Current Agility Seminars:

Distance Agility Seminars with Paula Goss – 1/10 – 1/11-2026

Problem-Solving Agility Seminars with Merritt Speagle – 1/17/2026

Future Agility Seminars:
Christine Tschech ✦ 5/3/26 & 5/10/26
Christine Tschech ✦ 7/25/26 – 7/26/26
Cynthia Hornor ✦ 8/29/26 – 8/30/2026
Sheyla Gutierrez ✦ 9/12/26 – 9/13/2026
Annette Alfonso ✦ 10/10/26 – 10/11/2026
Dudley Shumate ✦ 11/7/26 – 11/8/2026

Distance Skills Seminars with National Agility Competitor Paula Goss! Saturday, January 10 & Sunday, January 11, 2026Why is distance handling so important? It allows the handler to get ahead and stay ahead of their dog on the course so they can better handle technical challenges. The handler can take a shorter path which is especially an advantage when the dogs speed is faster than that of the handler. Distance handling also allows you and your dog to participate in agility games like FAST, Gamblers, Jackpot, etc. Paula Goss has been involved in competitive agility for 25 years competing at the highest levels in AKC, USDAA, NADAC and UKI. She began with her Labrador Retriever and currently competes with Border Collies. She has been ranked in NADAC’s Top 10 for the past 20 years, earned over 50 NATCHs and MEDALs and 22 Platinum Speed Star awards, as well as the NADAC prestigious MOD SQUAD award. Paula teaches seminars across the US and Canada, as well as being a NADAC clinician and instructor. Paula and Kellan, her border collie, are currently trialing in NADAC, AKC and UKI.  Paula works with each team’s strengths and adds step by step instructions on how to improve. She provides the handler with clear, consistent tools for teaching distance and efficient handling. SATURDAY, 1/10/26 • HELP! I CAN’T GET THERE! Fast Dog, slow handler? Come learn how to handle your dog at a distance. Distance handling isn’t just useful for classes like Gamblers or FAST, it can enable a slow handler to keep a fast dog running at top speed while still getting to where you need to be to handle critical points on a course. Contacts, jumps, and tunnels. Novice/Open Teams • 8:30am-12:00pm Advanced/Masters Teams • 1:00pm-4:30pm SUNDAY, 1/11/26 • WHICH ONE IS THE RIGHT ONE? Discriminations at a Distance. So many obstacles, so many choices. How do you cue the right obstacle without having to be right there? How do you tell your dog to take an obstacle away from you with other obstacles in between? Come and learn how to do discrimination challenges while maintaining distance. Contacts, jumps, and tunnels. Novice/Open Teams • 8:30am-12:00pm Advanced/Masters Teams • 1:00pm-4:30pm 8 working slots per seminar, limited auditing, waitlist available.Online registration and payment are required. Cost: Oriole Members – $135 per seminar, Non-members – $145 per seminar Auditing: Oriole Members – $40 per seminar, Non-members – $45 per seminar Registration opens: Members: Monday, December 15 at 8am ✦ Non-Members: Tuesday, December 16 at 8am Click links below to register: SATURDAY, JANUARY 10, 2026 HELP! I CAN’T GET THERE (Novice/Open) AUDIT ONLY – HELP! I CAN’T GET THERE! (Novice/Open) HELP! I CAN’T GET THERE! (Advanced/Master) AUDIT ONLY – HELP! I CAN’T GET THERE! (Advanced/Master) SUNDAY, JANUARY 11, 2026 WHICH ONE IS THE RIGHT ONE? (Novice/Open)AUDIT ONLY – WHICH ONE IS THE RIGHT ONE? (Novice/Open) WHICH ONE IS THE RIGHT ONE? (Advanced/Master) AUDIT ONLY – WHICH ONE IS THE RIGHT ONE? (Advanced/Master) Be sure to enter your correct jump height when registering. If any change, contact Lorinda McKisson. Payment is due in full at the time of registration. No refunds will be given unless there is a waiting list, or you find a replacement for your slot. A $10 processing fee will be deducted from your refund. Location: Oriole Dog Training Club – 9 Azar Court, Halethorpe, MD 21227 BIS Seminar Policy:Unless otherwise specified, BIS are allowed in seminars if they wear tight fitting panties. Separate crating spaces can be arranged if necessary. If, in the opinion of the presenter or the club, the presence of the bitch becomes disruptive to the seminar, she may be removed from the building or other appropriate action taken. E-mail seminar questions to Laurie McClain at lauriemcclain123@gmail.com. For registration issues, contact Seminar Registrar, Lorinda McKisson at Lmckisson@gmail.com. All Oriole guidelines are in effect. There is a $10 clean-up fee for accidents that occur on the turf. Only non-crumbly, non-staining dog treats may be used on the field. Dogs are to be relieved in designated outdoor areas. Dogs are to be crated when not working. For more policy information, go to https://orioledogclub.org/house-rules/.

