I believe training to run a complete course is just as important as training basics or individual sequences. Running a full course is a skill in itself, and like any skill, it requires dedicated practice. It’s not just about technique—it’s equally about the mental game.
Maintaining full concentration throughout an entire course is challenging for both handler and dog. The mental aspect cannot be overlooked. I like to say “fake it till you make it.” We must believe our team can tackle the whole course—ideally clean, but most importantly, fully concentrated and completely connected.
I understand that building full courses takes time, especially when training in your own garden where you’re the only one carrying all those tunnel bags! This often becomes a convenient excuse to stick with shorter sequences instead. That’s why you’ll find three competition courses (blue, purple and black numbers) designed within one setup in this training course—maximum training value with practical efficiency.
My very first agility trainer used to say, “Train hard, fight easy,” and those words still ring in my ears. The idea is that if you challenge yourself thoroughly in practice, the actual competition will feel manageable by comparison.
So don’t wait any longer—go set up that course! Challenge yourself and your dog and enjoy the rewarding feeling after the session. Regardless of whether your runs are clean or not, you can always learn something—it’s all about your point of view. The most important thing is that you show up.
PS1: You can find both metric and imperial versions of the course maps.
PS2: I always like to ask myself how it would look if it were fun. So my tip is to manage training sessions with friends—build the course together, then act like you’re at a real competition! Do a proper course walk (about 7 minutes), 10 minutes to prepare first dog, and everyone gets just one try per course. Videotape each other, cheer for each other, make noise, measure time and faults so you can even have a winner at the end of the day. This adds motivation and puts that familiar competition pressure on your shoulders—exactly what we experience at real trials. Everyone can bring a small gift, and the winner takes it all!
And don’t forget to let me know how it went!
Have fun, keep flying high!
Vendula
AGILITY ON THE ROAD 
Leave a comment