Waikato Agility Group - WAG

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Waikato Agility Group - WAG

Waikato Agility Group - the Home of Dog Agility in Hamilton! Waikato Agility Group is one of New Zealand's leading dog agility clubs.

Offering training from beginner through to advanced, WAG has been operating out of Melville Park for the last 20+ years. Several of New Zealand's top dogs and handlers are based at WAG and pass their knowledge onto new members. We run training classes throughout the year and run 3 agility events a year that attract entries from across the North Island and beyond. Come and visit us on a Thursday night and check out how much fun you and your dog could have learning agility at WAG!

05/09/2026

🌟 Meet the Team - Committee Member (Training Subcommittee, Hoopers Subcommittee, and Training Coordinator) 🌟

I am Joanne, and am currently on the WAG committee and am one of the Training coordinators. On committee my roles are that I am on the Training subcommittee which is looking to update the current training manuals and also on the Hoopers subcommittee involved in all things Hoopers at WAG and bringing Hoopers to WAG.

I have not been on the WAG committee for a very long time but I was part of a small group of people that started up WAG back in 1993 and I then was President for six years, so you can see I have been involved with agility for a very long time!

Agility has changed so much over this time, I remember we were told to never take our eyes off the dog and so Blind Crosses were a “no, no”!

Over my years in agility I have run many breeds of dogs – German Shepherd, Rhodesian Ridgeback, Golden Retriever cross, Belgian Malinois and now have settled on the dogs you see me with now – Border Collies.

I have learned a lot by running so many different dogs, ones that were not that driven and had to be encouraged a lot to the Borders who just want to get out there and have fun – and bark at you to tell you how excited they are!

Wave is the only dog I have running in agility at the moment and she has just turned 4 years old and became a Jumpers Champion just before her birthday. I have had other Champion dogs including Sascha the Goden Retriever cross who was the first Agility Champion in the Waikato. Solar my other Border Collie had an accident two years ago injuring her spine so she had to be retired from agility but she loves Hoopers and that is mainly why I got involved in that sport.

Outside agility my life is still about dogs as I have a dog training business called Kool K9. I run training classes and do one on one training and behaviour modification.

My advice is probably similar to what others have said – connect with your dog out on a course and show the dog with your body language and movement where you want them to go next. Keep it fun for both of you with lots of play, rewards and encouragement and it is usually our fault when your dog gets it wrong. Either your dog does not know the exercise as well as you thought it did, your cue was tool late or you were pointing the wrong way. I am guilty of all of those!

13/08/2026

Well done to everyone who competed at the Mount and JDT benefit show! 🙌🥳

Wins/challenges;
JA;
Joanne and Wave
Caitlin and Enzyme
Danni and Trio
Nat and Adi
JB;
Kyla and Buddy
Brenda and Murphy
JC;
Helen and Jock

Other placings/clear rounds;
JA;
Joanne and Wave
Lindsay and Lexi
Nat and Adi
JB;
Brenda and Murphy
Helen and Akela
JC;
Rochelle and Heidi
Lindsay and Sassy
Helen and Jock

🔥🔥🔥

11/08/2026

WAG’s Dog of the Month - August

🙌 Luka 🙌

Luca is 2 years old and a Golden Retriever.

Luca is very much your typical Golden – incredibly friendly, enthusiastic, affectionate and convinced that everyone he meets is there specifically to see him. He's a smart cookie and he brings plenty of enthusiasm to whatever we're doing. Luca loves the water and is absolutely ball mad and lives up to the retrieve in his name.

Luca has come along way in the last 12+ months and just recently participated in his first ribbon show. Although very enthusiastic, his overly friendly nature meant he was easily distracted at the start of his agility journey. It was probably just after he turned 2 that something clicked for him and we've a huge shift in his attention and focus. We're super proud of how far Luca has come, especially his weaves. Agility has been a great way for us to work together and it’s been really rewarding seeing Luca learn, grow in confidence and develop as we’ve gone along.

