Olga Chaiko lives and competes in Los Angeles. Olga started with a Canaan dog which she put an ADCH on. In 2002, she and her Contact Point Border Collie Luz (ADCh, LAA-Platinum, and multiple times Grand Prix and Steeplechase finalist) became the first team to win gold in both events (large agility and super weave) of the Great Outdoor Games. More recently, in 2006 she and Luz won five medals at the IFCS World Championships in the Netherlands, including gold in individual agility. Olga will be participating in the European Open in Germany this July 19th and 20th with her new Border Collie Yankee (who is out of Ali Roukas-Canova's Kid and Wish.) Here is a link where you can watch Olga and Yankee run in a local GP qualifier:

http://gxypups.wordpress.com/mom-dad/yankee/

The seminar will be held at Mountain Freaks Dog Agility Training Center, 118 Stephensburg Rd. ,  Port Murray, NJ 07865. This facility offers both an indoor matted ring of 120 x 80 and an outdoor ring with a shredded rubber dressage surface of 120 x 100. We will have the use of either or both (not at the same time, though!)

The seminar dates are Friday August 8th, 2008, Saturday August 9th, 2008 and Sunday August 10th, 2008.

Olga's seminar is given under the marquee "We Are a Team." It focuses on teamwork while giving the seminar participants a good taste of Olga's handling system. JAG will present 4 four hour workshop modules of Olga's seminar plus 1 four hour workshop on something new.

All the workshops are open to dogs from novice/starters level to masters level, but the dogs must be able to sequence at least 16 obstacles. The workshops are open to dogs of all heights, breeds and drive levels. The workshops are limited to 10-12 dog and handler teams (depending on the spread in level and height of the dogs who sign up;) however, the puppy workshop is limited to 8 teams.

3 PM - 7 PM "Clean Slate" This is Olga's puppy workshop. (Olga has written some great articles in Clean Run about puppy training.) This workshop is open to puppies 8 weeks to one year old. Auditors are encouraged to attend this seminar - you don't need a puppy to attend as an auditor. This is a great seminar to audit; there is a lot to learn.

9:15 AM - 1:15 PM "Handling By the Dog's Line of Travel" An introduction to Olga's handling system.

2 PM - 6 PM "Dynamic Jumping" A lot of jumping training today focuses a lot on collection, even sometimes to the point of stopping the dog. In contrast to that, this workshop focuses on how the dog can negotiate jumps at speeds as fast as possible, utilizing the dog's dynamic and speed of the dog.

9:15 AM - 1:15 PM "Give Your Dog A Running Start" Based on her most recent Clean Run article, Olga will teach how to handle even a fast border collie with a running start line.

Copies of the article will be provided in advanced to those signing up for this workshop, as it will use the article as a take-off point and go much further in depth.

2 PM - 6 PM "How to Succeed on FCI Courses" This is the something new mentioned above. FCI courses are the kind of courses they have in Europe and that the world team tries out on. But this workshop is not just for people that want to try out for the world team. If you've ever seen an AKC ISC course, it is like an FCI course. On a recent Agiledogs thread, someone saw this year's tryout courses and said "if I had to run on courses like that I'd give up agility" A major discussion ensued and many people answered and said that on the contrary, they liked the challenges. This workshop shows that FCI courses are really just another flavor of agility. It introduces FCI courses and skills needed; it can only enhance your skill set. Olga will show how any dog, not just the superfast border collies, can succeed on them. Being that Olga will just be returning from a month in Europe competing and teaching, she will be able to show us the very latest in FCI course style, and the workshop will also focus on how FCI courses differ from AKC and USDAA courses.

Bio

Olga has been dubbed a "Dog Whisperer," she strikes a friendship with any dog, the shy, the aloof, and the wild. Amazingly the same happens with the human participants. Olga is a great teacher and never fails to communicate her message to each person to the full understanding, making people feel comfortable and relaxed. Olga is famous for her sense of humor, her instruction is electrifying and lighthearted, you will laugh your way through the tough courses and your dog will smile with you.

Olga presents unique techniques and solutions that are devised and tailored to each individual dog/handler team right there and then. No one leaves her classes without a tangible improvement. Olga will also teach you skills that you can use at home to practice with, even if you only have a single jump.

Olga has been involved in agility for nine years with her Canaan Dog ADCh Space and her Border Collie ADCh Luz, LAA-Platinum, and multiple times Grand Prix and Steeplechase finalist. Olga and Luz represented the U.S. at the 2006 IFCS World Championships and brought home five medals.

Olga's young BC, Yankee, has been on the European Open U.S. Agility Team twice, in 2007 & 2008.

Olga lives in Los Angeles, California, and offers private lessons, seminars, and online instruction at her virtual agility school AgilityDynamite (www.AgilityDynamite.com).

More importantly, Olga knows Lemmy Kilmister from the band Motorhead.

Copyright 2002-2009. Most clipart from BC Buddies. Some Graphics from Danny's Clipart.