How to find good agility trainer

[JamieHalverson]

So I'm thinking about trying agility with Lillie. But I've never done agility and am not sure about how to find the best trainer. My current Nosework trainer also does agility, so I will most likely go there for agility as well, but just curious what I should look for as far as credentials, acheivements, philosophy, etc. I want to make sure we have someone who is familiar with giant breeds so is careful of Lillie's physical development as well.

 

[Smokeycat]

The most important thing I've found with both of the trainers I've had for agility with Jiggers is that they keep the training atmosphere fun for both the handler and the dog. Most of the fun does (and should) come from the interaction of you and your dog but a good trainer makes that easier.
I was recommended by the owner of the facility (who was the first trainer) to wait until Jiggers was a year old mainly because while it is easy to prevent too much jumping by keeping the jumps low the weave poles can put a lot of strain on the joints as they speed up. So maybe just ask how or if they recommend training a growing puppy. I would still like to try Kryten with some of the equipment, if only to teach him where his feet are, but he's too big for me to feel comfortable letting him on some of the equipment and his elbows are too bad for most of the rest. I did try weave poles with him a little over a year ago and it was hilarious. He had to go straight through the poles and do a u-turn to get into the next one, he filled the space between the poles completely.

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[Hector]

Try it out. You will know if you like the trainer or not. Voice your concerns and the trainer should be able to meet your needs. There are things you can do to prep until she's old enough to do higher jumps, more intense/complicated courses, etc. Getting used to equipment, working on cues, building her drive, etc. Credentials don't really matter. What matters is that the trainer is able to communicate, educate, and that you guys have fun.