Questions? Contact our Seminar Organizers
*Ann Driscoll, Committee Chair
ann.driscoll@comcast.net
*Chris Frado Wentworth, Committee Chair
FB Messenger or 603-313-9998 text

2025 Seminar Schedule

December 13, 2025 (Saturday)
Andy Winther
Indoors @ MHS Training Center

There is no weather contingency for this Seminar. In the case of a weather or other cancellation, payment will be refunded.

Registration

Now Open for Members & Non-Members. Since CATS priority registration has closed, members will need to contact Chris via text 603-313-9998 in order to pay member price for an audit. There are no restrictions for Non-Members registering at this time.

Link to Registration on Cheddar Up platform: my.cheddarup.com/c/cats-andy-winther-seminar

6 Working Spots per Session. Spots are confirmed by full payment.

• $100 CATS Member
• $150 Non-Member
• Unlimited Auditors: CATS $25/session, Non-Member $50/session

Session A. Novice & Intermediate Teams
Session B. Masters & Advanced Teams

8:00 – 8:30 Check-in & set-up
8:30 -12:00 Session A
Noon – 12:30 Check-in & set-up
12:30 – 4:00 Session B

Each sessions will cover these specific skills:

• Weave Pole Entries & Exits
• Connection Cue/Discrimination
• Serpentines (turning both before and after the same jump)
• Forward Focus
• Contact Criteria
• In-In versus Push

Andy Winther – Instructor & Competitor

Andy Winther acquired his unique animal training and handling skills in his home country of Denmark.  Andy worked as a trainer at the world-renowned Blue Horse Dressage in Randbol, Denmark. In 2000,  Andy was recruited by dressage trainers in the US to train horses in New Hampshire, Massachusetts, and West Palm Beach, Florida. Andy has since discovered that his unique skills as an international dressage trainer are highly transferable to agility and trick training for dogs. He operates The Andy Winther Agility Training business in Massachusetts.

Andy’s new-found enthusiasm is in understanding K9 motivation, teaching dogs to think (a/k/a tricks), competing in agility sports and continuous improvement. Andy’s background as a dressage rider has provided an invaluable foundation for understanding the do’s and don’ts of dog training. 

For both horses and dogs, Andy emphasizes that any animal behavior that looks fancy to us starts with really simple and fun beginnings for them.

The Andy Winther Dog Training takes a positive reinforcement approach to encourage owners and handlers of all abilities to build skills and thinking bonds with their dog.  Andy Winther has become a much sought-after trainer for individuals as well as for seminars in the New England area. Andy has also worked with the film and advertising industry in a supporting role by supplying versatile dog talent.
YouTube videos www.youtube.com/user/andywinther/videos

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Coming in 2026

March 7, 2026 (Saturday)
Chris McQuillen
Indoors @MHS

Session A. Agility Foundation Skills for Novice & Intermediate Teams
Session B. Finding the Line – See it, Set it, Run it. For Intermediate & Masters Teams

6 Working Spots per Session
CATS Members $100/working spot
Non-Member $150/working spot
Auditors: CATS $25/session, Non-member $50/session

Outdoor seminars are being planned for the CATS ring. Stay tuned. We invite your ideas for topics and presenters. Contact Chris W. or Ann D. with your suggestions.

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Joyce Gauthier
Sessions A & B — Saturday June 14
If there’s inclement weather, the rain date for these sessions is Sunday June 15.

Session C — Sunday June 15
If Saturday’s sessions are moved to Sunday because of rain, Session C will be cancelled and money refunded.

Outdoors at MHS in Swanzey, NH
Registration Form upload link to CheddarUp for Saturday Sessions A & B
Registration Form upload link to CheddarUp for Sunday Session C (same content as Session A)
CATS members may register April 5.
Open to public May 1st.

Six Working Spots per session
Working Spot CATS Member $60/session
Working Spot Non-Member $80/session

Unlimited Auditors
$15 per session CATS Member
$25 per session Non-Members

Each session appropriate for dogs of any level.
Rain Date: Sunday 6/15 if needed.

