Agility Junkies

I started training with Agility Junkies soon after adopting a two year old Aussie mix. She is now fourteen years old and still going strong with agility.
Not knowing anything about agility, I began training there after meeting two friendly instructors at an agility trial near me, and have been training there ever since. About six years ago my wife also began training with our most recent addition to the family — a Samoyed.
It’s a great way to have fun with your dog! The classes are relaxed, enjoyable, and stress positive training techniques to keep your dog in ‘The Game’. The facility includes an indoor area and when the weather allows, a large fenced outdoor area. Give them a try! You’ll love it.

To say that I am not impressed is an understatement. The class is way too crowded, so your actual training time is extremely limited. The folks don’t like my dog, so I am inclined not to like them. A waste of money. There’s got to be a better place.

I originally started with Agility Junkies back in 1997 when I was 15 years old. I trained with Lora for a year and a half with my German Shepherd, Trina. Trina and I thoroughly enjoyed the experience. Agility was a great way for us to bond and to socialize my dog a bit more (as she was originally trained as a police K9 dog). Due to school sports and activities, I had to cut my young agility career short with the idea I would someday return.
Fast-​forward 15 years… I was looking for ways to build confidence in my overly shy, energetic female Aussie, Fergie. I remembered the fun I had with Agility Junkies and set out to find them once again. My pack of Aussies (Fergie, Maddux, and Halas) and I have had the privilege to train with Lora, Barb, and Agata at Agility Junkies now for over a year and we all LOVE it! In fact, my husband and I can’t even say the word «agility» out loud at home without our pack going completely berserk with excitement. The pups know the route to agility class, and tend to start whining with excitement once we are about 2 miles out.
All of the trainers are extremely knowledgeable– especially in the area of dog behavior. It is a fun and supportive environment that helps grow the bonds between owners and their canine teammates by teaching them to understand each other and how to work together. Lora, especially, is able to pinpoint why dogs are exhibiting certain behaviors– she is like the agility whisperer. Having only been familiar with German Shepherds from when I was growing up, it has really helped to have someone who knows Aussies and how to work with them.
I am not sure what the other posters meant by «in-​crowd,» as I have never once noticed anything like this happening– even as a young kid. Having worked 4 dogs with Agility Junkies, every owner and dog are treated equally and given appropriate attention. We are constantly laughing and cheering each other on in classes– even in my recent Beginners class with my youngest dog. Over a 6 week period I was with others who have never experienced training with the Junkies before and everyone was treated as if they had been attending for years. Regardless of the class level, we regularly play agility-​related games, and even the shyest dogs have built confidence over the course of the classes. Ask any student currently there and they will all say the same thing as myself. My pack and I have found our permanent homes with Agility Junkies, and without any hesitation, I HIGHLY recommend Agility Junkies, Inc. to anyone and everyone who loves their dog and wants to have an hour of fun as a team each week.

I was only 8 years old when I started agility with Agility Junkies– not even tall enough to reach over the top of the weave poles with the leash when teaching them (consequently, I blame that for my pup’s slow weaves!) I did agility with them for 8 wonderful years, mostly in the summer, and it was always the highlight of my week. I drove all the way from Wheeling every week for the classes, and my schnoodle Cassie and I had a blast growing up and getting better and faster with this fantastic team. The teachers at Agility Junkies were wonderful and supportive of such a young student, and I fell in love with this sport and this group. I made it to the most advanced levels of classes and feel that I learned something new in each class and from every instructor.
I moved to California for college to become an exotic animal trainer and after graduation scored a job at the Universal Studios Animal Show (which had a psuedo-​agility segment in the show that I helped train several dogs to do!) I have a feeling I will never find a group that I will love as much as Agility Junkies, and I wish they would open a facility in CA!
I highly recommend this wonderful, supportive team of teachers and dogs. They are great for kids as well as adults, and I can’t say enough wonderful things about them!

I tried getting my dog into classes here… After trying twice to get ahold of someone there, I gave up. I got their message both times, even though I called during their business hours. I left my e-​mail and phone number, so they had ample chance to contact me. I never heard back. Obviously, they are just far too busy to be bothered with getting new dogs enrolled, so my dog, money, and myself will go elsewhere.