Is it hard to find a handler

[Jollymolly]

Im thinking about getting Molly involved in agility to blow off some of her energy. Only issue is im not mobile. How hard is it to find a handler?

[Tanya]

I've never heard of an "agility handler". but i'm not THAT into the ins and outs of agility.

In your shoes i'd ask a trainer about options, if you can bring her to a class maybe the trainer would be able to work with her or work with you on some options for you to work with her when possible. You'd be paying for the class and bring her out but the trainer would "work her".

OR maybe if you know a teenager that would like to learn to train a dog (or maybe ask the trainer if they know someone).

Note that when you get into agility it's not a lot of running around per say you spend tons of time learning basics. I mention this as you say "blow off some steam" - it's not an intense run run run sorta activity It's more mental exercise and some physical (then becomes MORE and MORE physical as the dog learns commands/obstacles and can link them together).

[Annette47]

Definitely find a good trainer to work with, but I have known of people in wheelchairs who still ran their own dogs in both Agility and Obedience ... the AKC is like anywhere else - reasonable accommodations can/must be made for handlers who can’t physically do certain things.

If you really aren’t interested in doing it yourself, then I like the idea of finding a teen who would want to do it, but whoever you choose would need to take her to do lots of training - it’s not something you can just go and do with a dog who has never been taught how.

[Jeff]

One of the elderly ladies, in her 70's, missing a leg and has 3 of her vertebrae in her spine fused. She runs her dog every week. She also goes to shows, and competes. She really doesn't need to move much. Also on the flip side our trainer will run other peoples dogs when the owners are injured. It is a temporary thing but she just loves running them. They never do quite as well as they would with the owner because you really build a bond with them and they know your body language. There is another lady that comes to our CPE trials. She is in rough shape, I have never ever seen her win, but she is there every time and just having a great time spending time with her dog.

So I would encourage you to just find a good trainer then train molly yourself. The nice thing is she will learn how to respond to you even from a distance. Your also going to spend a few months just learning the obstacles and how to do them properly. This will do nothing but strengthen Molly's confidence and your bond together. Hemi and I are perfectly capable, however I still have the attitude every time we do something, Win or loose or totally fail, we spent time together doing something.