MLF DOGSPORTS
COMPETITION AGILITY, OBEDIENCE and RALLY
AGILITY for FUN and FLYGILITY
2012 - 2013 Class Descriptions

Download the 2012-2013 Registration Form - PDF File

JUMP HEIGHTS
Looking for your jump height in the various agility venues? View jump heights for USDAA, AKC, NADAC, DOCNA.

CLASSES

MLF CLASSES 2012-2013

MLF offers a wide variety of training classes for home, for show and for fun! The following classes will offer a solid foundation on which to build a life-long working relationship with your dog. MLF DogSports relies only on positive reinforcement based on scientific learning principles to teach behaviors specific to the sports of agility and obedience. We do not use methods that apply fear, force, or pain to your teammate. We use food treats and toy play to build and maintain behaviors. Your dog will be begging to do more every lesson, while you have a great time too. Remember! When positive reinforcement and motivation with a balanced approach to training is used, the following becomes true:----the more dogs learn-----the more they want to know----the more they know----the more they want to learn! Join us for training at MLF DogSports, where we encourage thinking dogs!

Training sessions are consecutive throughout the year with a short break in the summer. This provides the necessary continuation of training to allow a dog and handler to progress and succeed in their sport. Training sessions are six weeks long and all classes cost $85. Full payment for a class must be made at the start of each class session. There will no drop in opportunities. Registration is encouraged at least 1 month prior to the beginning of a session, class lists are made on a first received basis. A waiting list is maintained for classes. Instructors will notify students of move-ups and fill available spots upon receipt of registrations. There will be an attempt to make up classes cancelled by MLF due to bad weather. All make up classes will be given at the end of the training year in the format chosen by the instructors. There will be no refunds, credits or make-ups given for classes missed by the students.

MLF DOGSPORTS AGILITY, OBEDIENCE and RALLY TRAINING, AGILITY FOR FUN AND FLYGILITY PROGRAM

BASIC TRAINING and AGILITY for FUN
This is a class where the dogs and handlers learn the basic obedience exercises that are necessary for the companion dog to become well mannered at home and in public. The dogs learn to work in a group with other dogs and to keep their focus on their handlers. The handlers learn how to motivate their dogs so that training becomes rewarding and exciting. They learn the importance of consistent cues and timely rewards to create reliable good behaviors. The introduction to agility for fun helps build confidence and teamwork. This class is for dogs that are at least four months old. Puppies under one year of age that complete all six weeks of classes are eligible for
AKC S.T.A.R. Puppy certification. Monday 7PM

INTERMEDIATE TRAINING and AGILITY for FUN
In this class dogs and handlers learn more advanced obedience and focus exercises amid distractions with the goal of attaining the Canine Good Citizenship award. The CGC tests for
student’s dogs are given in the fall and in the spring. The continued exposure to agility for fun and obedience helps handlers decide if they want to move on to competition obedience and rally or to competition agility.
Monday 8PM (Wednesday 7PM when available)

COMPETITION OBEDIENCE and RALLY
In this class the emphasis is on perfecting the obedience performance of the team. Competition exercises for Novice through Utility are taught and then evaluated during ring practice. Proofing the exercises and training through distractions creates a thinking and reliable obedience dog. Rally station clarification with Novice through Excellent courses helps students prepare for the show ring.
Tuesday 7PM

PRE-SPORTS PUPPY CLASS
This class will offer you and your puppy, four to eight months of age, an invaluable foundation before embarking on training for your chosen sport. A balance of play and control will form the building blocks necessary to develop your relationship with your puppy early in his life. Motivational games and confidence building will maximize your training sessions with a focused and enthusiastic partner. Class work will include: basic control skills, reliable recalls, attention building games, flatwork exercises, shadow handling, beginning low jump work, and contact training. Prevention of behavior problems are addressed along with building socialization skills with other dogs and people. Wednesday 7PM

IS YOUR PUPPY A STAR?

MLF is proud to offer the AKC S.T.A.R. Puppy Program to help puppies and their owners off to a good start. This AKC
program welcomes all puppies, purebred or mixed breeds, up to a year of age. The S.T.A.R. Puppy Program is available to
you by participating in one of the following classes: Pre- sports Puppy Foundation or Basic Training and Agility for Fun. Upon completion of six classes
and passing the requirements, your puppy will receive the AKC S.T.A.R. Medal and be listed in the AKC S.T.A.R. Puppy records. You will also receive a beautiful certificate, an AKC Puppy Handbook, a discount to enroll in the AKC Companion Animal Recovery Corp. (a 24 hr. recovery service), and Your AKC, an on going monthly email newsletter that includes valuable training tips and up-to-date information that every dog owner needs to know. We are very excited about this wonderful incentive program that encourages responsible dog ownership and fosters the love and care in training that all puppies deserve.

CANINE GOOD CITIZENSHIP OPPORTUNITY AT MLF

MLF also offers an opportunity for your dog to be evaluated for the AKC Canine Good Citizen program. The purpose of the CGC
program is designed to ensure that our favorite companion, the dog, can be a respected member of the community because it has been
trained to be well behaved in the home, in public places, and in the presence of other dogs and people. Owners of dogs that pass all ten
items of the CGC test may order an official CGC certificate from the American Kennel Club. The S.T.A.R. puppy and the CGC programs
are taught and evaluated by Anita Easley, an AKC approved CGC evaluator. More info at: www.akc.org

