[AU-006] Speed ‘Em Up! Handling For Motivation

Raise your hand if you have watched your dog run fast across your yard, but yet they walk or trot through an agility course. Maybe you have seen them chase after something in the yard and stay engaged, but yet they disengage on course, slow down, start to sniff or worse, go poop in the corner? Maybe everything was going great on course, then there is an error… and you completely lose your dog? Perhaps you have that dog that has amazing runs in the training field, but when you get to a trial, you have a completely different dog? Or what about that dog that trots through the first 15 obstacles, then blasts over the last 3 and out of the ring? How about the dog that you are late on a cross and suddenly they lose motivation?

Join Kim Fuqua in her “Speed ‘Em Up! Handling for Motivation” class that will discuss all the scenarios above and more. We will discuss WHY the dogs lose motivation, WHAT to do to keep them more engaged, and HOW to handle your dog to help gain confidence and speed them up!

Kim Fuqua first learned about dogs that are referred to as “soft, stressed, or thoughtful” with her Aussie, Jack (who was her 4th agility dog). Not knowing how to recognize his needs in the ring created a dog that was stressed and disengaged. Through hard work, motivation games, tricks and handling choices, we were able to take a dog that was struggling with having fun playing agility to a dog that likes to run for anyone. Jack prepared Kim for her next dog, Pepper, a border collie that overthinks EVERYTHING!! She was referred to by other people as slow, thoughtful and stressed. Was she all three of those? Yes, at times… but Kim had to return to the basics of having fun with her dog and creating engagement and motivation through handling choices and games. In the last two years, Pepper went from a dog that walked through the weave poles in a trial to winning 2nd place at AKC Nationals in 2019 in the 20” division!


Additional Course Details

  • Faculty:
    • Kim Fuqua
  • Dates:
    • Course starts on Monday, December 2, 2019.
    • Registration closes on Monday, December 16, 2019.
    • Course material access never expires.
  • Level:
    • Open to All
  • Course Structure:
    • This course will consist of 6 weekly training packages that cover the elements of the critical skills needed to Speed ‘Em Up!
      • Downloadable written instructions for each exercise
      • Video demonstrations
      • Video review of your training (working participants)
      • Access to class chat
      • Access to Faculty Office Hour
  • Equipment needed (working participants only):
    • 1-2 tunnels, 4-6 jumps, and an extra wing or cone.
  • Space required (working participants only):
    • 50×50 or more.

Course Information

Estimated Time: 6 weeks

Difficulty: Open to All

Categories: ,

Course Instructor

Kimberly Fuqua Kimberly Fuqua Instructor
  • Enrollment in this course closed on 12/17/2019.