Meet Agility Team

Running Agility Club is a fantastic team effort! We have training sessions on Saturday and Sunday afternoons, and we even have practice sessions in the evenings mid-week. It's truly amazing how everyone at Dogs Country Club wholeheartedly supports Agility Club. From the administrative side to answering messages, processing enrollment, delivering club enrichment, and handling evening Club operations, we are forever grateful. A big thank you goes out to our beloved Pet Obedience Team for their unwavering support. And of course, a massive shoutout to our incredible volunteers and dog training assistants for all their invaluable help!

Who is delivering the agility training?

We are thrilled to introduce the incredible team behind our Agility Club. They are dedicated, passionate, and ready to take on any challenge that comes their way. Agility Club training is led by two amazing key members who specialise in Dog Sports Skills.

Natalia and her two papillons actively compete in agility. With her younger dog, they successfully qualified and competed at prestigious events like Crufts 2023 in the young kennel club ring, achieving a commendable 5th place in graduate agility. They also excelled in the UKA Grand Finals in 2022 and 2023, securing an impressive 2nd place in the CCA Masters series. Natalie is a qualified Agility judge for Agility 4 All (previously known as UKA), actively involved in judging and attending shows regularly. She has enriched her skills through workshops and training with top Agility handlers in the UK, honing her own abilities and gaining diverse techniques.

Agility has helped build her dog's confidence and address reactivity issues. Watching her beloved companion engage in what she loves most motivates Natalia to continually improve as a handler. Ensuring that both of them thoroughly enjoy training and competing is at the core of this sport.

Natalia has attained Level 3 in Principles of Dog Training and Behavior, earning qualification as an IMDT trainer. Additionally, she has actively pursued various courses including canine first aid, groundwork fitness and conditioning, and building confidence in dogs. Natalia's primary area of expertise lies in agility training, and she greatly values the opportunity to teach Agility at Dogs Country Club.

Ebony has been actively participating in dog sports for the past 15 years. She initially began with casual agility training alongside her Labrador at the age of 10, which sparked her passion for dog sports. Subsequently, she ventured into handling and showing with her Dobermann. However, she discovered that the competitive show environment made her nervous, prompting her to pursue a career in judging rather than showing. Nevertheless, she found her confidence in dog sports and became well-versed in various disciplines. Ebony and her dogs have successfully competed in agility, flyball, heel-to-music freestyle, and her personal favourite, Disc Dog. They even had the honour of representing Great Britain in Disc dog competitions. Currently, Ebony competes with her daughter in dock diving and obedience. Additionally, she trains her German Pinscher in obedience, agility, and scent work, and collaborates on advertising projects with renowned brands like Aldi. Her dogs have consistently qualified for Crufts in breed competitions, and her Pinscher became the first of its kind to qualify for obedience classes at Crufts.

Through sports training, Ebony has effectively helped her dogs overcome nervousness, reactivity, and recall issues. She takes immense joy in sharing her knowledge with other dog owners, enriching their dogs' lives, and fostering a strong bond between owner and dog. Ebony holds a Level 3 qualification in Principles of Dog Training and Behavior, making her an IMDT trainer. Additionally, she possesses a Bioveterinary Degree with a specialization in behaviour and actively engages in continuous professional development by attending lectures and webinars on canine behaviour. Her primary expertise lies in sports training, and she is delighted to join the esteemed team at Dogs Country Club.