog is very tiny. Can she cope with the big equipment?
Small dogs do very well in agility as most are very sure-footed and we begin our training on low equipment. For example, the planks of the dogwalk are 12” wide and the starting height will only be about 24” off the ground.
My dog is not well socialized. Will he get playtime at agility?
No. He will interact with other dogs during lessons but must always be under the control of his owner/handler. Because agility depends on the teamwork between a human and a dog we try to teach the dog to ignore other influences.
Does my dog need vaccinations before starting lessons?
Yes. Our club insists that all students present their dog’s up-to-date vaccination record at registration. Failure to do so will disqualify them for inclusion in lessons.
What skills should my dog have before we start agility?
Because you will be working with your dog in an open space with many other dogs, a solid recall is essential. Skills such as sit, down and stay will make the experience much more enjoyable for both of you.
When can I start training for agility?
Dogs must be at least six months old unless a puppy class is offered. Dogs between six and twelve months of age must have attended an obedience class. Dogs over a year old must be able to demonstrate basic obedience skills.