The First Agility Class

Syd had a good day today, and tonight we started her first agility class. Syd has class first, then Hawk has his class directly afterward. I tried to be very calm and not get stressed out about this new adventure with Sydney.

We were just a few minutes late getting to class, and when we entered the room, the two terriers in class erupted in barking. I was able to maintain Sydney's composure and attention, and we moved to the only available seat... directly in between the terriers. ;-}

I went to class prepared. I had a container of hot dogs, a container of Aunt Julie's Liver Brownies, some petrified hot dogs, a container of soft liver treats, and several tug toys that Sydney loves. I could barely zipper our gear bag! I guess I was determined to have whatever I needed to make class fun and hopefully Syd would rather pay attention to me than be afraid of the other dogs. Only once did Sydney have to be re-directed. The other dogs heard something in the next room and started barking. Syd caught eye contact with the Schnauzer, and started to rumble and whimper, all at the same time. I got her attention back pretty quickly, and I was very happy with her reaction.

All in all, I think Syd handled the pressure of her first agility class very well, and I'm glad I kept her enrolled in the class. She was crated in the building for the duration of Hawk's class, and she was pretty relaxed watching another group of new dogs working.