Classes ° Private Lessons ° Trainings

To help our turf become healthy and happy, the number of trainings being offered this year has been cut back. 3 of our 4 trials are off-site, either at American K9 Country or Data Driven Agility. Thank you for your patience as our grass grows.

CATS offers affordable classes taught by member instructors for members. The schedule of classes, as well as sign up, is on our Ring Calendar. Classes are held during the outdoor season (generally May-October) and during the indoor season (approximately November-April). Our instructors are: Lynn Smitley, Cindy Stewart, and occasionally other Club members.

The Monadnock Humane Society also offers weekly agility classes taught by: Rachel Brostrom and Cindy Stewart. Some classes are held outside in the CATS agility ring and others are held inside the MHS Training Center. MHS classes are open to the general public and can be found on their website: MonadnockHumaneSociety.org. Specifically Cindy’s competition agility classes thru MHS are here: https://monadnockhumanesociety.org/dog-training/novice-competition-agility/. Otherwise go to the MHS site > Rally and Competitive Obedience > Starters/Novice Competitive Agility.

Members may use the outdoor agility ring anytime there are no scheduled trainings, MHS or CATS classes or events, Club trials, or ring maintenance. See the Outdoor Calendar for ring availability.

Members may use the indoor arena during the weekly hours that have been set aside for use by CATS members. See the Indoor Calendar for date and time availability.

Members may invite non-member guests & their dogs. Please see the details for our CATS Guest Use Policy and download the Guest Waiver under the Forms & Documents tab on our website. Or download the waiver form here: Guest Use Policy and Waiver. There is a $20/guest fee/visit. Each guest must sign a waiver (only once/year). Waivers may be downloaded under the Calendar tab on the CATS website. Typically a guest will already have had an introduction to agility. If not, use extreme care to introduce obstacles in a safe and positive way. If you are unsure, ask a more experienced member.

CATS Instructors

Lynn Smitley — agility foundations & distance instructor for CATS

Lynn Smitley began playing agility in 1998 with USDAA. She shifted to NADAC, fell in love with distance and never looked back. Lynn, and her first agility dog, Yola, earned 10 NATCH titles, including 115 successful distance runs. For three years in a row, Lynn, and her second dog, Mia, were ranked in the NADAC Top Ten of all Bonus* Qualifiers (U.S. and Australia). Lynn has been a CATS member for 25 years and is a founding member of NAE (Northeast Agility Enthusiasts). For years Lynn’s generously shared her distance-handling know-how with CATS members. Prior to COVID, she independently hosted weekend distance handling camps with attendees from throughout the northeast. Lynn emphasizes these fundamentals of distance handling – a trusting relationship and using what comes naturally to dogs. *Bonus: At the Elite level a handler stands in a bonus box and directs the dog through the entire course from an extreme distance. These Bonus Runs comprise a specialty division for handlers skilled in distance handling.

VIDEO: Watch Lynn and her dog Mia put their distance handling skills to the test at the highest level during the Superstakes class at the 2010 NADAC Championships.

Cindy Stewart — agility instructor for CATS & MHS

I’ve been competing in agility for about 20 yrs.  I compete in Canine Performance Events (CPE), United States Dog Agility Association (USDAA) and North America Dog Agility Counsil (NADAC).  I been to CPE Nationals 5 times with different dogs and USDAA Nationals 1 time.  My dogs have been competitive in all those events.  Last year Sami (1 ½ yrs old) went to CPE Nationals and had 4 first places and 2 second places in her jump height.  We have qualified again this year, and we are going to CPE Nationals in North Hampton, MA at the end of May 2025.

I have been teaching novice and advance agility classes for CATS for several years and love watching students and their dogs improve over time.  It is so rewarding to see the teams meld during the season.

I also teach for the Monadnock Humane Society (MHS) both Novice Competition Agility drills, skills and short courses as well as Advance Competition Agility.  Those classes are on Tuesday nights year-round.  Information can be found on their website.

I love the game of agility, the challenge of working with my dog and the connection we make while running the sport we both love.

VIDEO: Cindy & Sami running CPE Colors

VIDEO: Cindy & Sami running NADAC Gamblers

Private Lessons

Private lessons with CATS instructors are by appointment and arranged directly with the instructor. 
* Lynn Smitley lsmitley@comcast.net
* Cindy Stewart cindy_stewart@myfairpoint.net

