agility
What is agility?
Speed… obstacles… teamwork… and a ridiculous amount of fun!
Agility is a sport where you and your dog work together to navigate a course of jumps, tunnels and other obstacles – in the right order, and hopefully without your dog deciding they’ve spotted something much more interesting halfway round!
You don’t need to be an experienced handler, an ultra-fast runner or the owner of a Border Collie. We have dogs (and humans!) of all shapes, sizes and speeds training with us.
From foundations to competition – and beyond
We teach agility from the very beginning through to competition level, with safety and understanding at the heart of what we do.
Our training is taught with competition in mind, so your dog learns how to understand and navigate obstacles safely and independently. But you don’t have to compete.
Some of our teams train because they love the sport, the challenge and the time they get to spend working together. Others have their sights firmly set on the competition ring.
And while we love our crazy sprinter teams, you absolutely don’t have to be a runner to do agility. Agility is about communication and teamwork. We have handlers who run, handlers who don’t run particularly quickly, and handlers who rely heavily on distance and verbal cues. We teach you how to work with your dog in a way that suits your team.
There’s room for everyone at Nutter Dogs!
Is agility right for my dog?
There are a few things we’d like your dog to be comfortable with before joining our classes:
- Old enough to get started safely – dogs can join from around 4 months old, although puppies will have age-appropriate restrictions on equipment and jumping.
- Happy enough around people and dogs – your dog doesn’t need to love everyone, but they need to be able to work around other dogs and people without causing a safety issue.
- Able to work for you – being able to take food and/or play with you around distractions will make learning agility much easier.
- Some basic training under your belt – your dog should have some basic skills and a reasonable recall before starting agility.
- Fit and healthy enough for the sport – agility is physically demanding, so your dog needs to be physically sound and at a healthy weight. If you’re unsure, it’s always worth checking with your vet first.
- Ready to have fun! – agility is about working together, learning new skills and having a brilliant time with your dog. It doesn’t always go to plan, so having a sense of humour in training is important!
Got a reactive or nervous dog? That’s not necessarily a deal-breaker. Get in touch and we can chat about whether our classes will be a good fit for your dog.
What our students say
“Sophie is an absolute dream to train with. She’s able to adapt her teaching style to suit not only the dog but the handler too, which makes such a difference. Classes are the highlight of our week. We’d recommend Nutter Dogs without hesitation!”
Chloé & Cinna
“Agility has been amazing for me and Lucy. She absolutely thrives on it, and it’s created a really special bond. We can’t wait to dive deeper into the sport. There’s so much more to Nutter Dogs than just training – it’s an amazing community too!”
Chloe & Lucy
“I love the way our trainers break down the course and train both me and Orla. Those light-bulb moments when Orla understands what’s expected of her are gold! We’ve now started competing, but always at a pace that’s right for our development. Love it!”
Alison & Orla
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