New Classes Start February 5

New classes (finally, yea) will begin Monday, February 4, 2013. Classes will be held on Monday evenings at the Bridgerland Applied Technology College West Campus and we will be offering:

·        Course: Beginning Agility Handling – Time: 5:00 – 6:00 or 6:00 –  7:00  – Cost: $110 – Limit: 6 handlers/dogs/class.

·        Course: Floor Work –  Time 7:30 – 8:30 – Cost: $80 – Limit: 7 handlers/dogs

We are super excited to announce we will have an additional trainer helping us. Kristin Sittner (one of the trainers for FlockNPaws out of North Ogden) will be offering the Beginning Agility Handling course.

Beginning Agility Handling

This course will teach different handling techniques, doing small, 1-4, obstacle sequencing. To qualify for this class you and your dog must be familiar with obstacles, be motivated for treats or toys, and have completed at least one Beginning Agility class. Please note, if you have participated in intermediate and advanced agility, this will still be a great class for you to learn handling, this is something we have not really focused on and you will be amazed at how it improves your skills in communicating with your dog.

*****Participants will also need to bring with them a piece of non-slip carpet (rubber, etc.) about 4’ X 6’-8’ (since we will be holding classes at the BATC West Campus on cement) *****

The first 12 people to e-mail me will be enrolled in the Beginning Handling Agility course. Kristin is always in high demand, so don’t wait to get signed up. For us to be able to have her here in Logan is so exciting! (We are going to have her do some Saturday morning workshops in the future as well).

Beginning Floor Work

This course focuses on off-leash dog, large obstacles, high speeds, tight turns, and varying courses all combine to make running a course a strategic masterpiece.  The goal of this course is to teach handlers to effectively communicate directionals to the dogs and for the dogs to respond.  After these classes, handlers will have a box of tools to use on the course, creating a well-oiled team.  We will go over how to successfully cue your dog on the course and the handling skills needed to run more efficiently.  Prerequisites:  Off-leash skills and Introduction to Agility.

A Little Bit about Kristin Sittner

Kristin has had experience working at a veterinary clinic, a training center focusing on hunting, scent detection and police dogs, and a farm where she helped develop the variety of sheep which Flock N Paws now runs. Her first dog was a Sheltie, Tika, who competed mainly in agility, but dabbled on all of the dog sports. Tika was Kristin’s main farm dog for a number of years, until she acquired Gyp from her business partner Shauna. Soon this task will be passed onto her young dog, Tag, who is already showing talent with the sheep.

Kristin’s strength lies on the agility field, winning the South Central USDAA regional in 2009 with Gyp. Gyp continues to place among the top dogs. Tag, her new Border collie, promises to keep her running, already wowing people with her speed, efficiency, and running contacts. She has qualified and competed in multiple national competitions and is one of Utah’s top competitors.

Kristin has a Bachelor’s degree in Animal, Dairy, and Veterinary Sciences from Utah State University and is currently working on a Master’s degree in Agricultural Science.

Maria and I have had the opportunity to see Kristin in action with both Gyp and Tag. She is an agility natural and we are excited (well, ecstatic would probably be a better word) to be able to have her bring her talents to Logan for us. Once you see Kristin in action, you will immediately realize her talents and be as excited as we are to have the opportunity to learn from her.