One of the most fantastic new resources for dog agility enthusiasts is a series of video/dvds published by Agility in Motion.  I purchased one of their videos a few months back, and was so impressed with the content that I went back and purchased the entire series.  

The content on each video is of two types: Good solid training articles, and snippets from competition (of the sort that Eric Larson provides as an absolutely free service on AgilityVision.com!)

The editing is not of a terribly high quality as one might expect with Animal Planet or comparable big production company; but it is professional and more than adequate to the task.  

Content providers are mostly from the West Coast. That probably makes sense as Agility In Motion is based out of Milpitas, CA. Some of the featured speakers are very polished presenters. And it strikes me that it is small wonder that they have achieved some stature as seminarists and teachers in the world. Some of the presenters however, sound nervous and stiff and self-conscious. While I get a bit of a kick out of watching them squirm in front of the camera, it’s not lost to me that they have solid information to share and have a firm grasp of their subject matter.  

In some ways the product provided by Agility In Motion is superior to the annual foray into agility given to us by Animal Planet (in the form of the AKC nationals). I make this observation watching the coverage of the World Team events. Agility In Motion actually treats agility like a sports event and gives complete coverage of the dogs. Analysis of technical challenges is unobtrusive and yet right on target. At no time is the audience subject to the ridiculous commentary of “talking heads” which gives no value to the event.  

I especially like watching the European competitors. They don’t seem to have the American disdain for multiple handling options. For example, they seem not to be embarrassed to do a Blind Cross on course to get an advantage in real estate. Ah, when will we learn? 

I should say a thing about training systems given either by articles in some slick agility magazine or in an agility training video. I always approach these articles with analytical skepticism. Any system should be tested before being accepted as gospel.

Now we presume that the presenter has thoroughly tested a training method.  The error that a presenter or author might make with methodology is often this: to present the method as the one true way.

Because I’ve taught classes for something like 17 years, and because I’ve done hundreds of seminars and clinics, I’ve discovered over time that there are dogs of a type. That means that the thing that is absolutely perfect and correct for one type of dog might be wrong and nearly disastrous for another type.  

None of these observations are intended to denigrate the content of the Agility In Motion videos. Indeed, so long as the agility instructor can properly assign a training method to classification of type dog, then any new training advice becomes a valuable resource for solving problems in training, once tested.  

I know that Eric Larson was grousing a bit a month or two ago about Agility In Motion, making the observation they are profiting from the sort of work he does for free. He’s probably squirming a bit seeing my review of the agility video magazine. (Remember how I like seeing people squirm!) But it strikes me that Eric is establishing himself as a serious producer of video content. I expect it’s only a matter of time before Eric is putting together professional quality video content for commercial consumption.

For now, we all appreciate this wonderful resource that he provides to us freely (slaving daily with not a penny earned. LOL). Well done Eric! You’re a mensch! 

For more information:

Agility In Motion
213 Alton Street
Milpitas, CA 95035

email: info @ agilityinmotion.com
http://www.agilityinmotion.com