Instructors >> Pam O'Day

The philosophy behind Competition Agility with Pam O’Day is simple. Pam builds relationships with each student based upon their stated goals and needs, and strives to help teams achieve their potential. A lifetime of involvement in dog sports – including conformation, obedience, tracking and agility has given Pam the solid foundation needed to assess a dog’s movement, temperament, and motivation.

Pam’s strength lies in her ability to tailor training to meet the level of each team, within the context of the classroom setting. Pam brings together a unique mix where students continually experience and succeed at new agility challenges.

Agility classes with Pam O’Day are interactive, and students are encouraged to stop and analyze handling strategies, offer suggestions, and encourage one another. Pam teaches students how to break down courses into manageable segments, analyze handling lines to find the most efficient path for both dog and handler, and regularly presents exercises to increase a dog’s potential. Agility is about more than just running a course, and students in Pam’s classes often discuss preventive health care matters, health issues that affect agility dogs (and handlers), the rules and regulations that govern agility, and sharing of information about trials and competition experiences.

With Pam O’Day, you will receive an honest, direct assessment of your handling techniques, and strategies for growth. Pam has trained more than a thousand successful teams in her teaching career, and continues her own growth by attending and hosting seminars with world-renowned handlers, instructors, and animal health care practioners.

To participate Pam’s classes, you will need to have a recall, sit, stay, and down with your dog. An understanding of clicker training will help as well.

Agility Fundamentals:

Agility Fundamentals focuses on foundation skills that will start your dog out right with the basics. We will introduce every obstacle to dogs and handlers in a positive and fun way. We will focus on teaching a dog 2 feet on and 2 feet off on contact equipment. Dogs will learn how to navigate weave poles as well as learn how to jump. They will work on handling a see saw at a low height. By the time they have finished 6 weeks they will have had experience on the Dog Walk, A Frame, See Saw, Table, Tunnel, Tire, Chute and Jumps. Dogs will need a stay and recall to work in this fun and motivating class. Teams will continue together to learn thru more sessions and the class morphs from a fundamentals class thru beginner into an intermediate class.

Advanced Classes:

Pam’s Advanced classes focus on handling skills and staying current on training techniques. Pam designs courses to challenge the dog and handler to work towards better teamwork. Many different ways to run courses are discussed and unique handling specific to each team are discussed. Pam encourages handlers to move outside their comfort zone to increase their skills. Pam has students who are just beginning to start with a novice dog to teams who are just beginning to compete all the way to students who have multiple MACH, PAX, ADCH or NATCH titles on their dogs.

CLASSES (also see class page)

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