Cathy Horrocks is the only trainer for us and our dogs! We have been with Cathy Horrocks for over five years and trained two dogs with her. Starting in basic home obedience, we realized that she had a special connection with any four legged canine friend she met, so we decided to also “try out” agility with our highly driven, and crazy, yet lovable lab. Five years later, we are having a great time and are still as excited about agility and her working with us and our dogs as when we started. A year into the picture, we adopted a rescue who had some very intense fear issues we felt could easily turn into aggression issues. We immediately got her enrolled with Cathy and began to see a positive change in her. She has gone from being a dog that previously went into new situations shaking uncontrollably, with her tail tucked all the way to her nose, to a confident, happy dog that now possesses a beautiful wagging tail! (And oh, she too is now an agility dog in training and loving every second of it!)
Cathy Horrocks is the quintessential trainer! At no time is she judgmental. Instead, by using a positive training approach, and being supportive of whomever you are and whatever type of dog you have, Cathy takes the dog and handler to levels they could never have imagined. There isn’t a dog and handler combination that she can’t help become a better team! As I always say to my husband on the drive home, “This is my favorite night of the week!” ~ Sonya G
I have been training under Cathy Horrocks for the past 10 years, agility for 5 years. I started out with one agility dog and now I have two. Cathy has a way of understanding what I need and what my dogs need. She only gives us positive encouragement. I have been to the NADAC Championships with my dogs and am now working on qualifying for the AKC Nationals. ~ Debra
I started agility training with Cathy Horrocks in 2003 until late 2004. I had a dog with many issues, due to being abused before coming into my household. Cathy always showed great patience with such a difficult dog.
After losing that dog, marrying, and considering new puppies, I remembered Cathy’s great skills as an instructor. I told my husband that if we were to get dogs, we needed to train with Cathy. We went through obedience classes with the objective of doing agility with Cathy. In 2007, we began our agility instruction with our 2 Bernese Mountain Dogs. We are still training with her to this day.
Cathy has helped us with several issues. She was instrumental in discovering a leg problem with one of our Berners. If left untreated, his condition would have deteriorated and would not be able to walk well on the leg. She has assisted us with how to help our dogs adjust to a small baby and now toddler. In addition, she has assisted us with fear and anxiety with one of our dogs. Now, she is helping us with our new addition, a Australian Shepherd puppy.
We look forward to our weekly agility classes. Cathy provides a variety of skills during the lessons. We are always being challenged to go to the next level and improve our handling skills. We trust her advise and direction. We continue to recommend her to anyone considering training. ~ Pam W.
I have been training with Cathy since 2009. I have three dogs. My first dog to start agility training was about 9 months old at the time. We started at the beginning level and now we are at the advanced stages.
Cathy is a great instructor and I have learned so much from her, not only the agility aspects of training but how to have a great rapport with my dog and she has an insight to my dogs personality and how to work through her sometimes uppity attitude.
My other dog has been training with Cathy for about a year. She is a very shy dog with fear issues and she is now really coming into her own and she now does agility equipment even if there is people and other dogs sitting outside the ring.
I also have a puppy who is 10 months and Cathy has been great with him also – her intro to agility for puppies is just outstanding. I enjoy Cathy’s approached to all the aspects of teaching and find her a fountain of information and her focus to safety of both the dogs and handlers. ~ Fran
I have been training with Cathy since late 2006. My 5 year old Miniature Schnauzer Harley and I started in Beginning Agility classes with Cathy and have taken CGC prep classes, Rally Classes, and Off Leash control classes. Harley is competing in the highest level of agility in NADAC and AKC and is on his way to earning his championship. My 1 year old Australian Shepherd Lava and I are also learning the fun game of Agility with Cathy.
I have always felt when taking classes with Cathy that Safety is the number one priority. When you learn to do the obstacles the correct and safe way, then the fun follows!!! ~ Karmen D.
