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The Cost Of Agility Training For My Chihuahua?

Do you want to start the sport of dog agility, but you aren’t sure how much it will cost you and your dog to get started?

A quick answer is that you can get started with dog agility for as little as $69 and an online course.

This sport can quickly become expensive depending on how much gear you want to purchase. Some obstacles, like the Dogwalk or the A-frame, are not cheap.

We can give you a full breakdown of the costs.

What does dog agility training cost?

dog Doing agility

source: istockphoto.com

How much you spend on training your dog to do agility depends on:

  • Whether you take classes in person or online depends on where you live
  • Whether you want private or group lessons,
  • How experienced your instructor is,
  • And how well-equipped the agility course is.

An online class is the least expensive way to start learning agility.

If you decide to take lessons in person, one lesson could cost anywhere from $10 to $70.

Private Lessons

chihuahua in a training of agility

source: istockphoto.com

Most one-on-one lessons in agility last for 30 minutes. Agility is a very physical sport. Your dog will run, jump, turn sharply, and go up and down the Dogwalk and A-frame. He will probably feel very tired after even a half-hour lesson.

If you train with a new trainer who doesn’t have as much experience, you might only pay $20 per lesson. If you want to train with a trainer who has won competitions, maybe even on a national level, you could pay up to $70 for a half-hour lesson.

Classes In Group

group of dogs in a training of agility

source: istockphoto.com

Lessons for one person are more expensive than lessons for a group. Make sure that your group class has no more than 5 or 6 dog and handler teams. If it has more than that, you won’t get many turns on the agility field.

Group classes can cost anywhere from $10 to $50 per hour. The exact cost will depend on how experienced the teacher is, how big the group is, and where you train.

Some clubs have drop-in classes, which are usually cheaper than classes that last 4 or 6 weeks.

Cost of Agility Classes by Location

The price of agility training will depend on where you live in the US. In fact, living in the countryside is much cheaper. This is because, Firstly, the cost of living is less, secondly, there is a significant amount of space for agility rings outside.

When are located in a city, you will actually train your chihuahua at an agility hall. The cost of the class will take into account the costs of having such a place.

Price of Agility Classes by Instructor

The cost of your agility class will go up the more experience your teacher has. Some instructors have never competed in an agility event, and their own dogs aren’t very well trained. Lessons with these trainers will cost less than lessons with top-level competitors.

Some of the best trainers, like national or international champions, may charge up to $150 per class.

Tools And Equipment You Will Need for The Course

agility equipment

source: istockphoto.com

There may not be all kinds of equipment in all beginner agility classes. They might only have one or two tunnels and a few jumps. Most of the time, these classes cost between $10 and $20 per hour.

On the other hand, you might have to pay more to visit an agility field with all obstacles, weave poles, 15-20 jumps, and several tunnels. A place with a full-sized ring on grass and high-quality equipment could charge $40 or more per lesson.

The Price of Agility Classes vs Seminars

chihuahua in a training of agility

source: istockphoto.com

Many people who like to compete in agility like to take classes once a week and go to agility seminars throughout the year. Some seminars are taught by very successful agility competitors who travel across the country or the world.

Most seminars have a specific goal, like:

  • Some ways of handling, like blind crosses
  • Obstacle skills like tricky weave pole entries or running contacts
  • A certain type of course layout, like European courses or handling distance
  • Training dogs of a certain age or level of skill, like young dogs, just starting out in agility

Most seminars are sold in half-day blocks. There are 3–4-hour sessions in the morning and afternoon.

During a half-day session like this, there are usually 8–10 working spots (dogs who run the courses with their handlers) and often no limit on the number of auditing spots (those are spectators that come without dogs).

A working spot usually costs around $200, and an auditing spot is usually around $50.

The Price Of Agility Obstacles?

source: caninejournal.com

If you’d like to set up a training area in your garden, you have a lot of options, depending on how much you want to spend.

DIY jumps can be made for as little as $20 per jump. On the other hand, you can buy high-quality agility jumps that can cost up to $150 for a single hurdle.

Tunnels are very costly pieces of machinery. Practice tunnels cost between $20 and $50, but competition tunnels can cost as much as $300 to $XMRfeet. This can quickly become costly.

Aluminum is used to make contact obstacles, and rubber granules are there to cover them. A pause table costs $200, while an A-frame with wheels costs more than $1,300.

Last Word

Agility training can quickly become a sport that costs a lot of money. Online classes are the least expensive way to start out.

If you wish to understand more about the sport, the quickest and easiest way to do so is to locate a less competitive outdoor sector with group classes. The cost of training rises as the trainer’s skill and equipment improve, as does the facility.

If you want to compete at higher levels and go to seminars, expect to pay $200 or more for a seminar slot with a nationally or internationally successful instructor.

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