For the future, We’d love to keep building Luca’s confidence and consistency and, most importantly, continue having fun together. We've still got some work to do on his contacts, but we're looking forward to joining more shows.

07/08/2026

🌟 Meet the Team - Treasurer 🌟

I have been involved with the Agility community for over the past 6 years and have always been a proud member of our club. While I haven’t done my official competing in my time at shows (which why you will still see me running my two lunatics in Jumpers C, Starters and Novice haha), I have always loved training at club. It’s an amazing being a part of a team and culture, that enjoys socialising, teaching and above all else… values our furry companions as best friends.
I have two crazy collies who keep me on my toes, my sassy Izzy, and goofball Po. I first got into agility with Izzy, and it was a bumpy road. Izzy started off as very dog reactive and people selective, and with time, patience and training, we found a love her passion for agility training (and her telling me when I am in the wrong haha). We have a decent number of stress related ring exits at shows, but with work our slow and steady team has managed to pull off a few ribbons!

Po is my second dog and the literal definition of a ball of sunshine! He is always happy, super friendly, will try kiss EVERYONE, but once he is in the agility zone…. He is a speed demon! We are still working on fixing a pole knocking tendency that has resulted from his handler’s incoordination, hesitation, being too slow and talking to much; and I have to give him 10/10 for dedication and effort on each run.

Coming into the second half of this year, my goals my collies is to A. Keep agility training a fun and positive experience at club and shows, and B. try for a clear run with Po.

Personality-wise, I’m loud, bubbly, and full of beans — probably almost as chaotic as my two border collies! I love meeting new people, having a laugh, and being part of a community where everyone supports each other and their dogs. In my personal life, time is rarely on my side, so I really embody the collie craziness! I work full-time as a junior accountant for a local construction company, I am studying part time, and my weekends are usually spent being an unofficial builder’s apprentice, or training towards my sub-28-minute 5 km and a sub-1 hour 10 km. But at the end of the day, my life revolves around loving and entertaining my 2 fur-babies and my saint of a husband.

As Treasurer, I’m heavily involved in managing the club’s finances, including processing and reconciling money coming in and out of the club. I also prepare show performance summaries, monthly reports, and financial statements to help keep everything accurate, organised, and the finances running smoothly behind the scenes.
Something that I aspire to this year (or the next 6 months), is that I’m keen to get back into agility training. I’ve missed the social side of training at club, being able to catch up with friends, and the excitement running courses and weekends away to compete!

My piece of advice to members would be:
Remember that your dog is your teammate, and they’re always trying their best for you. Agility can be challenging both mentally and physically, for both dog and handler, so learn to be the teammate your dog deserves through the good runs and the not-so-good ones. Things won’t always go to plan, but your dog will always be love and admire you for trying your best.

16/07/2026

WAG’s Dog of the Month - July

🍎 Apple 🍎

Apple Delight, a terrier cross, joined our pack suddenly and completely by fate. I first saw her at the WAG March Show in 2024 — a rescue pup of about 9–10 weeks old no one is really sure one of three sisters Sarah Ridley had with her. It was love at first sight, and the rest is history.
Originally named Po at the rescue, then Dali by Sarah because of her spots, she eventually became Apple — She’s believed to be a Jack Russell/Heading Dog cross, though I’m not convinced about the Heading Dog part. Terrier, however, she absolutely is.
Apple has been attending shows since she was around three weeks old, and to this day she’s convinced every person on the grounds is there solely to admire her. Keeping her focused in agility is a challenge; she switches off in an instant if she spots someone she wants to greet. We’ve mostly managed to stop her visiting the judge midrun… except for Sarah. That one is still a work in progress.
Her biggest highlight so far was travelling to Cromwell for NZDAC last year, where she made both the Starters and Jumpers C finals. For Apple, a clear round is always a victory — anything beyond that is a bonus.
Outside of agility, Apple is exactly what her name promises: a delight. She loves life wholeheartedly. Swimming, running with other dogs, being chased or doing the chasing — she hasn’t decided which she enjoys more. She simply embraces it all.