I have come to Cathy and Katrina with all kind of dogs and all kinds of problems. I like that they are easy to talk to and I feel I can ask them any question without feeling stupid or judged. I have taken every kind of class they have taught over the years. I would highly recommend them to anyone looking to train and improve their relationship with their dogs. I breed Havanese and recommend my new puppy owners to Cathy and Katrina.
I enjoy having dogs that are my best friends, that I can trust anywhere and that are able to go everywhere with me. Through the classes I have taken with them, I am able to build that kind of relationship with my dogs. ~ Nicole R.
Let me be one of the first to say that I have really enjoyed training my dogs with Cathy Horrocks! I came to Cathy for help with my youngest black Labrador Snoline Fleur-De-Lys “Lily” in January of 2009 when she was about 1.5 yrs old so we have been training with Cathy for about 2 years.
Lily was bred from a long line of energetic field and hunting Labradors and had started agility at another local facility, but was very stressed and anxious in a “2 classes running at the same time” scenario. Lily is the sweetest and most loveable dog who learns quickly and is extremely SMART; but she was showing signs of “fear aggression” by “barking at other dogs” due to her constant scanning of the environment, and low confidence levels. She had already taken 3 Obedience classes in her lifetime, but I knew if we wanted to continue Agility that I would have to do some more Obedience work with her in order to build up her self confidence. So Lily first took a 7 wk Fear Aggression Class, followed by 7 wk Basic and Advanced Obedience Classes (again)! We got rid of the “barking at other dogs” in about 6 wks and increased her self confidence so that she was not afraid to be in group class anymore.
I then enrolled Lily in Agility Classes under Cathy’s coaching and training. What I have learned from Cathy is that the parts of Lily that are the most difficult to manage are also the parts of Lily that make her a GREAT Agility dog. “High Drive and speed”, “Quick learning and smartness to understand the concept of distance”, and a “Work ethic that is always trying to please” are absolute must haves for an Agility dog!
Lily and I have made great progress in Agility in 2010 and 2011….I have learned from Cathy that it is not always about the “qualifying run” at an Agility Trial, it’s about your relationship with your dog and having FUN with your dog! With that being said, at the time of this article (4/24/11) Lily has completed 5 NADAC Agility Titles at almost 4 yrs of age: Novice Jumpers, Novice Hoopers, and Novice, Open, and Elite Tunnelers. Although I am biased, I DO BELIEVE Lily can compete in Agility Trials and be a Canine Good Citizen (it’s just taken a little longer)! Thank you Cathy for having the faith and patience in helping me to train Lily! ~ Annette K.
I have trained with Cathy for over 5 years starting with basic obedience in 2006. Casey had some issues after being attacked by other dogs several times. Cathey has helped me to learn to “read” my dog better, to know and understand him better. She and her agility classes have kept me moving. Her success with Casey led to Windy and now Will because being added to our family. We have all loved going to her classes. The biggest think for me is that she has helped me learn how to work my dogs at a distance. Running with my dog is impossible but we can still play the game because of the way that she has taught us. ~ Barb
I have been training with Cathy Horrocks since the Fall of 2003 when I took Puppy Manners with my 9 week old Belgian Sheepdog puppy, Toby. After Toby completed his beginning obedience classes we went on to agility. Toby and I have been training in agility with Cathy since Toby was about 10 months old. Toby was my first agility dog and he was probably ready to trial long before I was. He has gone on to earn numerous Elite NADAC titles, finishing in the NADAC Top 10 by breed list for several years in a row and earning two AKC agility titles.Cathy was also my agility instructor for my Belgian Tervuren, Katana. Katana earned several NADAC agility titles, including her novice superior tunnelers title, before her untimely death from cancer.
Baron, another Belgian Tervuren, has been training with Cathy since he was a puppy. He is a very high drive boy (loves toys and fast moving objects) and Cathy has helped me harness his drive and we are working well as a team in NADAC agility. Baron has earned 2 novice NADAC titles so far and has almost completed his Open Jumpers title in a little over a year of very limited trialing.
