CATAgility · T1 Unlocks a Agility franchise

Certified Agility Trainer

Agility T1 — entry-level specialty for agility trainers. 30-day in-person residential. Builds on General L1 foundation. Teaches Buck's home-grown agility system (AKC-regulation-grounded, assembled from the proven pieces of every successful style, cued the Buck's way, confidence-before-speed) as the house primary, with the three major external systems (path-based, cue-based, and European path-reading — attributed in the program references) taught for client-continuation. Heavy obstacle inventory training, conditioning & injury prevention, biomechanics, AKC/USDAA/UKI rules. Graduates earn the right to apply for an agility-discipline franchise (Nicole reviews and provisions). Annual renewal — in-person evaluation includes running a novice course at speed.

Apply for CAT Cohort dates

30 days · in person at HQ · 80% to pass · valid 12 months

A Buck’s trainer handling multiple dogs at once

Who can sit this program

Specialty entry requires the General foundation first:

Active General L1 (CBDT) certification

The 30 days, in full

This is the actual syllabus for CAT — 83 topics across 30 days, 140h 15m of scheduled instruction. Not a sample, not a summary.

Orientation to competitive agility and the three dominant North American venues. How rule sets shape course design, jump-height divisions, fault structures, and the way you must train a dog.
- Why the venue dictates the training planlecture
- Jump-height divisions and the measurement problemlecture
- Fault systems, eliminations, and the qualifying scorediscussion

Kennel ceiling: up to 5 dogsT1 · Foundation level

The foundation — it turns you from a trainer into an owner.

Unlocks eligibility to open your own Buck’s location (the matching franchise type)
Run up to 5 dogs in your kennel at a time

Your certification level sets the maximum number of dogs your kennel may hold at once — 5 at L1, 10 at L2, 20 at L3. You tell us how many you actually want to run within that ceiling. The number is a capacity limit set by your level, not a guarantee that a set number of dogs will be provided or booked.

How you're tested

Two stages: an online theory gate (three written finals) that earns your cohort invitation, then the in-person four-modality exam you sit at HQ — you pass all four to certify.

Stage 1 · before your cohort

Online theory gate

Once you're invited, you complete a self-paced online course and pass three written finals. Passing all three is the prerequisite that unlocks your cohort — it proves you're theory-ready. It is not a substitute for the in-person exam.

1Dog Theory final
2Business Operations final
3Advanced Trainer Knowledge final

Pass all three → you earn your cohort invitation.

Stage 2 · at your 30-day cohort

In-person four-modality exam

The certification itself is earned entirely in person. All four modalities — including the written — are sat at HQ. You pass all four to certify, and annual renewal runs the same battery.

1Written
Pass 80%
2Informational Oral
Pass 14 / 20
3Behavioral Observation
Pass 14 / 20
4Physical Practical
Pass 4 of 5 stations

Pass all four → you're certified.