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AG365: Agility Handler Mechanics

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AG365: Agility Handler Mechanics

Course Details

Do you constantly get the same feedback from your isntructor over and over again? Does learning new handling techniques feel like a game of twister while running full speed? Breaking new skills down into smaller pieces is NOT just for teaching our dogs new skills: it's for YOU too! Agility handler mechanics are the micro-skills of handling. They are the key movements that come up again and again in every technique that we learn. When these movements are in automation, learning to put those movements together into techniques takes less time and less frustration for everyone involved. 

This class isolates the agility handler’s physical cues, training them without the dog. Class participants will develop an understanding of how dogs respond to our physical cues and how to use those cues more effectively on an agility course. By isolating common movements, we will develop fluency in your communication with the dog. The handler who takes this course will be better prepared to teach their dog the skills necessary to confidently follow their handling.

Students will hone their eye, feet, and upper body cues neutral to any handling system. You will learn about the timing of cues, the position of your cues, and how to reward your dog for following those cues. As the class progresses, students will learn how these isolated movements can be combined to form common handling techniques and how to walk courses more effectively to reduce errors when adding the dog to the equation. 

This class is appropriate for any level agility handler, including those brand-new to agility. Since we are working without dogs, proper agility equipment and field access are not required. 

Teaching Approach 

This class is skill-based for the human! That means that each handler moves at their own pace as we work through the material together to learn each key movement and then build handling techniques learn how to sequence without the dog. Lecture materials include wordy concepts, videos, videos with voice-over analysis, and images to explain the material. Feedback is given via text and some voice-over analysis, so that the student can see what's happening in an exact moment in time. 
This is the first class in a series of three: AG365, AG400, AG375 
It is highly recommended to take this class at Gold or Silver if you are interested in a Gold or Silver spot in one of the following handling classes. 

This class will have a Teacher's Assistant (TA) available in the Facebook study group to help the bronze and silver students! Directions for joining that Facebook group will be in the classroom after you register.

Megan FosterInstructor: Megan Foster

Megan (she/her) has been involved in the dog sport world nearly her entire life. Though her family did compete in obedience, agility was Megan’s passion right from the start. With over 20 years experience, she has competed with a variety of dogs...(Click here for full bio and to view Megan's upcoming courses)

Syllabus

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Week 1 

Discussion #1: Handling Systems 
Discussion #2: Handling Elements 
Discussion #3: Cue Relevancy 
Virtual Dog Concept 
Exercises 1-10 Isolating Key Movements

Week 2 

Exercises 11-16 Combining Key Movements 

Week 3

Timing of Cues Concept 
Handling Techniques 
Blind Cross Concept 
Exercises 17-20 Learning the Blind Cross 
Rear Cross Concept 
Exercises 21-24 Learning the Rear Cross

Week 4

Backside Send Concept 
Exercise 25 Learning the Backside Send 
Front Cross Concept 
Exercises 26 - 34 Learning the Front Cross 

Week 5

Pinwheels 
270s 
Wrapping Lines 
S-Lines 

Week 6

Loopy Training & Your Mechanics 
Reward from Hand 
Reward Dropped on the Line 
Reward Pre-Placed 
Where do you go from here? 

 

Prerequisites & Supplies

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While you don't need actual equipment, you will need some space to complete the exercises. The biggest exercises take about 40x40 of space. 

You will need a few props for yourself to work with: 

  • bright colored string or rope (leash works!) 
  • Jump bar or weave pole (stick works!) 
  • Cones, or something to mark distances (dog bowls work!) 
  • Jump wing (vacuum works!)
  • Toy (one that doesn’t bounce!) 
  • Paper/plastic cups (something that can’t break if you drop it!) 

Sample Lecture

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2.1 Eyes 

The first goal is to hone in on our ability to to “see” things we are not looking at. I refer to this with students as “watch nothing, see everything”.
Why do we need this skill? So that when you are running forward ahead of your dog, you feel comfortable looking back at your dog without fear of running into equipment.

Exercise 1: Eyes Fixed on Target, Arms Moving

I have two jump wings positioned about 4-5 feet apart. There is a target in the middle of the jump wings, for my focus to be on throughout this exercise. I have a dog bowl that I am moving back and forth between the wings. 

The goal is that you are able to find the wing and either touch it or place a dog bowl or cup onto the wing without looking away from the target.
This is developing your peripheral vision skills, simulating looking back at your dog and knowing where you are on course by what your brain sees out of the side of your eyes. 

