Whether your agility goals are competition oriented or just learning agility skills to engage in a fun, bonding activity with your pet, McKay9 is available to provide skilled instruction. Group classes are available through McKay9 Dog Training at Port Chester Obedience Training Club in White Plains where Stephen has served as the Club’s Agility Program Training Director, and at Paws 'N Effect in Hamden CT. Private instruction is also available.
Agility is a team sport where you navigate your dog around a course consisting of a variety of jumps, tunnels, poles that your dog wiggles in and out of and contact obstacles that dogs traverse over, across or pause upon. You direct your dog from obstacle to obstacle using a communication system that dogs naturally respond to as your team learns agility skills. Agility’s most rewarding moments are experienced when dog and handler are in perfect synchronization; seemingly telepathically aware of each other’s every next move. Agility skills are learned by both the dog and the handler resulting in team bonding and eager awareness of each other. Subsequently, many relationships strengthen and thrive as a result of agility training.
Stephen has been involved with competing and teaching agility for well over a decade and has achieved over 200 titles, including 11 championships, with numerous teammates. He currently competes with Derby, a Shetland Sheepdog and Scorch, his Border Collie. Grip, another Border Collie, is his new teammate in training. Stephen has been a Nationals Finalist and he is a Certified OneMind Dogs Coach.
Jamie is training competing with her Shetland Sheepdog Tease.