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Any dog can enjoy agility with a little training
That's right.  Any dog with reasonably good physical condition and disposition can enjoy the sport of dog agility with a little training.  The same goes for the handlers.  About the only additional pre-requisite is some basic obedience training.  Having a reasonably secure "come" along with a sit, down and stay will make the training much more productive and enjoyable. The dog should be able to do these things too.

The Columbia Agility Team offers training
The Columbia Agility Team offers agility classes from Foundation through Competition classes at its practice barns in Wilsonville and Forest Grove.  Shown below is the Winter 2010  Foundation class.

The dates, times, location and links to registration for Spring  training sessions are shown below.    The club training director is Autumn Gordon.  Questions regarding CAT training can be directed to Autumn

* Auditing spots available

Agility Foundation is for any dog who has not had prior agility training.  Dogs must have had basic obedience training in a class setting and be able to sit, down, stay and recall consistently before starting Foundation.  This class will introduce the dog and handler to agility equipment and handling skills on the flat. Students taking class with CAT for the first time must start with a foundation class or demonstrate to the training director that they have had the equivalent training through another instructor.  Contact Autumn Gordon to arrange an evaluation

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Seminars
The Columbia Agility Team and other organizations sometimes sponsor seminars given by well-known agility instructors/competitors.  These are listed on the Calendar page.

Other trainers
Other training opportunities are available from individual instructors.  They typically offer group and individual instruction at various times and locations in the Portland area.  If you would like a list of trainers in your area, send an e-mail with your general location to catdogs@columbiaagility.org , subject -- Trainers

Practice Barns
Practice makes perfect -- or at least better.  The Columbia Agility Team now has two practice/training facilities that are available for open practice for club members and for individual or group practice sessions.  Each barn has a full complement of agility equipment.   We don't advertise the locations of the barns.  If you are a member and need directions, contact the Web Handler.

The Wilsonville Barn (Larsen Barn)
The CAT Wilsonville practice barn is available for "drop-in" club practice sessions Friday evenings from 7 PM to 9 PM and Sunday afternoons from 3 PM to 4:30 PM for beginning dogs, 4:30 to 6PM for advanced dogs.  Cost is $3 per dog, $5 for two. The barn can be rented by CAT members for individual or group training sessions at other times (unless the Barn is being used for CAT Classes) for $25 a month for one hour per week.   Current Barn Schedule. The Barn Manager is Jennifer Evans.

The Forest Grove Barn (Van Dyke Farm)
The Forest Grove barn can be rented by CAT members for individual or group training sessions at other times (unless the Barn is being used for CAT Classes) for $25 a month for one hour per week.   Check the Barn Schedule for available times.  Barn managers are Alysa Williams and Rob Waters. 

Forest Grove Barn

The Barn Manager for the Forest Grove barn is Mike Chapman.   Contact Mike for available times, directions and so on. 

Please Observe the Barn Rules 
Having daily use of the barns for pratice and classes is one of the major benefits of CAT membership.  To make sure that we are able to maintain the use of the barn, we must make sure we observe the Barn rules.  Larsen Farms (Wilsonville) is an operating retail nursery.  We cannot allow our comings and goings or the actions of our dogs to be a hazard or disruption to the Larsen's workers or customers.  Similarly, the owners of the Forest Grove Barn deserve common courtesy and thoughtfulness from the CAT members using their facilites.  Please check the specific rules for each site.  In general, the rules are:

These rules and guidelines are for the safety of both dogs and handlers.

    1. NO ONE is permitted to enter the building for any reason until the designated leader is present.

    2. IT IS THE LEADER'S responsibility to open the barn, take care of lights and stay until everyone has finished working. During evening hours the leader is also responsible for closing the entry gate when leaving the barn area.

    3. ONLY Columbia Agility Club members are allowed to run dogs within the barn. The only exceptions are students participating in a CAT agility class.

    4. UNLESS your dog is on the course, it shall be confined to a crate or x-pen, or under physical control by a lead.  DO NOT LET YOUR DOG OFF LEAD OUTSIDE THE BARN.

    5. ONLY ONE dog may be run on the course at a time. During warmups more than one dog may be on the course providing all dogs are on lead.

    6. THE COURSE DESIGN will be at the discretion of the leader. Anyone desiring to change the course or training activity should seek the leader's approval before moving obstacles.

    7. DOG FECAL material must be picked up and bagged and left in the small plastic bucket inside the barn.    DO NOT place plastic bags in the Portable Toilet. Handlers must spray any soiled areas inside the barn with the disinfectant spray bottle provided. Please do not leave food treats and material in the arena grounds.

    8. NO FEMALE DOGS IN HEAT are permitted within the barn area, or in the parking area at any time.

    9. DESIGNATED LEADERS must promptly report ALL incidents involving any injury to persons or animals, or property damage, to the respective Barn Managers.

The CAT Library
There are many other resources to help you in training.  Books and DVDs, for example.   CAT maintains a library on agility and other dog related items.  These resources are available to CAT members to check out. You can browse the library holdings. (requires free Adobe Reader) If you wish to check something out, contact the librarian, Diana Dickinson.

There is also a monthly magazine, Clean Run, that offers lots of tips and training exercises for both the novice and the experienced competitor.  Clean Run also has a number of training manuals and other training and trial equipment that you can order.  You can subscribe to the magazine and purchase agility goodies at www.cleanrun.com.

There's more, but this should get you started. If you know of another agility book or other resource you've found particularly helpful, contact the librarian and we'll try to add it to the library.