Recommended Class Progression:

• Foundation 1 Agility Skills:  This class is the first introduction to agility.  Skills taught will include:  Targeting, Stays, Circle Work, Shadow Handling, Obstacles (Table, Tire, Tunnel), and Toy/Drive work.  Prerequisite: Attending a previous A Click Above Intro, Puppy, and/or Basic class as well as a previous pre-class orientation.  Dogs should be at least 8 months of age to attend this class. Instructors:  Claudia Bates, Peny Lang, and/or Kirsten Anderson
  
  
• Foundation 2 Agility Skills:  This class is a continuation of Foundation I, with concentration given to jumping skills and beginning handling.  Skills taught will include:  Stays, Circle Work, Shadow Handling, Jumping Skills, Obstacles, and Toy/Drive work. This class may be taken concurrently with Foundation III.   Prerequisite: Attending a previous Foundation I Agility Skills Class and permission of Claudia Bates. Dogs should be at least 10 months  to 1 year of age to attend this class. Instructors:  Claudia Bates, Mary Ianelli, and/or Kirsten Anderson.
  
  
• Foundation 3 Agility Skills:  This class is a continuation of Skills learned in Foundation I and II classes with concentration on contact work.  Skills taught will include:  Targeting/Board work, Stays, Contact End Behavior, Teeter, Weaves, and Toy/Drive work.  Prerequisite: Satisfactory completion of Foundation I or II Agility Skills and written permission of Claudia Bates.  This class may be taken concurrently with Foundation II Agility Skills. Dogs should be at least 10 months  to 1 year of age to attend this class Instructors:  Claudia Bates and Kirsten Anderson.
  
  
• Handling 1, 2, and 3: Handling skills taught will be the similar to the skills taught in the Advanced Handling class, taught at an intermediate pace and level, using the tire, jumps, and tunnels to perfect handling moves. Skills taught will include front crosses, rear crosses, blind crosses, pinwheels, jump chutes and grids, serpentines, threadles,and counter rotations. This class should be paired with one of the Contacts and Weaves classes.  Each class gets progressively more difficult and most need to be repeated at least once. Prerequisite for Handling classes: For Handling I, successful completion of ACA's Foundation II  and III is required. Dogs must be able to work off-lead in the sequences. Students wanting to attend Handling II must successfully complete Handling I  or have previously taken Handling II.  Students wanting to take Handling III must have permission from Elsie Maylott. Instructors: Elsie Maylott, Nancy Walkins, Diann Gastley, and/or Claudia Bates.
  
  
• Contacts and Weaves: Contact and weaving skills taught will be geared to advancing the dog on to one of the advanced classes. Specific attention will be given to fast and accurate contact work, using (primarily) the targeting method. Contact and weave stations and sequence exercises will be used. This class can and should be taken in conjunction with either Handling I or one of the Intermediate classes. Please note: while there will be instruction provided in this class, many sequences or stations will be set up for students to practice independently.  ***Regarding the Thursday class, there will be individualized instruction on two obstacles each week on a rotational basis; the A-frame or Dogwalk and the Seesaw or Weaves. The other two obstacles will be available, if space permits, for students to work on their own. Prerequisite: Dogs must have taken Foundation III Agility Skills with ACA and/or have written permission from Claudia Bates. Instructors: Elsie Maylott, Claudia Bates, Diann Gastley, Mary Ianelli, and/or Nancy Walkins.
  
  
• Contacts and Handling: This class is a combination of Contacts and Weaves and Handling I (see Handling I description).  The session will be divided and specific weeks will be dedicated to contact work and others to handling skills.  The specific ratio will be decided by the majority of class participants. Prerequisite: Dogs must have taken Beginner Agility with ACA, Contacts and Weaves at least once, and/or have permission from Claudia Bates. Instructors: Elsie Maylott, Claudia Bates, Kirsten Anderson, and/or Nancy Walkins.  Not offered this session. 
  
  
• Teeter and Weaves: This class will concentrate solely on perfecting the seesaw and weave poles.  Attention will be given to footwork, handling, and entrance skills for the weave poles as well as proper and fast seesaw execution.  Prerequisite:  Dog’s completion of at least one Contacts and Weaves class at ACA within the past year or permission of registrar, Claudia Bates. Instructors: Claudia Bates and Nancy Walkins. Not offered this session.
  

• Pre-Competition Handling: This class is designed to get dogs ready to begin competing at the Novice/Starters level. Sequences, small courses, and full size courses will be done in this class to help the dog and handler team to fine tune the skills learned in Handling1, 2, and 3. The skills covered will be front crosses, rear crosses, lead out pushes/pivots, course work analysis, application of handling systems, and obstacle discrimination.  Prerequisite: Completion of Handling 3 and or/previous attendance of Pre-Competition Handling as well as proficiency of dogwalk and A-frame, and the teeter, as well as some skill on weave poles. Instructors: Claudia Bates, Nancy Walkins, and Elsie Maylott.
  
  
• Handling 2 with Video Analysis: This is a handling agility class for students who have taken Handling II previously.  The concentration of this class will be to use video to improve handling and be able to better recognize errors in body position.  The sequences will involve mostly jumps and tunnels but may also involve a contact and/or weaves.  Each week one or two short courses will be run and then the class will view the video of the runs and discuss, as a class, each and every run.  LIMITED TO 8 DOGS.  Prerequisite: Completion of Handling II as well as experience with weave poles and contacts. Instructors: Elsie Maylott and Diann Gastley.
  