My future agility star is Tara, a one year old Australian Shepherd. She has no fear, so it is a good thing that Cathy trains with safety in mind. Puppies start out on low equipment so that they don’t hurt themselves. Training with an Aussie is quite different than training with Belgians. Cathy’s experience with numerous breeds of dogs has been invaluable when it comes to training this little whirlwind.
Each of the four dogs I have trained with Cathy have been very different individuals. Each dog required me to learn how to work with that particular dog’s strengths and weaknesses and Cathy’s instruction has made me a much better and more adaptable handler. ~ Karren E.
I have had the good fortune to take agility classes with Cathy Horrocks for over two years. I started the classes simply to develop a deeper partnership with my pup Maddy, and more confidence in working with her off leash – It was never my intent to actually compete – especially with a pup who looks more like a toy than an agility dog! Maddy on the other always knew she was a competitor at heart and was destined to try her paws in the ring.
To say that we look forward to each and every class with Cathy would simply be an understatement. Under Cathy’s guidance, both Maddy and I have honed our skills, gained confidence and more importantly, have had agreat deal of fun. We would have never have had this opportunity if it wasn’t for Cathy’s patience, her training skills and her ability to understand what each and every dog/handler needs to get them to that next level. Maddy now has a little brother Tucker, who is eager to follow in his “big” sister’s foot steps. Come join us! ~ Jan W.
I’ve trained with Cathy over the last 5 years with both my German Shepherds. She understands people just as much as dogs and believe me, people are the limiting factor. Cathy’s ability to train me and help me understand and train my dogs has allowed me to enjoy my high drive dogs’ personalities as well control them in any environment. ~ Stacy F.
I have known and trained with Cathy Horrocks for 7 years. It started with a private lesson, continued onto obedience training, rally and agility. I have one dog, Macy, a beagle who will be 8 years old this year. Macy has known Cathy since she was 10 months old. Since my training started in 2004, Cathy has been a big part of how successful I am with my dog. At 6 months old, Macy displayed fear aggression toward me as an owner, extreme separation anxiety and pack leadership issues in my home prior to training with Cathy. Macy was only 7 weeks old when I got her and she was not properly socialized as a puppy. When I first met Cathy in 2004, I knew she believed in us. She gave me the techniques as a handler to have a happy and well trained dog. We are now able to compete in agility trials successfully, have off leash control, pack leadership is no longer an issue, separation anxiety has decreased, and Macy does not display fear aggression toward me.
Today Macy is a happy and confident dog in my home and competing in agility since 2007. She does not display those behaviors anymore since training with Cathy. I enjoy training with Cathy because she displays patience toward her students and dogs, believes in them, gives them confidence, is consistent in her training and the techniques to work together as a team. Cathy always has a positive attitude and makes sure her students have a positive experience with their dog. She also makes sure the dog always ends a session with a positive experience. She encourages her students to instill trust in their dogs and gives them confidence. Macy would not be the dog she is today without the consistent training from Cathy Horrocks. I highly recommend her as a very knowledgeable trainer to anyone who owns a dog and wants a trainer with many years of experience. ~ Brandy M.
When I adopted my dog, Gus, from the animal shelter he was a very shy puppy – afraid of new situations and new people. I thought it would be neat to take him to agility classes with Cathy Horrocks to teach him how to work the obstacles and learn a few commands. I quickly realized that taking classes with him was more than just teaching commands. We were creating an amazing bond, Gus was a wonderful family member (calm, polite, and obedient), and I could take him anywhere and be confident that he would be under control and show good manners. When we started taking classes 3 years ago, Gus was so afraid of the new agility equipment and new situations that he would run to his blanket and sit there shaking.