AGILITY for FUN and FLYGILITY
The purpose of this class is to offer an alternative to competition agility for handlers who want to continue to have fun and be physically active with their dogs. The obstacles in this class are all low impact and require more handling skill than athletic ability from dog and handler. There are games and exercises that will encourage increased focus, creative thinking and total attention from the dog. Flygility is an exciting new addition to the class that adds the retrieving aspect of flyball to an agility course. The class atmosphere is lighthearted and very social as handlers enjoy new ways to build relationships with their dogs and enjoy training with their friends.
Wednesday 8PM

COMPETITION AGILITY PROGRAM
Our Agility program is unique because we try to put our classes together with a concern for how well our students are progressing and working together in class. A comfortable class atmosphere is essential for both the handler and the dog’s ultimate learning experience. Classes may progress upward through a couple of training levels without moving to another night or time slot in order to keep the group together. Our instructors continually evaluate and adjust their teaching methods to meet the individual needs of their students. Agility classes listed on the registration form, Monday through Thursday, are subject to these changing levels of training and do not have an assigned level on the form. Instructors continually evaluate their students and adjust the level of training to meet their needs.

New Students: Students who wish to enter our program without going through the Basic and Intermediate training classes, or entering into agility classes having had previous training elsewhere, will be evaluated and placed accordingly in the class level best suited to their needs.

FOUNDATION AGILITY I
This is a beginning agility class that teaches handlers the importance of play training, the reward zone, body awareness, circle work, acceleration/deceleration, directionals, handling maneuvers and start lines. This class is for dogs 6 months and older. Dogs coming into this class must be totally under control off leash, have solid stays, reliable recalls and toy drive. Thursday 7PM

FOUNDATION AGILITY II
This is a beginning agility class that teaches the dogs and handlers the correct performance of the obstacles. Jump training, contact training and weave pole training will require some equipment at home to complete the homework and be successful in the class. By the end of the class the emphasis will be placed on the dog’s independent obstacle performance with the handler working at a distance of at least 6' from his dog.
Thursday 8PM

FOUNDATION AGILITY III
This class combines the foundation skills and independent obstacle performance learned from the previous foundation classes with simple sequencing exercises. As soon as the dogs are jumping their full height, have a solid contact performance, can enter correctly and complete twelve weave
poles they may move on to Agility 1 when openings become available.
Thursday 8PM

LEVEL 1 AGILITY
Handlers joining this class should have the following handling skills: lead out distance and lead out pivots, front and rear crosses, 180 and 270 turns, serpentines and threadles. The dogs coming into this class must have: start lines, handler and obstacle focus, be jumping full height, have independent obstacle performance on all obstacles, correct entries and complete performance of twelve weave poles on both sides, reliable contact performance and distance sends of at least 15'. Students will be doing exercises using all of the above skills plus relying on independent obstacle performance from the dog to get farther away from the dog. Correct weave pole performance on both sides will be an important part of many exercises with entries from all angles. Reliable contact performance with the handler at a distance is needed so that the handler may learn to get
into position for future obstacles.

LEVEL 2 AGILITY - Intro to Novice
This class is for handlers who are beginning to compete in USDAA Intro and Novice classes. In this class handlers learn to read a simple course and plan the path they intend to take with their dog. They learn how to tighten up their turns and refine their handling skills to become more efficient and faster on course.

LEVEL 3 AGILITY - Novice
This class is for competitors who are competing at the Novice level. Continued emphasis is placed on developing the independent obstacle performance from the dog on course so that the handler can get to a desired position to cue for the next obstacle. Training exercises become more challenging with more obstacles, directional changes and obstacle discriminations. Simple gamble sequences are introduced to develop distance skills.

LEVEL 4 AGILITY - Novice to Open
This class is for competitors moving from Novice to the Open level of competition. In this class students are challenged with an increasing number of obstacles, directional changes and obstacle discriminations. Handlers learn how use lead outs and increase their lateral distance handling to help the dog deliver a faster run. Gamble sequences become more difficult with obstacle discriminations and changes of direction.

LEVEL 5 AGILITY - Open to Advanced
This class is for competitors who are entering the advanced level of competition. This class calls upon handlers to use all of their handling skills to deal with difficult obstacle discriminations, multiple combinations with changes of direction, and rely more upon distance handling to reduce their time on course. Course analysis and strategy on time saving, efficient handling techniques is emphasized. Gamble exercises have greater gamble distance, directional change and obstacle
discrimination challenges.

LEVEL 6 AGILITY - Advanced
This class is for advanced handlers competing at the Masters, Excellent and Elite levels of agility. The difficulty of the exercises is equal to that found at the highest level of national competitions. A clean, fast performance is expected and then strived to be improved upon. The gambles are very challenging employing distance sends, redirects, and very difficult weave entries.

PRACTICE TIMES
MLF will provide practice times on the agility fields for our students. These times will be posted in class and on the web site. Practice times may very during the show season. Please do not plan to practice before your class and wear out your dog. The practice fee is $5 per dog for dogs currently enrolled in a class at MLF. Cash only with no limit on time.

All agility classes are limited to six students per instructor. Basic and Intermediate Training classes are limited to fifteen students.

We are proud to offer excellent instruction to our students from the following instructors:
Basic and Intermediate Training, Competition Obedience and Rally, PreSports Puppy, Agility for Fun and Flygility classes: Anita Easley.

Competition Agility classes: Kodie Levine, Karen Gloor and Cindy Meadows.

Registration is encouraged at least 1 month prior to the beginning of a session. Classes are filled on a first received basis. A waiting list will be maintained for classes. Instructors will notify students of move-ups and fill available spots upon receipt of registrations. There will be an attempt to make up any classes cancelled during any session at the end of the training year in the format chosen by the instructors. There will be no refunds or credits given for classes missed by students. All agility classes are limited to six students per instructor. Basic and Intermediate Training classes are limited to fifteen students.