Walking/Obstacle Classes

My 5 1/2year old French bulldog Violet has always been reactive around other dogs, to the point where she would become aggressive if she had the chance to make contact with another dog.

A friend of mine convinced me to try Sonia's walking/obstacle class to see if Violet could have an activity we could enjoy together, even though I was terrified she would disrupt everything and we would have to leave in shame! After some loud noises and lunging at the other dogs, Sonia had Violet calm enough for her me to take her through the obstacle course and have her sit on her mat in the middle of the other dogs without reacting too much. She even managed to interact nicely with Sonia's dogs in the short play session afterwards. The second class saw Violet come in calmly and she began to really enjoy the obstacles and focusing on me.

I have started to take my 11 year old border collie, Ruben, to the obstacle classes and I can see the trust and focus developing in him as we work through the course. I can't recommend Sonia's obstacle class enough for a fun, focus-building activity to enjoy with your dog and maybe learn a few things along the way!

We have known Sonia for a couple of years. She helped us with our very lively, slightly neurotic kelpie cross called Suvi. Suvi is a very busy energetic dog who needs lots of stimulation. When I saw Sonia was doing agility classes I knew Suvi would love them. Unlike the agility classes you see at country shows, these are done fairly slowly and in a very controlled environment. Dogs remain on leads and go slowly over various obstacles. The dogs are made to think about what they are expected to do. This exercise has a very calming affect on Suvi and by the end of a session she is relaxed and exhausted by all the brain power she has used.

I would recommend this session to anyone, but especially to people who have "working" dogs as pets. It really makes them think.