Sue
My dog, Kate, is an energetic, cheerful Labrador cross and so I thought that agility might be something she and I could do together. I took her to a local group agility class and she HATED it. She did not understand what I wanted and was having no fun at all, so I reluctantly decided that agility was not for us. Disappointing but that is the way it goes. Then, about a year later, a friend convinced me to try again with Monika who has a different approach. After the first class I realized this was entirely different. Instead of making my dog do things which she did not understand, she was encouraged to figure it out for herself then praised, praised, praised. No punishment or corrections. Just fun and shaping of behaviour. She LOVED it and continues to do so. She understand and enjoys the whole thing so much. Her only problem is that I learn a lot more slowly then she does! Monika is wonderful. Not only is she skilled at training people as well as dogs but has a seemingly endless supply of patience for both. Kate is not quite ready to compete yet but she is getting there and more importantly, she has had fun every step of the way while learning. So have I !
Sue and Kate
