How it all began……

In 1994, an emergency visit to the vet started the journey that led to Criterion Agility.  Nicole was working at the clinic when she noticed Monique struggling with her very challenging 8 week old Rottweiler puppy Bianca.  Nicole was currently enrolled in class with a very willful Aussie Husky mix, Zachary, and was learning to deal with such a strong personality. (the dogs not Monique’s!).  

For 2 years, Monique and Nicole attended pet class together and started meeting for dog walks and training practice.  On Sunday mornings, they would meet friends in the parking lot and make the hour long trip to a new class, Dog Agility.  They had no idea that the teacher was learning about the sport from a book and teaching the class as he went along! 

A phone call from a friend led Nicole to the Waterbury Dog Pound where a sickly, scared Australian Shepard was waiting for her.  Monique held the dirty, flea ridden 5 month old in her arms while Nicole drove him to the vet clinic for an exam and a much needed bath.  That was the moment that the two of them realized that they were going to be friends.   

In their quest for new instruction, Monique began taking classes in Hamden and Nicole went to Goshen.  By 1997 both began trialing(much too soon!!)  Their success in the ring was not defined by ribbons, but by how close Bianca would come to hitting a contact, or whether or not Reis was motivated to run.  The titles did come but, slowly!

New dogs entered their lives. Monique adopted Maurice, a 9 month old Pyrenean Shepherd, who was sidelined by a knee injury. And another Pyr Shep, a blue merle male named Rou.  Nicole brought home her first Border Collie Shen, and a new era of agility training was born!  Round two of agility training with these dogs was very different.  Positive reinforcement was the buzz word, and the dogs were trained using clickers and the laws of learning theory.  The dogs were taught many tricks, benefited from cross training exercises, and were exposed to the excitement of agility trials when the older dogs competed.

Nicole and Monique attended seminars and camps, learning everything they could from nationally accomplished agility trainers. By 2000 both were teaching at the very facilities where they had developed their best skills.
The years between 2000 and 2008 are a blur. Training, trialing and round three of future agility stars brought Bliss, a red Border Collie, to Nicole, and Tiki, a tri-colored Papillion to Monique.  Criterion Agility was founded in November of 2006, and expanded to two locations in April 2007.

Criterion Agility now has 59 students participating in 10 different classes.
Nicole and Monique believe that agility is a sport still developing its training techniques and theories. Criterion Agility brings its students the best agility has to offer in terms of seminars, workshops, classes and events.  Criterion Agility has hosted Jen and Sue Crank, Jen Pinder, Dana Pike, Stacy Peardot-Goudy and Karen Holik.  In October 2008 they will host their first three day agility training camp!

Their students have earned C'ATCH'S, MACH'S AND ADCH'S, but more importantly, the students have learned that no matter what type of dog, no matter what kind of handler, both can enjoy the sport and achieve their goals with Criterion Agility.