Spot be Nimble, Spot be Quick: Agile Canines moves into swanky new digs

By Meredeth Barzen

Ever happened upon a canine agility competition on TV? Those dogs can really move—and it takes more than just a few treats and a dog’s natural enthusiasm to get to that high level of athleticism. That’s where someone like canine agility expert Annelise Allan and her training school, Agile Canines, come in. Since 1993, Annelise has been teaching competitive canine agility—you know, those obstacle courses where Australian shepherds burst through tunnels and tiptoe over teeter-totters—but a couple of months ago, she moved into a fancy new 10,000-square-foot space next to Downtown Dogs in Minneapolis. (And about those Australian shepherds: Sleek, working breeds like Aussies are common in the sport, but Annelise says any properly trained, physically fit dog can learn agility.)

Agile Canines’ holistic approach to training reflects the sport’s serious nature. Sure, it’s a lot of fun, but Annelise says the dogs are required to run hard and fast, and to perform tight turns and tricky maneuvers. For this reason, they’re treated like professional athletes, with a canine massage therapist, a canine chiropractor and canine reiki and energy healer visiting the space regularly. They also host animal communication and TTouch sessions.** “I believe it is important to take care of the dogs physically and mentally first before addressing training issues. Many problems in agility that at first appear to be training problems are really underlying physical problems where the dog is in some degree of pain when doing agility. Dogs like agility a lot and can be very stoic when performing so it is important to take care of them physically,” Annelise says, adding, “The canine athletes are well taken care of and it is an investment on a lot of levels to be involved competitively in this sport. Competitive agility should not a weekend warrior sport for dogs but a lifestyle.”

Annelise’s own dogs participate in that lifestyle with her. She enjoys training and competing with her two Australian shepherds, a Pyrenean shepherd and a sheltie, and has won several national competitions with 12 of her own dogs.

The main objective is to make training a safe, fun, rewarding experience, Annelise says—and she means for the owners as well. “Teaching agility classes is about working with the people. I enjoy seeing them develop a better relationship with their dog and having fun with their dog. We strive to make the training a very positive experience for everyone.”

If you’re thinking of giving canine agility a whirl, Annelise recommends the Saturday afternoon “Agility Run for Fun,” which isn’t competition-oriented, but can give you an idea if you’d like to pursue the sport further. If you’ve got a pup with some potential, Jane Fallander runs her training school, A Great Dog Now, out of the same space, and offers classes to prepare puppies for entry into Agile Canines’ program, as well as regular training for less-than-agile dogs.

**Agile Canines works with Michelle Bame, certified canine sports massage therapist; Dr. Annie Seefeldt, human and animal chiropractor; Sage Lewis, level 3 certified Tellington TTouch practitioner; and Mary Stoffel, animal communicator and shamanic practitioner.

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Tags: A Great Dog Now, Agile Canines, agility, agility training, Annelise Allan, Annie Seefeldt, canine chiropractor, canine massage, competitive canine agility, Downtown Dogs, Dr. Annie Seefeldt, Jane Fallander, Mary Stoffel, Meredeth Barzen, Michelle Bame, Reiki healing, Sage Lewis, Sidewalk Dog, Tellington TTouch
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