  
• Novice and Advanced Competition Handling: These classes are geared toward the dog and handler teams currently competing at the Novice level or above in any agility venue. Focus will be on course analysis, memorization and strategy, obstacle discrimination, all types of crosses (and more...). Advanced Competition Handling will expand on the skills learned previously and further challenge students! LIMITED TO 10 DOGS/CLASS. Prerequisite: Mastery of all equipment including straight up weaves and full teeter. Dogs must be able to do weaves on THE RIGHT as well as on the left side. Dogs must have earned at least one leg in Novice AKC and/or USDAA Novice/Starters to participate in Novice Competition Handling. Dogs must have earned at least two OPEN and/or ADVANCED standard legs to register for the Advanced Competition Handling Class. Instructors: Carrie Jones, Nancy Walkins, Beth Mathews-Bradshaw, Claudia Bates, Kristen Clarkson, and/or Elsie Maylott.
  
  
• Masters Competition Handling: Improve your handling skills while completing challenging sequences and short courses! Handlers will be taught strategies for handling upper level courses of all registries. The sequences will be very challenging. Handlers will be taught strategies for handling Masters and Excellent level courses. LIMITED TO 10 DOGS/CLASS. Prerequisite: Mastery of all the equipment including straight up weaves (on/off side) and teeter and completion of AKC, NADAC, or USDAA Open/Advanced standard titles as well as at least one Excellent Standard and/or Masters standard leg is required. Instructors: Carrie Jones, Claudia Bates, Beth Mathews-Bradshaw, Nancy Walkins and/or Elsie Maylott.
  
  
• Advanced 1, 2, and 3 with Paulena Hope: Classes specifically designed to address handling issues that confront agility competitors. The classes will emphasize speed, accuracy, and course strategy. Dates of required titles are necessary for registration. LIMITED TO 10 DOGS/CLASS. Prerequisites: Mastery of all obstacles. Advanced I is limited to dogs who have earned an AKC NA and have earned one leg of Open Standard and/or USDAA AD (dates required). Advanced II is limited to dogs who have earned an AKC OA and at least one leg in Excellent A standard and/or a USDAA AAD. Advanced III will be limited to dogs that have earned at least 5 legs towards an MX or MXJ and/or have earned the USDAA MAD title. Dates of titles will be required for these classes.
  

• Puppy Kindergarten: Introducing puppies to social situations, owner education, and beginning obedience training for puppies 8 weeks of age to 10 months of age. Prerequisite: Attending a previous A Click Above Intro, Puppy, and/or Basic class OR attending one of the orientation sessions given prior to the start of the session.  Instructors: Elsie Maylott, Mary Ianelli, and/or Diann Gastley.
  
  
• Basic Obedience: Dogs are taught manners, sit, stay, down, recall, walking on lead, etc. This class is an excellent preparatory class for Intro to Clicker and Agility (required, actually), and/or for more advanced obedience classes.  This class is for dogs over 10 months of age or dogs who have taken a previous ACA class. Prerequisite: Attending a previous A Click Above Intro, Puppy, and/or Basic class OR attending one of the orientation sessions given prior to the start of the session. Instructors: Nancy Walkins, Yuko Hurt, and/or Mary Ianelli.
  
  
• Basic Shaping: Continue foundation skills with our shaping class. Students will learn to shape simple and more complex behaviors using operant conditioning.  Basic skills such as sit, down, stand, targeting, tricks and more will be fine tuned. This class is for anyone who wants to start a young dog off right or teach an old dog new tricks!  The curriculum will be based on student requests and may include Canine Good Citizen practice for future test administration at ACA.   Pre-requisite: Puppy Kindergarten or orientation at A Click Above.  Instructors:  Diann Gastley and Elsie Maylott.
  
  
• Attention for Obedience with Karen Allen: The attention class is for anyone who has attended a basic obedience class or ACA’s HFF class or higher. Focus will be on getting more attention primarily in heeling on and off lead, figure 8,recalls, fronts, finishes,  and stays, including the stand stay for signals. Prerequisite: Dog/Handler teams must have attended ACA's CGC and/or Basic class or Heeling, Fronts, and Finishes or have permission by Karen Allen (sunreach@verizon.net)
  
  
• Novice Obedience with Karen Allen: Competitive obedience class geared towards dogs and handlers working towards the Companion Dog title. Prerequisite: Dog/Handler teams must have attended ACA's Heeling, Fronts, and Finishes Class with Karen Allen or have attended previous Novice Obedience classes with Karen.
  
  
• Open Obedience with Karen Allen: Competitive obedience class geared towards dogs and handlers working towards the Companion Dog Excellent title. Prerequisite: Dog/Handler teams must have attained a UKC or AKC Companion Dog title (provide date legs were acquired on registration form) or have written permission from Karen Allen.
  
  
• Utility Skills with Karen Allen: Competitive obedience class for dog and handler teams working towards the Utility Dog title.  Prerequisite: Dog/Handler teams must have attained a UKC or AKC Companion Dog Excellent title (provide date legs were acquired on registration form) or have written permission from Karen Allen.   Not offered this session.
  
  
• Rally-O with Karen Allen: Rally-O is the nickname given for Rally Obedience. The Rally style of Obedience has been adopted for this concept of Obedience training and competition because of the use of directional signs to guide the handler throughout the performance in a manner somewhat similar to Rally Car Racing. Karen will go over the Rally concept covering all the exercises in all three levels. She will cover handler-dog communication and teamwork as well as the requirements for a qualifying performance. Each week there will be a course set up for each handler to perform individually. There is some small jumping as well as an honor stay. Prerequisite: Dog/Handler teams must have attended ACA's Heeling, Fronts, and Finishes Class with Karen Allen, the Attention Class, and/or must have permission from Karen Allen.  Not offered this session.