Thursday, December 31, 2009

Training Foundations

OK, I am being proactive for next year.  I have gotten Miss Grace on a waiting list for agility foundations. Grace and I have taken some beginning classes, but I think I need to really strengthen our foundations, so I asked to be on the waiting list for the next foundation class at Agile Canines.  I have loved training Magic with Michelle, and really hope to be able to get him back into her classes, but honestly, Ham Lake is a long ways from South Minneapolis, and the new Agile Canines location is only 35-40 blocks away.

Magic is already enrolled in the Acting Class starting in February. I have tried to get him into this class for a long time.  Nothing may ever come of it, other than we have fun, but hey, he would be awfully cute in some advertising, so who knows.  I am still really thinking about attempting flyball. I have the class paperwork sitting on my desk, I just don't know if I want to start another sport with him? I should just let that go, but I haven't yet. I should get us back to agility classes, but I am just so bad about wanting to go out in the cold to do stuff in the winter, its hard for me to commit to that. Ok, so I am procrastinating and that is not a good way to start the year either. The other option is to try another actual obedience class and see if we can fix the heeling issue? 

I am looking to find a beginning obedience class for Siren. Not sure yet where I want to take her. I need to look at the options I guess. Anyone have a beginning obedience trainier that they really really liked and can recommend? 

2 comments:

penni said...

FWIW, I started Kip in Obedience and would say that he was a less than enthusiastic heeling dog. Then we did Rally. I think the frequency of stations forced him to pay better attention to me. When we returned to obedience, I had a splendid heeling dog that never took his eyes off me.

Laura and The Corgi, Toller, & Duck said...

where are the acting classes at? that really sounds like fun!

I just do obedience at TCOTC but have heard amazing things about Nancy Little of Endzone Dog Sports. I believe she just does privates or semi-private lessons but all my instructors swear to me that it's totally worth it! but I guess since you're looking for beginning level obedience Nancy might be better for one of the other dogs.

For group classes I like Dawn at Cloud Nine a ton! But I've only done agility with her so have no idea how her obedience classes are run. I know it's clicker based though. I've also heard good things about Linda Schindler.