11/07/2026

Our members getting some practise in for first Hoopers Champ Show next weekend, at our latest Hoopers Seminar. Focusing on skills, course work, and understanding throughout all three levels of training!! 🙌

Can’t wait to see how our handlers and dogs put their new and proofed skills into the ring next weekend!! 😋

06/07/2026

A HUGE congratulations to Joanne and Wave for gaining JUMPERS CHAMPION! 🔥 This team has been working hard towards that last challenge. Wave’s skills and confidence all stem from Joanne’s diverse and well-rounded teaching. An amazing pairing where sky is the limit!!! 🙌🤩

30/06/2026

🌟 Meet the team - Secretary 🌟

Hi I’m Rachael and I am the Secretary for WAG. Where do I start! I met some people at our local dog park who suggested we give agility a go! So Denver, my Hungarian Vizsla and I attended the Foundation class in 2023 term 2 and we haven’t looked back.

As all teams do, we have had our set backs and but eventually some wins! Most recently we have graduated to Jumpers A and competed at our First comp where we got our first Challenge Certificate! I am a big learner and love to learn, so this has taught me so much in such a short period of time. We are very much a go to an event give it our best and always walk away happy and picking small wins from every run!

I have been an active member of WAG for the last 3 years competing in our WAG competitions, instructing either foundations or Basics and now stepping into the Secretary position for the WAG committee. I also have recently become an assistant measurer and working to become a main measurer for the club.

Out of Agility, I work at Harcourts in Hamilton as the Client Experience Manager. I am a pretty active person also enjoying some Mountain Biking with Denver, playing Netball and having a good blast down a ski field during the winter months.

For anyone new to agility, my advice is simple: choose three things you want to do well on each course. If you nail those three things, consider the run a win.

27/06/2026

Awesome work from our team at the Hāwera Indoor, Counties, ACAC, CHB and Gisborne!! 🙌🤩

🏆 Top 600 Dog - Rachael and Denver 🏆
🏆 Top Small Dog - Caitlin and Enzyme 🏆

Wins/challenges;
Senior;
Caitlin and Enzyme
Starters;
Quinn and Bingo
Rachael and Denver
JC;
Quinn and Maple

Clear rounds/other placings;
Senior;
Keri and Classic
Danni and Case
Intermediate;
Jenny and Rosa
Keri and Classic
TM and Otto
Caitlin and Enzyme
Joanne and Wave
Novice;
Janette and Skye
Jenny and Rosa
Rachael and Denver
JA;
Susan and Marsali
JB;
Janette and Skye
Brenda and Murphy
JC;
Susan and Rekita
Quinn and Bingo
Brie and Lulu
Kyla and Buddy
Rochelle and Heidi

🙌🙌🙌

12/06/2026

WAG’s Dog of the Month - June

🌸 Lulu 🌸

Lulu is approximately 5–6 years old and is what I like to call a Papillon x Foxy, although a DNA test has suggested she’s actually mostly Chihuahua with some Spaniel and Terrier mixed in.

Lulu is full of personality and has a few funny quirks. Most notably, she refuses to use a bed the right way up. Every bed must be flipped over, and if there are two beds available she’ll often flip one on top of the other and crawl in between them when she’s feeling a little peopled out. She also loves paddle boarding and likes to lean over the front of the board to “help” paddle.

Our agility journey together hasn’t exactly been smooth sailing! As my first agility dog, Lulu has taught me a lot about patience, persistence, and celebrating the small wins. This year has been especially rewarding. After years of hard work, setbacks, and more disqualifications than I could count, Lulu earned her first clear round in January. More recently, she followed that up with her second clear round and her very first ribbon, which somehow ended up being a first place. Those moments meant far more than the results themselves; they were proof that all the persistence, trust, and little wins along the way were worth it.

Looking ahead, my goal for Lulu is simply to keep building on the progress we’ve made, stay consistent, and continue having fun together. More than anything, I’m proud of the partnership we’ve built and how far she’s come.

Address

Melville Park
Hamilton

Opening Hours

6:15pm - 9pm

Website

http://waikatoagility.co.nz/

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