Testimonials

I have been reading the posts about "handling vs. training" and just want to chime in that I don't think it is possible to "just be a good handler and have an untrained dog and still do well." I know many people think that is what happens with athletic handlers. The reason I can say this is that I used to be one of the people who gave this some thought as a possibility. I thought people like Marcus Topps won mostly because of their athletic ability. Well, now that I hosted Marcus as a seminar presenter last weekend, I can say that is not the case at all. Marcus is a very, very dedicated trainer. He breaks behaviors down into very tiny steps and goes through complete progressions in his training routine. In fact, Marcus spends most of his time training foundation skills and continues to train foundation throughout the dog's career. He said that he starts training his dogs foundation skills as young puppies and continues throughout their agility career. Juice still does foundation training. Of course, he trains the obstacles too but after they learn the obstacles, his time is spent training foundation and his foundation training is very focused and well-planned out. I am now working on this foundation skills with both my young puppy as well as my already competing dogs. If any of you ever have the chance to attend a Marcus Topps seminar, I highly recommend it. I just hosted his very first public seminar ever and I was so happy with the instruction. Marcus was a joy to work with and now I know his secrets:-) His seminar is called "From The Ground Up" and that is exactly what it all about. Marcus spends a great deal of time on ground work so that his dogs can make the tightest turns and lines possible. If you want to learn how he does it, sign up for a seminar with him. It was fabulous!

Marla Friedler-Cooper, MA, CPDT-KA (San Diego, CA)

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I have watched Marcus for a number of years and he is an amazing handler and of course now a World Champion!! But the one thing that really sets him apart, and to this day is the best I have seen at it, is his superb setup for his rear crosses. He really gives Juice info early about how the cross is going to go and where and how to turn. His ability to pull his dog in to him, just the amount needed sets up such efficient lines that enabled him many times to win against dogs that had as good as speed as Juice. Even though Marcus has the foot speed to front cross he usually prefers to send the dog with a rear cross, I believe because he knows there is no chance he will be in the dogs way and possibly slow him down and also because he is so darn good at it!!

I found the Marcus Topps seminar very worthwhile. I knew by watching the communication between Marcus and his phenomenal dog Juice that he had some foundation training that had resulted in some beautiful turns. What I did not know is how detailed and in depth this foundation work would be! He presented his foundation work for how he builds his communication for turns very step by step and worked teams through each step before moving on. By the end of the first day my dog started showing understanding and I started getting some very nice responses from him. Marcus also presented his use of leash work. This was quite interesting to see how from simple leash work , the dogs quickly started understanding what the handler was trying to convey and then could do it off leash. This was particularly impressive on dogs who “buzz up” when they are not sure what their handlers want. For myself, getting my very fast sheltie through a 8 consecutive jump threadle using this technique was quite amazing. I have already used the leash work techniques to some of my agility students. It is simple to convey and simple for them to understand. Many of them have come and told me how well this worked for them. I highly recommend taking a seminar from Marcus.

Barb Davis (WA)
7 time AKC USA Agility World Team Member
6 time National Champion

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I found Marcus’ Building Blocks system to be unique, elegant, and enormously useful. He focuses on the most important aspect of agility: which is HOW the dog runs, as opposed to discrete obstacle performance. There is simply no other dog that moves the way Juice moves around the course - and that is due to Marcus’ meticulous and well-thought out training. I plan to use the foundation training for my young dog, and I’d highly recommend that novice & advanced handlers alike attend the seminar.

It's not glitzy. It's not sexy. So it's often forgotten.

But if you want to know how a world champion trains his dog and why they are the team they are, and how you can achieve that same degree of teamwork and shave SECONDS off your course time, then start "From the Ground Up" with Marcus.

Most people just want to do complicated sequences or learn the newest fads. That's sexy. But foundation work and basic drills are the nitty gritty to success, not just for keeping your dog on course, but for cutting seconds off your course time!

Marcus' approach was a paradigm shift for me. He uses pattern drills to teach the dog, which then enables the handler to work on his/her handling through those patterns.

Those same patterns teach the dog to turn tightly and run the most efficient lines, and ultimately teaches the handler to cue in a proper and timely manner.

We adopted our puppy a few months ago....never had much training prior to the seminar. By the end of the afternoon, he was reading rear crosses, front crosses, pulls and pushes. He was able to work both ahead of me and behind me, around pinwheels, threadles, and s-turn patterns over 17 jumps.

We just can't lavish enough praise on Marcus, the trainer!

Lili and Steve Dawidowicz (Trenton, IL)

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Wow…Wow…Wow… I can honestly say I got way more than I anticipated out of the Marcus Topps seminar!  I walked away thinking I absolutely obtained some skills that can only make Ally and I more competitive as a team. 

I was really impressed with Marcus’ step by step approach in teaching the dogs right and left.  It was so easy and also great fun for the dogs.  In the past I have tried to teach Ally left and right, but have been unsuccessful.  Not really surprising that she had difficulty with it since everything I tried was also confusing to me.  The technique that Marcus utilizes makes sense to both the handler and the dog.  Although it’s not something that the dogs will learn in a day, it’s wonderful to see them really think about what you are asking of them and then to figure it out. 

I commend Marcus for his patience.  I don’t know how many times I heard the following in our private lesson:  “Did you see/feel the difference?”   He truly wants each handler and dog to understand the concept of what he is teaching.  If you don’t understand it at that time then you’re sure not going to understand it when you go home. 

If you want to improve as a team with tighter turns and efficient lines then I would definitely suggest locating a Marcus Topps seminar.  You will not be disappointed!