You may use any two items that are tall enough that you can reach out and touch without bending over. You may also start with just touching the wing/item, and then progress to placing a dog bowl/cup onto the stanchion. Get the behavior first, then add precision second! 

Exercise 2: Eyes Fixed on Target, Walking 

When exercise 1 is feeling easy, and natural, increase the distance between the two wings to about 10-12 feet, and you will walk back and forth between the two wings, delivering the bowl to the stanchion. 

Exercise 3: Eyes Fixed on Target, Jogging/Running 

You guessed it! We are ready to increase the difficulty to a faster speed of motion, so you’ll need to increase the distance of your wings again. 

Habits we are changing/hoping to avoid with these exercises: 

  1. Bobble-head: this is when we move our heads back and forth really quickly from obstacle to target (target = dog), so that we can be sure to see where we are going. 
  2. Shifty-eyes: this is when we move our eyes rapidly back and forth in our heads in an attempt to be sure to see where we are going. 

Testimonials & Reviews

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A sampling of what prior students have said about this course ...

   

What an amazing course. Anyone who does agility should do this - from Masters/international level to complete beginners. Megan really dissects the common moves and how to perform the in a way that your dog clearly understands. Also a great course for anyone with a dog shutting down in agility - it may be your dog doesn’t understand you I am so grateful to everyone in the class and Facebook group who was prepared to be vulnerable and show what they could and couldn’t do for us all to learn Magma was amazing about adding extra lectures/videos when she could see us struggling The feedback on the video was so so so helpful Thank you for an incredible course - I hope it runs many many times.


Megan was unbelievable. The level of detail in her feedback was unsurpassed. The entire concept of the class was brilliant and I’ve come further than I could have imagined during a 6 week class. My depth of understanding is far greater than it was before I took this class.


If you do agility, take this class! If you're just getting started, take this class. If you've been in the sport for years, take this class. Megan will help you improve your mechanics and understand how to use your body to communicate with your dog on course. I had so many mind-blown realizations throughout the class, and I love that I could work on my own skills away from my dogs. Sometimes taking a class that doesn't involve your dog can seem like it may be boring or not a good use of time/money, but I can assure you this class is absolutely worth the investment!


If you are considering taking a class with Megan I highly recommend it! Her lectures are well thought out with a plan to progress the students along. She breaks down concepts beautifully, has an excellent eye for areas of improvement in the videos and does a great job providing useful feedback, instruction for next steps, and encouragement. I learned a ton in her class.


Fantastic class! Megan has really great insights into agility and how dogs respond to different aspects of our body. And her ability to split out the different components and let us practice each component before combining them was great! Highly recommend the class to beginning and experienced agility competitors alike! Megan is a tremendous addition to the FDSA agility team -- really looking forward to more of her classes! My suggestion for the future would be to include videos of the "finished product" including the dog (or a human "acting" like the dog) more when possible. Some of the exercises, particularly the front/rear/blind cross ones it was hard to imagine the dog's path and response to the handling when first reading the lectures.


Megan, this is one of the best agility courses that I have ever taken! My dog thanks you! She always thought that I was the weaker link in our agility "team" -- but after practicing the exercises in this course, she says that I am improving. All other courses focus on handling skills with your dog or training your dog on obstacles; this is the first one that helped me focus on myself. I especially like the detailed video feedback that you gave the Golds; that helped me understand and improve my footwork and body cues. And your commitment loop and following the dog's path with your chest and eyes was an eye-opener for me. When I tried that in sequences with my dog, I realized that I could even keep her out of off-course tunnels! Thank you.


As I've told Megan personally, I think this course will spark a new way of teaching agility. It's going to be revolutionary. It is SO MUCH BETTER learning like this. Thank you, thank you, thank you, Megan.


This class opened my eyes to so many handling skills. The handler mechanics were broken down into bits instead of lumping them, and I had so many "light bulb" moments. Each exercise was thoroughly explained so the handler would understand how these skills help get our dog around the course with the information they need. This class should be on every agility competitors list to take the next session it comes around.     


I found this course so informational and could work on handling without my dog. I would then add my dog to the sequence . The videos were excellent and the handling was explained in detail.When practicing with my dog I was able to see my mistakes because the handling had been explained so well!!

Registration

There are no scheduled sessions for this class at this time. We update our schedule frequently, so please subscribe to our mailing list for notifications.

Available as a prerequisite class purchase (lectures only) for the June 2022 session until June 15th.

AG365 Subscriptions


Bronze
Tuition $ 65.00
Enrollment Limits Unlimited
Access all course lectures and materials ✔ ✔

Find more details, refund policies and answers to common questions in the Help center.

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