Please note we have been having a couple of issues with the info@agility1st email. For the time being we have disabled it. If you wish to contact us please use karen@agility1st.co.uk. Thank you

Thank you to everyone who responded to our recent email about completing their Agility 1st programmes.

It was good to hear from people who had made progress in starting and just needed a bit of encouragement, or a prompt, to complete their course.

Work is going on behind the scenes to move the web site to a new platform; as part of this we’re housekeeping on the database. During March we’ll start closing any accounts that have been dormant for more than a year ready to migrate to the new platform.

So, if you intend to complete your course, please let us know as we’d hate you to loose the course work you’ve done so far.

Thank you.

Mark & Karen.

Hi Everyone,

How was your Easter… strange being at home for all four days and not out competing with your dogs? Karen & I tried to make the most of the nice weather and tackle some of our outstanding projects. Rhyme helped me remove an old rotten fence and tangled wire – he was mousing…

I’ve tasked myself with spending at least 30 minutes a day dedicated to Agility1st – a coronavirus incentivised goal. Success so far, I’ll need to keep it up for 60 days to create a habit, some way to go yet. However, I’m enjoying the challenge of learning code, refreshing my memory of the lessons, the grading process and I’m impressed that over 80 people have passed the programmes to date.

Since my last post, four more people are now progressing through the Coaching Programme, I’m expecting to carry out the first assessment this month…the race is on to be the first person to gain a Coaching Certificate.

We’re also ready to carry out virtual practical assessments for the Trainer and Instructor programmes. Students will have the option of doing this face-to-face, once the current restrictions are lifted or via Skype/Zoom; I’m looking forward to doing the first one which should be fun.

Remember, if you need any help please contact us and if you could check we have your correct contact details that would be great too.

Stay safe

Mark & Karen

Hi Everyone,

We hope you’re all keeping well in these difficult times and staying safe. At Agility1st we’re making the most of the chance to catch-up with some behind the scenes work on the web site, the database and on the coaching programme assessment – which is long overdue.

While we’re all going through challenging times, its an opportunity to catch-up with those tasks and projects which we just don’t seem to get time for normally. So if you’re finding you have some spare time it would be great to finish off those modules you started or build up your knowledge and start a new programme.

Of course, if you need any help or support don’t hesitate to contact us and we’ll be only to pleased to assist you.

Stay safe

Mark & Karen

Hi, Karen and I have been busy behind the scenes working on improvements to the web site and on the coaching assessment – more about that at a later date.

We’ve also been thinking about how we can help people get through this difficult time due to the coronavirus outbreak. We’ve decided to host a live video broadcast on Friday 20th March at 7pm on our Inner Agility Facebook Group.

The broadcast is going to based around our coaching skills, mental resilience and my experience of working from home; which I’ve been doing for the last five years.

The Inner Agility group is a closed group available to people who have attended one of our seminars.  However, given the current situation and our wish to help people, we’re opening up this group to Agility1st members too.

Simply go to the Inner Agility group and request access and we’ll approve it.

We’ve removed the link to the course designer App as it required a significant update which we’re not in a position to do currently. Some people reported difficulties with the course designer built into this website. The link from the home page should be working again now giving you access to this designer.

You may have received an email from us yesterday saying your Agility1st order is complete. We’ve been doing some housekeeping on the web site. This email is purely to say we’ve processed your order i.e. acknowledged your payment.

Any modules you’re currently working on are not effected and if you haven’t started any yet, this may be a helpful prompt for you.

Josie Spurling and the team from Sussex County Dog Training have recently won business of the year award. Here’s Josie’s story.

I first became passionate about dog training and agility from a young age. It became clear to me when I joined Sussex County Dog Training that attitude was paramount to any performance or teaching and that skills and knowledge could be acquired during personal development. I loved working with Agility 1st. The core of their business and development scheme had the same ethos for attitude as Sussex County did and enhanced my knowledge and teaching skill as I progressed through their Instructor and then Coach level.

At Sussex County Dog Training we strive to build wonderful relationships between owners and their dogs through ever growing and developing training methods, equipment and experiences. This is why we were delighted to receive Business of the Year Award from Portsmouths Action Coach the business development company.

This inspires me as an Agility Instructor and Coach. I will not only continue to strive to be at the top of my training game, but to expand my knowledge ever further through relationships with other trainers, businesses, young handlers and judges. I am very grateful for the team work and positive ethos and ethics provided at Sussex County Dog Training and am hopeful that this award is not the last and another leap forward in the ever growing world of dog training.

Congratulations Josie and the team.

It was five years ago that Steve Croxford and I launched Agility1st at Crufts. Since then over 100 agility instructors have completed our online training.

Karen and I will be there everyday this year, a part from Saturday and would like the opportunity to meet and chat to Agility1st instructors.  We have some exciting plans for the web site and future programmes which we’d like to share with you.

We don’t have a trade stand, but if you’re there and fancy a chat text us on 0783 814627 and we’ll come and find you.

Mark and Karen have been busy in the background over the last few months reviewing the Agility1st business.

The web site is in the process of moving to a new server and we’re gradually updating it and making background changes…hopefully you’ve noticed a few tweaks already.

We’ve also had a flurry of activity from new instructors and people requiring their practical assessments. So there is plenty going on.