Classes

  • Cindy Stewart
    MHS Novice Competition Agility: drills, skills & short courses
    Competition Agility is the class for those teams continuing from Intermediate Agility, or those with permission to move up and into this class. Courses, new handling skills and sequences designed to improving your handling and agility skills for starting competition. We also continue obstacle work with the teeter-totter and weave pole training in this class as needed.
    Tuesdays 4:00 – 5:30 ongoing year-round indoors
    6-weeks Class Fee $140, drop-in (if allowed) $25, CATS members are discounted to $87.50
    7 Working Spots REGISTER ONLINE w MHS https://monadnockhumanesociety.org/dog-training/novice-competition-agility/
    For assistance with MHS class registrations: training@humanecommunity.org 603-352-9011 X206
    This class is traditionally filled and registrations online indicate FULL. Contact Cindy directly to confirm availability. cindy_stewart@myfairpoint.net
  • Cindy Stewart
    MHS Advanced Competition Agility
    Advanced Competition Agility is the class for those teams already progressing in their competition skills through trialing or those with permission to move up and into this class. Courses, new handling skills and sequences designed to improving your handling and agility skills for competition. We also build on weave pole skills introducing difficult entries.
    Tuesdays 5:45 – 7:15 Ongoing, year-round, indoors.
    6-weeks Class Fee $140, drop-in (if allowed) $25, CATS members are discounted to $87.50
    7 Working Spots REGISTER ONLINE w MHS https://monadnockhumanesociety.org/dog-training/novice-competition-agility/ For assistance with MHS class registrations: training@humanecommunity.org 603-352-9011 X206
    This class is traditionally filled and registrations online indicate FULL. Contact Cindy directly to confirm availability. cindy_stewart@myfairpoint.net
  • Lynn Smitley
    Distance
    New students welcome. Contact Lynn directly lsmitley@comcast.net
    On-going class. Every other Saturday, beginning January 3.
    3:00-5:00pm
    $10/session
  • Heidi Konesko
    Jump Grids
    Every other week beginning January 8.
    8:00 – 9:00am
    $10/session

Trainings

Safety Training, Leslie Vassall, FREE
No registration. Leslie will coordinate date and time with new members. Completion of CATS Safety Training gives a member “Advanced Handler” designation allowing solo use of CATS outdoor ring with equipment.
Dates to be announced. Unlimited Spots.

FAQ’s

1. Where Do I Find the Outdoor Ring Calendar to Register for a Training or Class?
Register for trainings and classes on the CATS Ring Calendar. Go to the CATS website: https://canineagility.org. Click on the Calendar tab. Depending on the season, click on Outdoor Ring Calendar or Indoor Ring Calendar and then click on the link to that calendar.

2. What’s the difference between a training and a class?
Trainings are one-time events in which a member shares their know-how with other members, are for CATS members only and generally are free. The person offering the training is not compensated.
Classes meet either for a pre-set number of weeks or are ongoing. They are for CATS members only. CATS members are compensated for teaching a class.

3. Which Classes Last for a Specific Number of Weeks and Which are On-Going?
Classes are set-up for a specific number of weeks (2, 4 or 6 weeks), for example, Cindy’s Intermediate to Advanced Agility classes.
On-Going Classes are Lynn’s Distance classes.

4. How Do I Register for a Training?
Find the training you want to participate in on the Outdoor or Indoor Ring Calendar.
Put your name in a slot. The number of slots equals the number of working spots for this training.
If you are unable to attend the training, please remove your name from the Calendar.
Most trainings are free. If one comes along with a training fee, after very session, please pay with a check made out to CATS and indicate the date and name of the training.
Leave your check in the CATS locker OR mail your check to CATS, c/o Monadnock Humane Society, 101 West Swanzey Road, Swanzey, NH 03446. 

5. How Do I Register and Pay for Cindy Stewart’ s Agility Classes?
Find the class you want to participate in on the Outdoor or Indoor Ring Calendar.
Put your name in a slot for every week the class meets. The number of slots equals the number of working spots available for this class. If you are unable to attend a session, please remove your name from the Ring Calendar for that week.
The fee for these classes is paid in full prior to the start of the class. There are no refunds for missed sessions.
Please do NOT pay in cash. Make checks out to CATS; indicate the name of the class on the check. Leave your check in the CATS locker in the MHS training room where it will be picked up by Gretchen Gordon, our CATS Treasurer OR mail it to: CATS, c/o Monadnock Humane Society, 101 West Swanzey Road, Swanzey, NH 03446.

6. How Do I Register and Pay for Lynn Smitley’s Distance Classes?
Find the weekly session for the class you want to participate in on the Outdoor or Indoor Ring Calendar.
Put your name in a slot for that session. The number of slots equals the number of working spots available for this class. (Yes, you may register for more than one weekly session at a time).  If you are unable to attend a session, please remove your name from the Ring Calendar for that week.
The fee is $10/session. Pay weekly. Please do NOT pay in cash. Make checks out to CATS; indicate on the check the date/name of class. Leave your check in the CATS locker where it will be picked up by Gretchen Gordon, our CATS Treasurer OR mail it to: CATS, c/o Monadnock Humane Society, 101 West Swanzey Road, Swanzey, NH 03446.

7. How much are class fees?
Classes which last for a pre-set number of weeks are not drop-in. They have a class fee ($10/session) which you are asked to pay in full upfront. There are no refunds for missed sessions.
Ongoing Classes are $10/weekly session and are often drop in. Pay after each class session.

8. What happens to the money collected from class fees?
Trainings are generally free. Income from class fees is split 50/50 between the instructor and CATS. The 50% that goes to CATS is used to help fund the things we need to keep the Club going – for example, buying new agility equipment, monthly MHS rental, repairs, grass seed and fertilizer, TP for the Porta-Potty, fencing and tarps, batteries for the microphone, erasable markers for the white board, tie-downs for the tent, etc.

9. Whom should I contact if I have questions?
If you’re wondering about things like, “Is your class right for my dog and me?” – contact the instructor.