REGISTRATIONS OPEN - Beginner Agility 19th August 2026

PADS Beginners Agility Course is a 10-week course that focuses on teaching the foundation skills of dog agility. The aim of our course is to help you build a strong relationship with your dog through a fun activity you can enjoy together.

Course Requirements

IMPORTANT – PLEASE READ THE REQUIREMENTS BEFORE SIGNING UP

Beginners Agility is designed for dogs that already have a foundation of obedience and are comfortable working around other dogs in a group environment. Before enrolling, please ensure your dog meets the following requirements:

• Membership Requirement: You must have applied for PADS membership before registering for this class. Membership does not necessarily need to be approved before registration, but your membership application must have been submitted.
• Minimum age: Your dog must be at least 12 months old.
• Basic obedience: Your dog must have completed a basic obedience course at PADS or another recognised dog training club. Your dog should have a good understanding of skills such as sit, stay and recall.
• Off-lead control: Your dog must be able to work off lead for short periods and remain with their handler.
• Reliable recall: Your dog must reliably return when called, as some exercises will be completed off lead around other dogs.
• Group environment: Your dog needs to be comfortable working around other dogs and people in a group training environment.
• Crate trained: Dogs are required to rest in a crate between exercises, so your dog must be comfortable being crated.
• Physical fitness: Your dog needs to be physically capable of participating in agility. Foundation exercises are suitable for starting agility, but if you have any concerns about your dog's health or fitness, we recommend a veterinary health check before introducing obstacles.
• Minimum handler age: 10 years.

During the first few weeks of the course, instructors will guide you through a range of exercises and assess your dog's ability to participate safely and comfortably in the class environment. If you have any concerns about your dog's suitability, please speak with the class coordinator or instructor.

Not sure if your dog is ready? We recommend attending our Saturday morning Skills & Fun class first. The minimum requirement for Skills & Fun is completion of a basic obedience course, and it provides a good opportunity to assess whether your dog is ready for the Beginners Agility environment. Or if unable to attend Saturdays, please email us using our contact below.

Training at Home

To get the most out of the course, we recommend consistent attendance and regular short, fun training sessions of approximately 5–10 minutes at home between weekly classes.

What You Need for Class

At PADS we use positive reinforcement to train our dogs. Rewards can include food, toys, praise, play and tricks.

• Your dog's favourite toy or reward items (no sqeaky balls, something more along the lines of a tug toy)
• Plenty of small, soft food rewards that your dog can easily chew and swallow, such as chopped-up chicken or dog food rolls. Like Prime 100!
• A crate for your dog. All dogs are crated between exercises.
• A flat or Halti collar.
• A 4–6 ft lead.
• Closed-in shoes for handlers.

PADS does not permit check chains or chain-type collars in classes. If you would like advice on purchasing a suitable crate, we can certainly help.

Course Details

The cost is $130 for the 10-week course, plus yearly membership to the club ($30 single or $45 family).

Beginners Agility classes are held at the PADS club grounds on Wednesday evenings from 7:00 pm to 8:30 pm. It is a requirement that you arrive at 6:30 pm to sign in, set up your dog's crate, settle them in and assist with class equipment setup. Pack-up and departure is between 8:30 pm and 8:45 pm.

Refund Policy

Class fees are non-refundable unless we receive written notice a minimum of 2 weeks prior to the class start date.

Wet Weather

In the event of wet weather, we try to make a decision as early as possible. Wet weather notices and cancellations will be posted on the 'PADS Members' Facebook group by 5:30 pm on the evening of training.

Facebook Group

A private PADS Beginners Agility Facebook group is provided for class participants. It contains detailed lesson notes for each week, useful articles and videos. If you are on Facebook, please request to join the group. Visibility for the group will be opened 24 hours before commencement of the course. If you use a different name on your Facebook profile, please include it in your application or advise your class instructor on the first evening.

Contact Information

Course communication will be through the classes@pads.org.au email address. Please feel free to use this address for any class queries.

Thanks for considering our Club for your four legged friend. We hope you will share the same passion and enjoyment of participating in fun activities with your dog as we do.

Cheers,

Cassandra

Class Coordinator

The PADS Team 🐶

As a reminder, PADS is a volunteer-run, not-for-profit club rather than a private training business. Our instructors generously donate their time, and we'll always do our best to make your experience enjoyable and rewarding. ❤️