PROBLEM-SOLVING AGILITY SEMINARS
with MERRITT SPEAGLE
JANUARY 17, 2026

 Merritt has been training dogs since she was 9 years old. She has trained a variety of breeds, from a Shih Tzu to a Golden Retriever, and now owns 6 Border Collies and 1 Papillon. Merritt loves figuring out each dog and trying to bring out the best in them. She loves teaching independent skills to dogs – those lightbulb moments are always the most fun to watch! She has national placements across multiple organizations with past and current dogs, so she has an understanding of both the unique skills required to succeed in the various organizations and the important foundation pieces that apply no matter what “style” of agility you run. She believes that learning never stops, and there is always something we can do to improve our game! Merritt is an agility instructor, the manager of Level Up Dog Sports, as well as a UKI judge.

SATURDAY, JANUARY 17, 2026 – 8 working slots each, limited auditors
8:30 am-12:00 pm • Problem-Solving for Green/Novice/Young Dogs
Does your dog have a problem going ahead of you to a jump or tunnel? Do you have questions about setting the right line or path for your dog? Does your dog make wide turns or come blasting out of a tunnel and go around the next obstacle?  Are you uncomfortable with front, blind or rear crosses? This workshop will give you a chance to get help with the specific issues you choose. Once you register, we’ll ask you to submit at least 2 problems you’d like to work on, so that Merritt can plan how best to help. Jumps & Tunnels only.

1:00 pm-4:30 pm • Problem-Solving for Excellent/Masters/Senior Dogs
Do pinwheels make you dizzy? Does your dog have trouble driving to a backside approach? Are threadles your nemesis? Will your dog commit to a line when you’re behind? Do you have problems with tunnel entrance discriminations or turns out of tunnels? Do you know how to decide which way to turn your dog when you have a choice of how to wrap a jump?  What specific handling challenges would you like help with? This is your chance to get expert assistance with the issues you choose. Once you register, we’ll ask you to submit at least 2 problems you’d like to work on, so that Merritt can plan how best to help. Jumps & Tunnels only.

Cost: Oriole Members – $135 per seminar, Non-members – $145 per seminar
Auditing – Oriole Members – $40 per seminar, Non-members – $45 per seminar

Online registration and payment are required.

Registration opens:
For members:  Monday, December 22 at 8am
For non-members:  Tuesday, December 23 at 8am

Click on links below to register:

Problem-Solving for Green/Novice/Young Dogs
AUDIT ONLY – Problem-Solving for Green/Novice/Young Dogs

Problem-Solving for Excellent/Masters/Senior Dogs
AUDIT ONLY – Problem-Solving for Excellent/Masters/Senior Dogs

Payment is due in full at the time of registration. No refunds will be given unless there is a waiting list, or you find a replacement for your slot. A $10 processing fee will be deducted from your refund.

Be sure to enter your correct jump height when registering. If any change before the seminar, contact Lorinda McKisson at lmckisson@gmail.com.

Location: Oriole Dog Training Club – 9 Azar Court, Halethorpe, MD 21227.

BIS Seminar Policy:

Unless otherwise specified, BIS are allowed in seminars if they wear tight fitting panties. Separate crating spaces can be arranged if necessary. If, in the opinion of the presenter or the club, the presence of the bitch becomes disruptive to the seminar, she may be removed from the building or other appropriate action taken.

For questions about the seminar, contact Laurie McClain at lauriemcclain123@gmail.com.
For registration issues, contact Seminar Registrar, Lorinda McKisson at Lmckisson@gmail.com.

All Oriole guidelines are in effect.

• There is a $10 clean-up fee for accidents that occur on the turf
• Only non-crumbly, non-staining dog treats may be used on the field
• Dogs are to be relieved in designated outdoor areas
• Dogs are to be crated when not working
• For more policy information, go to https://orioledogclub.org/house-rules/.