Saturday

A. Impulse Control & Engagement Games SOLD OUT!(Spots available for same content on Sunday Session C)
8:00-Noon
This workshop will help dogs of any age learn engagement, focus and impulse control.  Exercises are designed to: build engagement with your dog and teach your dog how to calm themselves, make good choices while excited and refocus during stimulating environments and activities. The exercises and training games are beneficial for any sport and general daily life with your dog. Specifically these exercises will help you teach your dog to stay on the start line; hit their contacts; stay focused and work with you on course; calmly watch other dogs working; and build impulse control and attention while your dogs are off leash hiking and playing. By far these skills are Joyce’s favorites to teach and demo with her dogs Halli & Kismet.

B. Contact Proofing: Running & Stopped  SOLD OUT!
1:00-5:00
Our focus will be proofing your dog’s contact end behavior, whether it’s a stopped (2on2off, 4 on, or 4 off) or a running, and the importance of teaching a strong release cue before your dog leaves the contact (for stopped contacts). We’ll be using planks and Cato boards to teach games which isolate the end behavior to see if there are any holes in your dog’s understanding of the behavior and then add speed and control. We’ll use the full contacts for games that will further proof your dog’s A-frame, dogwalk and teeter behaviors. Finally we’ll finish with a short course to put it all together. Open to dogs of any level and the exercises will be geared towards each dog’s experience level.

Sunday

C. Impulse Control & Engagement Games
8:00-Noon SUNDAY if date not being used for Rain Date
This workshop will help dogs of any age learn engagement, focus and impulse control.  Exercises are designed to: build engagement with your dog and teach your dog how to calm themselves, make good choices while excited and refocus during stimulating environments and activities. The exercises and training games are beneficial for any sport and general daily life with your dog. Specifically these exercises will help you teach your dog to stay on the start line; hit their contacts; stay focused and work with you on course; calmly watch other dogs working; and build impulse control and attention while your dogs are off leash hiking and playing. By far these skills are Joyce’s favorites to teach and demo with her dogs Halli & Kismet.

Joyce Gauthier, Instructor & Competitor

I have been training and competing in agility for over 22 years. I currently am owned by Halliah (11.5 years old) and Kismet (16 months old). Over the years, I’ve competed with five German Shepherds in NADAC, USDAA (earning numerous championships with 3 dogs), AKC and UKI. Primarily compete in USDAA, but occasionally in AKC and UKI.  Two of my dogs have placed in the USDAA national event, Cynosports as well as their New England Regionals. My girl Halliah is the first of her breed to earn Silver, Gold and Platinum Championships.

My training career started over 30 years ago working with dogs at a local shelter. Then instructing classes in basic obedience, competition obedience, advanced manners, and aggression. This included teaching private lessons, primarily working with aggressive dogs. For the past 7 years, I moved away from manners and aggression and have been focused on teaching agility classes and workshops at Pack of Paws in Charlton, MA.

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Laura Dolan
2/23/25 Sunday

Indoors at MHS Training Center. Swanzey, NH
Registration Form link
Open to public February 10. CATS members may register Jan. 31.

Six Working Spots per session
Working Spot CATS Member $100/session
Working Spot Non-Member $150/session

Unlimited Auditors
$35 per session Non-Members
$25 per session CATS Member

A. Masters: Weave Challenges & Backsides  8-Noon
This session will help teams better execute difficult weave pole entries; crosses before and after weave poles; threadles and wraps; and backsides from a distance, on a verbal, and around the clock.

B. Novice/Intermediate: Crosses & Obstacle Commitment  1-5
This session focuses on building handler confidence in executing turns/crosses and on helping your dog build independent obstacle commitment. Laura will provide step-by-step instruction for the execution of all crosses. Handlers will also better understand the key elements of timing and precision of movement which cue each turn for their dogs. Teams will have the chance to practice the steps for all the crosses. Dogs will be using jumps & tunnels.

Laura Dolan, Instructor & Competitor

• FCI Agility World Championships
• FCI World Agility Open
• European Open

*International wins:

• 2015 FCI Agility World Championships-Bronze Team Jumping
• 2024 FCI World Agility Open-Gold Medal in Games Challenge
• 2024 FCI European Open-Silver Medal in Team Finals (running 2 dogs on the Team)

Information for All CATS Seminars