Agility Classes vs At Home Only Training

[wildo]

I'm really curious how many of you train exclusively at home (as in, you don't go to agility classes at all), and perhaps more interesting is if you choose to discontinue classes in favor of at home training.

What are the pros/cons of your decision to train exclusively at home?

[fuzzybunny]

Since I'm new to Agility I really need the instruction. I wouldn't do it properly if I did it own my own at home.

I also live in an apartment so I don't have the space for equipment. If I did, I would still do classes and practice at home because the trainers at my Agility center have way more knowledge than I do.

[wildo]

My assumption is that if you trained on your own at home, you would likely be putting the "class fee" money into training DVDs and books though I definitely agree that having an experienced person there to watch you is very helpful indeed.

[I_LOVE_MY_MIKKO]

I really like going to a trainer. My class isn't so much a "class" though. It's just me and one other handler/dog. Our training is very customized and since my trainer goes to almost all of the trials I do, she sees what we need to work on. She can't always see my runs since we usually run right after one another but she's running the same courses.
I have some equipment at home, but I don't think I could actually SEE what I'm doing right/wrong for it to be my sole source of practice. I guess if you were videotaping it you could watch it and fix accordingly, but there's just something about someone else critiquing you that helps.
There's also the benefit of going different places to train- there's other dogs there, people, other distractions.

[AgileGSD]

Not sure what to pick. I discontinued agility classes in favor of home training and run thru/practice runs at the training club for a long time. Whimsy has been pretty much entirely trained at home, we're not perfect but she's very pretty reliable and is so focused on running when we get on the course, it really doesn't matter what else is going on. So I don't think we missed out from not training with distractions. I talk about about it here: The PyrShep Puppy Experience

I took Savvy to class because they were highly recommended to me and I thought it'd be interesting to try some different things training wise. Savvy's breed really needs a lot of ongoing exposure and socialization, so I wanted to take him to classes for that reason as well. The class has made early training with Savvy very easy, even when I can't work him outside at home. If this class wasn't available though, I'd probably have just trained him at home as well.

The reason I have started Whimsy in advanced agility classes is because I want to get better at handling and am too complacent training on my own. I need to go to a class where I have to struggle a bit for my own good I suspect that won't be an issue for you though, since I think you are more driven and detail oriented than I am. As such, I think you are probably more likely to push yourself to struggle through difficult handling maneuvers and perfect them. That's just never been a strong point for me

[PaddyD]

Ooops, I voted train at home but should not have voted, sorry.
Subtract one.
My agility training consists of jumping over picnic tables, stone walls and fallen tree trunks.

[kleinenHain]

Depending on the time of year. In the summer I take classes, mostly now just to get my pups use to people sounds and dogs. Most times and when not at class I train at home.