The right way to start agility

Written and illustrated by Peter Lewis
Reviewed by Audrey Rogers

Description: A Canine Publications manual designed to bring relatively inexpensive information to dog people across the world by one of the founders of the sport of dog agility. If you are new to the sport, then this manual will help you start training in a way that should avoid many of the pitfalls that many newcomers experience. It will avoid any duress for the dog as correction and agility are opposites.

Contents include:-

  • About Peter Lewis
  • Introduction
  • The Weaving Poles
  • Jumping Hurdles
  • The Table and Pause
  • Contact Obstacles - Contact Through Hoops, Hoop Methods '1',
    Hoop Method '2', Hoops at the 'A' Ramp,   Hoops at the See-Saw
  • Contact and Wait - Contact and Wait at the Dog Walk,
    Contact and Wait at the 'A' Ramp, Contact and Wait at the See-Saw
  • Contacts and General Advice
  • Tunnels - The Pipe Tunnel, The Collapsible Tunnel, The Hoop or Tyre
  • The Long Jump
    •

Best Features:
Excellent opening chapter. This is an ideal book to work if you have the recommended equipment, a large garden or field and an assistant who knows something about teaching agility as well as the time to work and the desire to get to the top.

Apart from the chapter on teaching the Channel Weaves which I found most complicated, the other instructions were clear.

Worst Features:
For the handler who has not been to classes and does not have the equipment, some parts of the book are too involved and definitely not for the person wanting to do Agility just for fun.

Presentation, design & format:
The two column A5 spiral bound format makes for easy reading and most of the diagrams are clear and concise.

Overall Rating: 8/10 because it is aimed at the high flyers.

Price: £7.99 including post and packing. 

Value for Money: Good

Enquiries to: -
Canine Publications
Dept AN
21 Burridge Road, Burridge, Southampton SO31 1BY
Tel. 01489-885112

Also available from


YOUR FIRST STOP, ONE STOP SHOP FOR AGILITY THINGS

About the Author
Peter Lewis has been training dogs for in excess of 40 years. During that time, he has trained many dogs for competition disciplines and taken them to the top of each sport. They are Obedience, Working Trials and Agility, and he is in demand to judge and teach all of these dog sports across the world.

He has been involved as an instructor and teacher of instructors for very many years and has also founded four dog clubs. Apart from club work, he has spent many years working professionally teaching pet dog owners how to have a well behaved dog. Such has been his success sin this field that over 50 different veterinary surgeons refer owners to him. He is also a member of the Canine and Feline Behaviour Association.

With agility, he has been acknowledged as having played a major part in establishing the sport in the UK and around the world.

Although most of his time has been spent hands-on with dogs and dog people, he has also found time to write and produce in excess of ten books and videos.

About the reviewer
Audrey Rogers has been involved with Agility since 1983 during which time she attended several training seminars for instructors and judges. She co-founded Watford Agility Club with her husband Reg and has recently helped him to set up a new agility club in 2002.

Audrey is an experienced agility instructor and judge. She prefers teaching the 'New Beginner' course and uses several methods of training depending upon the individual dog, according to the individual dog. Her goals are to get each dog jumping at its appropriate height and doing competent contacts before moving up.

She has recently passed her GSD Obedience Instructor's exam.

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