Cathy helped me to gently guide him back to the equipment and to keep working with him. It didn’t take long for Gus to transform into a more confident dog. Now, he lights up when we go to agility! He loves the equipment, he loves the people he meets at agility, and he can perform at agility trials, in front of other people, with confidence. Gus went from a dog that was afraid of anything new to a dog that is winning first place ribbons at agility trials! Cathy has not only trained us for agility trials, she understands how important it is for Gus to be a good family pet. She has worked with us when we have had any behavior issues at home. During my pregnancy, she helped me prepare Gus for the new baby. Gus is a wonderful big brother to our baby girl – gentle and loving! ~ Tracy and Gus
We started training with Cathy in 2005 when we rescued a shelter dog that had fear issues. We started with beginning obedience and have advanced to agility. Cathy knows and understands that all dogs are not the same, and they require different training styles and methods. She never gave up on us, or our dog, and continually offers us lots of options and ideas for working through specific issues. She always has lots of ideas for training outside the classroom setting, and encourages it. Our dog LOVES going to class each week to see her trainer and other friends and is most happy when she’s doing her job out on the agility course. With Cathy’s help our dog is happy and confident and now competes in agility. ~ Diane C.
I’ve been training my dog with Cathy Horrocks since he was a pup. I was so impressed with her positive and effective training methods, and her ability to assess each dog and give individualized recommendations. She really understands dogs and how they think. She has pointed out things about my dog that I did not realize myself. I strongly suspect that she was a dog in a previous life! Cathy is knowledgeable and skilled with all dog breeds and issues.
My dog and I continued training with her after achieving basic good manners because her classes are so much fun! Cathy has helped me train my dog to achieve a Canine Good Citizen certificate, Therapy Dog International certificate, and agility championship. Frisco is the #1 Miniature Schnauzer for 2010 competing in NADAC agility.
I have been training with Cathy for 8 years now, and my new puppy will be starting with her soon. ~ Karen & Frisco (& Desi, too)
Gilda, our German Shepherd, is a rescue that had suffered from fear, especially of men. In Cathy’s beginning obedience classes we were able to discover what Gilda’s particular issues were, find ways to build her up and teach her that being on a leash is a prelude to having a great time. Cathy also suggested that we have our dog checked to see if she might have health issues overlooked by our veterinarian’s initial examination. Gilda did, in fact, suffer from a minor thyroid condition that evidently exacerbated her emotional state. With care, training and Cathy’s insightful suggestions during classes, Gilda developed confidence and became successful in her obedience training. She has her CGC, now competes in agility and brings home those blue ribbons. And we have the videos to prove it. ~ Dave & Barb T.
I have known and trained with Cathy Horrocks for the past 11 years. It started with Eli, Shetland Sheepdog, in Beginning Home Obedience. My goal was to do Agility with Eli. It didn’t take Cathy long to see that Eli was not going to turn into an agility dog. Rather that telling me my dog couldn’t do what I wanted she discussed other possibilities for Eli. Cathy pointed us toward therapy dog work and this was Eli’s passion. Eli became a certified therapy dog with through the Delta Society Pet Partner program. If it was not for Cathy seeing what my dog could do I probably would have given up.
I started taking agility classes in 2003 when I purchased my Boston Terrier, Stitch. I have since trained 3 agility dogs and I am currently training my 4th. Cathy has a unique connection with each dog and student she meets. Cathy is very positive in her feedback to her students and she understands what each dog and handler needs to do to become a team that works together. What I like about training with Cathy is safety for the dog comes first and she makes training fun. Each dog I have trained has required me to learn how to work with that dog’s strengths and weaknesses. While one dog may need me to run with it the other dog may need to me to further away with more distance when running. With Cathy’s instruction I have learned to adjust to whichever dog I am competing with in the ring at that time.
I have thoroughly enjoyed training and learning with Cathy Horrocks and I plan on continuing this journey for many years. ~ Julene C
I have known and trained with Cathy Horrocks for 11 years. I started with my first agility dog in beginning home obedience classes with Marcia MacDonald. I continued on into Cathy’s advanced class and from there I was hooked. She inspired me to continue with agility and start competing earning several titles. She also inspired me to become an instructor myself. Although my first dog is now retired from agility Cathy encouraged me to continue and explore other dog sports and activities. Over the next many years I tried several different dog activities with Cathy’s support earning many titles in Competition and Rally Obedience. She has always been a great instructor and mentor. I continue to train my younger dogs with Cathy and look forward to competing in agility again very soon. ~ Cheryl B.