Great Agility Instruction is an Art!

This week, all the Dog Agility Bloggers are tackling the question:  What makes a good coach/instructor?    As a fairly newbie to agility, this question caused me to reflect upon our past two years of trialing, taking numerous classes and attending a multitude of seminars.  All of these instructors have impacted Team J-Dawg’s agility performance.  But, to me, there are a few traits which make a good instructor.

First, I believe that an effective agility instructor has to possess passion for the sport.  This really impacts me because if the instructor is passionate about agility, he/she keeps up with the latest handling trends in agility. For example, the instructor will share International-style courses or a Master’s Level Gamble from a recent trial.  He/she also loves to learn about the various handling techniques; different obstacle performances (2o2o vs. running contacts); teeter learning aides; and the multiple ways to teach weave poles just to name a few.  

In addition, I feel that an agility instructor should be a great problem-solver.  Many times, we agility students go to our instructors for advice about a particular hurdle we are having with our doggies.  Whether our dog experiences motivational issues or obstacle performance issues, it is imperative that an effective instructor has “been there…done that” in order to help us overcome our particular barrier to earning the “clean run.”  Sometimes, an effective instructor may not have the answer, but he/she recommends the resources to us to help us help ourselves.  Great instructors understand that effective teaching is not a science but a form of art.

Also, I consider an agility instructor “good” if he/she has the ability to relate to the people and their dogs.  In reality, the instructor is training the handler more than the dog….the dog is the easier part of the equation!  As such, it is imperative that the instructor have exceptional interpersonal and communication skills.  He/she should be able to clearly communicate the expectations to the handler as well as the dog.  One of my professors in college used to tell his students this three-prong axiom that sticks with me to this very day:  1. Tell them what you’re gonna tell them; 2. Tell them; and 3. Tell them what you told them.

"But, Mom...I don't wanna take that tunnel!"

Finally, an effective agility instructor is an active competitor and is able to see you and your doggie compete in trials.  Many times, doggies perform clean runs during class but choke during a trial.  It does make a difference in the quality and relevancy of the advice you get from your instructor if he/she has had the opportunity to watch your runs during a trial.  Being a good agility team during an instructor’s class sometimes does not always translate to a good performance in a trial or a more stressful situation.

Overall, being a good instructor is contingent upon the instructor having passion for the sport; being a good problem-solver; possessing excellent interpersonal and communication skills; and competing actively in the sport.   If an instructor has these “magic” ingredients, he/she makes a great impact in the sport of agility by assisting many teams learn to have fun working together and earn clean runs!

"The art of teaching is the art of assisting discovery."
~Mark Van Doren