Agility

[RaspberrySnowCone]

Hi, does anyone take their dog to agility? How much roughly would the classes be? I've been to a 30 minute class with maximum 3 people in and been told £8 per session. With registration of membership, forward payment of classss ie a month in advance and they have cancelled a class with an hes notice this week I now have a bill for £85! We've had one 30 minute class. Is it this expensive? Doggy loved it but blimey, it's a lot for 30 minutes a week if I have to pay regardless of class going ahead?!

I go for an hour a week. We have to book and pay for a 12 week block which is £72. No membership or joining fee.

We pay £8 per hour for Sausage Dog Agility (yes, that is a thing!)

If they cancel they need to refund or reschedule, have you asked if they intend to?

I'll ask today about the cancelled class. Just seemed a bit expensive to me but £8ish seems to be the norm.

I would love to see a sausage dog do agility!

Oh yes we have two 'gaps' per year on the rare a occasion a session is cancelled it then occurs in a gap. Only one cancellation last year when Tree surgeons cut through the power cables and there was no light.

They love it! Ours occasionally goes rogue and makes up his own course... The only difference is that the jumps are only about 1' off the ground.

I pay £20 every 3 weeks, each session = 1 hour. If I give notice I don't have to pay for sessions I miss. No joining nor membership fees. If the instructor cancels then no payment due. Ours is quite informal though (I just keep a running tally and pay £20 cash every three sessions I go) There are 6 dogs per class. Agility is great fun!

My DH does agility with DDog1 - it's £20 per calendar month. We also compete so there's the added expense of the agility collar, show fees, camping, KC registration if not already.

But all in all I think it's a cheap holiday. This year we're paying £56 for 5 nights in the caravan at a show ground. It's a massive country show so loads going on. Really good value and the DDogs love going.

Well? After yet another cancellation and requested change I've asked to give up and cancel and asked for a refund. So far I've shelled out £65.00 and had one 30minute class. I'm not holding out much hope of a refund as the organiser was really quite rude to me this morning so I wouldn't want to go now even if they managed to organise a class.
I'll try and find somewhere else were I can pay per class I think as I really want to do it.

I like free agility myself - jumping over logs, benches, hi jacking the children's play park when they are all at school and using the a frame, crawling under swings etc.

Unless you want to compete in agility I think the cost of the classes is crazy!

Alternatively, if you have a big enough garden you can buy agility equipment and set up your own course.

I have done classes but I was finding my young collie was getting into a high state of arousal really quite easily/quickly and it became a choice between carrying on but me feeling like I always had to be on my guard or giving up and just doing it for fun anyway.

I decided to order some cheapy jumps off Amazon, we have some cones and I just do agility for fun at home. I still have to watch she doesn't go above threshold though as she's nipped me (in excitement not malice) and I do think you need to watch your own dogs limits with regards to arousal.

I'm not sure if that makes sense to you. I'm just an owner, not a trainer.

We can rent an agility field here btw for £7 ph

If you want recommendations for a good agility club RaspberrysnowCone just ask or pm.

Generally the prices are between £5.00- £8.00 per hour lesson - all cancellations due to weather are made up.

I worry about "fun clubs" as you do need to do the training correctly to prevent injuries to the dog, same with free agility, at least poles fall down but logs & branches can break dogs legs or impale the dogs. Even if you are doing agility for fun competition clubs are the best way to go.

Good clubs will have smaller classes or 1-2-1 with reactive or high energy dogs and will gradually introduce them to training with other dogs to help with distraction and concentration.

A lot of agility is done away from equipment and foundation work is great for dogs brains and fitness. But doing it incorrectly and without knowledge is not recommended. I rarely train my dogs over full height jumps but usually around wings etc so do get good advice if starting out.

The cost comes with the addiction as LettherebeCupcakes says. As soon as the "I'll just try a competition" thought comes into you head - forget ever having a weekend at home between Easter and October, you will find yourself looking at caravans in a new way and using google map just to see how far that next competition is, and finding excuses to miss that important family wedding in August as you are at KC Festival and Dogs in Need.........

There is another local club where the instructor is very successful so I'll maybe contact them.

I'm really not too worried about being competitive but I would like him to do it, he just likes training of some sort so I might even just take him to an advanced obedience if I can't find an agility class I like.