Run Wild Agility Coaching Series - October is Problem Solvers Month

9:00 AM – 11:30 AM

Building Confidence Even When Mistakes Happen

with Desiree Snelleman

• Novice
• Intermediate
• Masters

Does your dog struggle when making mistakes on course? Whether they shut down and sniff or spin-up and bark, the root cause of the issue is often frustration and a lack of confidence in the task at hand. In this workshop you will learn how to maintain your dog’s confidence and trust in your teamwork even when things go wrong. Handlers will practice thinking on their feet to maintain flow and dogs will learn helpful standby behaviors to perform during pauses in training. Short sequences will test each team’s ability to maintain joy and connection even in the face of difficult challenges.

9:00 AM – 11:30 AM

Masters UKI Coursework: Technical Challenges

with Hana Spitz

• Masters
• International

This workshop focuses on helping advanced teams build confidence, clarity, and commitment through Masters-level UKI-style coursework. Teams will work through technical sequences that may include backsides, threadles, discriminations, layering, fast lines into tight turns, and challenging handling choices, with an emphasis on reading the dog’s line, giving timely information, and running with confidence under pressure.

12:00 PM – 2:30 PM

Contact Proofing & Problem Solving

with Desiree Snelleman

• Novice
• Intermediate
• Masters
• International

This workshop focuses on helping dogs build confidence, clarity, and independence with their stopped contacts or running Aframe. Teams will work on proofing their contact performance to handler motion, handling, obstacle discriminations, and more. Problem-solving will focus on common challenges like unclear criteria, lack of confidence, and an over-reliance on handler support. A special emphasis will be placed on fast, happy teeter performance!

12:00 PM – 2:30 PM

The Curse Of Bar Knocking: Problem Solving

with Jordan Biggs

This workshop focuses on identifying and troubleshooting your dog’s bar knocking problems through improved handling and timing, a greater understanding of jump mechanics, canine conditioning, confidence building, arousal modulation, and more. The exercises presented in this workshop will be tailored to each individual team, but may include short sequences, jump grids, conditioning exercises, and/or training stronger obstacle or reinforcement skills

3:00 PM – 5:30 PM

Putting It All Together

with Hana Spitz

• Novice
• Intermediate

This workshop focuses on helping teams feel more prepared, connected, and confident when running sequences or full courses. Handlers will work on creating a clear plan, trusting their choices, supporting the dog’s line, and recovering smoothly from mistakes so both dog and handler can move through the course with more clarity, flow, and confidence.

3:00 PM – 5:30 PM

Weave Problem Solving

with Jordan Biggs

• Novice
• Intermediate
• Masters
• International

This workshop focuses on helping dogs confidently find and complete the weaves with less handler support. Teams will work on building commitment to weave entries, maintaining performance while the handler moves, and creating stronger independence so dogs can stay in the weaves with clarity and confidence through different approaches, exits, and handler positions.

9:00 AM – 11:30 AM

Walk It, Plan It, Run It

with Hana Spitz

• Novice
• Intermediate
• Masters

This workshop gives teams a chance to build confidence in their course plan before stepping to the line. Participants will walk each course, talk through key choices such as dog line, handler path, connection points, and potential trouble spots, then run each course with a competition-like mindset. After each run, participants will discuss how effectively they followed their course plan and what, if any, changes they would make to their course walk or handling decisions to best fit their team.

12:00 PM – 2:30 PM

Go Means Go: Building Forward Focus

with gillian crawford

• Novice
• Intermediate
• Masters

This workshop focuses on building dogs who confidently look ahead and move forward to the next obstacle with purpose. Teams will work on creating value for driving forward, developing clear send cues, and helping dogs understand how to stay committed to the line ahead while the handler supports from behind, beside, or at a distance.away too early or staying so long that they slow the dog down.

12:00 PM – 2:30 PM

Which Obstacle? Building Clarity in Discriminations

with Jordan Biggs

• Novice
• Intermediate
• Masters

This workshop focuses on developing clarity and confidence with obstacle discriminations. Teams will use short drills to test their dog’s understanding of common “this or that” scenarios as well as break down the training of discriminations so that they are as error-free as possible. Handlers will learn how to train independent verbal cues as well as how to physically support their dog’s choice during a discrimination.

3:00 PM – 5:30 PM

Building Confidence In Coursework

with gillian crawford

• Novice
• Intermediate
• Masters

This workshop focuses on helping handlers make thoughtful, confident choices instead of reacting in the moment. Teams will work on understanding the dog’s line, choosing clear handling cues, moving with purpose, and supporting the course plan so each cue, step, and position helps the dog run with more clarity and confidence.

3:00 PM – 5:30 PM

Is It a Connection Issue or a Commitment Issue?

with Hana Spitz

• Novice
• Intermediate
• Masters

This workshop is designed to help your team understand the difference between errors in handling and a lack of clarity in your dog’s trained skills. Handlers will work on staying present, giving timely information, supporting the dog through uncertain moments, while testing the dog’s forward focus and independent obstacle skills.