Sara Steen-Parr (Eldon, MO)

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Marcus presented simple, doable techniques to help me with my “drivy and scopy” Sheltie. His material is easily integrated with my current knowledge and immediately usable in my training. Rather than having to change everything about my handling it is much appreciated that his techniques are something to add to my training toolbox. I recommend his seminar to anyone who wants to expand their agility handling skills and become a more efficient handler on the course.

Marianne Diel (LaClede, ID)

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I recently attended a seminar by Marcus Topps here in Stevensville, Montana. I have attended many seminars in the past while I lived in California. I found Marcus to be a very knowledgeable presenter and what I like the most that he was so good with the participants. Marcus continuously made an effort to explain techniques to the students in a down to earth style, so that a beginner would be able to follow it as well. I also thought that his outline for both days was great. He took everyone through his method of teaching the rear cross from very basic, and then slowly increasing the difficulty. There was a nice progression throughout the two days, without overwhelming the participants. Often you attend a seminar, and so much information gets cramped into a short amount of time, that when the students get home, by the next day they may remember only half, if that much. His presentation style and content was such, that people could retain a lot of the information and continue with the program without his presence, after the seminar.  I enjoyed attending this seminar very much and hope to be able to participate in another one with him at a later time.  Best wishes to him and his agility partners!!

Inge Goetz-Cordova (Germany)

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With both of us being fairly new to agility (2-3years). We’ve now taken both a seminar and semi-private lessons with Marcus. It has been a great pleasure meeting and learning from Marcus. He has the ability to break down each training step into “learning blocks”. Not only does Marcus teach Agility fundamentals, but he possesses the ability to articulate how it is done, why it is important and ensures you understand the concept by actually observing and working with you and your dog. Marcus has the ability to tailor the training to both you and your dogs’ abilities. The most important concept we learned from Marcus is the importance of having a sound foundation. We both started Agility without understanding the importance of building a strong foundation. We entered trials without this knowledge and experienced some success initially, but the lack of understanding the importance of having solid foundation skills came back to haunt us as we moved through the agility ladder. Consequently, we’ve returned to “Step 1” and have had to start over to break “bad habits”. Marcus not only preaches the importance of developing a solid foundation, but practices them as well. We observed him “practice what he preached” when he was working with Amp. We’ve thoroughly enjoyed working with Marcus; he has a great personality, communicates well and takes the time to explain the basic concepts of agility and ensures you understand the “why” of doing something in a particular way. Most of all, we feel, it doesn’t matter if you are new to agility, or a veteran of many years in the sport, you can definitely learn and improve your agility skills by taking a seminar with him. Finally, we can say we’ve had a lot of fun in his seminar and thoroughly enjoyed taking the semi-private lessons with Marcus. Our friends, who have taken lessons with Marcus provided positive comments on their experiences and agree they were able to improve their handling skills as well as have new “tools” in the their “Agility” arsenal that they can use in training and competing in the Agility sport.

Lloyd & Brenda Mehr (Chandler, AZ)

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Marcus is a WOW! I brought home many new ideas from his unique and innovative way of training. He was very positive, and worked with each participant for success. It was exciting and a total pleasure doing the workshop with him, and I feel I will be a better trainer, and my dogs and I will be a better team, because of it. Highly recommend!

Kari Manning (Spokane, WA)

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In my quest to be the best agility handler I can possibly be, I watch successful handler videos on YouTube.  While I was watching Marcus Topps videos of his National and International competitions with Juice, I noticed that that Juice’s wraps around jumps and her path between obstacles were impressive to say the least.  I knew I wanted that for my dog but did not know how to train it.  As luck would have it, I found a seminar Marcus was giving in my area and immediately signed up for a working spot but after a car accident and then a jogging accident, I had to sell my working spot for an audit.  
 
I just got home from the seminar and I must say it was fabulous.  I learned more than I imagined and can’t wait to begin training. Marcus’ seminar is 8 hours of jammed packed step-by-step information on how to train an agility champion.  He makes it very easy to understand the methodology he used to train Juice and now Amp.  I promise, you will have some “ah ha” moments throughout the seminar.  If what you are looking for are tighter wraps and fewer steps for your dog between obstacles, I would start looking for a seminar near you.  If you can’t find one, invite Marcus to come to your agility club.  He might just do it.  You won’t be disappointed.
 
Christy Skinner (Dallas, TX)

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I’ve been fortunate to have had two semi-private lessons with Marcus in AZ. Marcus showed lots of humor and patience with my novice dog and me (also a novice). His assistance and ideas helped to reinforce my current training, and his constant guidance of “Stay on your line!” still echoes in my mind when on course. He teaches his lessons with the level and goals of the participants in mind and is not afraid to have fun in the process. I look forward to the next opportunity for a lesson or seminar with Marcus. Hopefully, he’s up for the challenge!

Stephanie Yrun-Anderson (Phoenix, AZ)

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It was a pleasure to bring Marcus to our training facility for a three day workshop in Lakeland Florida and Imperial Polk Obedience Club. I've known Marcus for years. The first time I saw him with his Siberian Husky Flash, I knew that he had a future in dog sports ahead of him. Over the years, he's not let me down and has grown into a well recognized agility trainer and a top notch world competitor.

I was very happy with Marcus' seminar. People wanted to know how he trained Juice and he showed us with a step-by-step basic format that was very easy to understand. He was available for privates the day before and I heard not one complaint from those that participated. Everyone appeared to have gotten something out of his seminar or private lessons no matter their level of expertise.

He was very easy to work with, very personable and very well liked. Thank you Marcus for bringing your expertise to the Imperial Polk Obedience Club! 

Susi Norton Kirkpatrick (Lakeland, FL)
Seminar chairman IPOC

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I took my young border collie, Ranger, to one of Marcus' clinics in Arizona last February and had a wonderful experience. It was fun to get to know Marcus, he was very personable, knowledgeable, and professional, and the clinic was well-organized and fast-paced, but not so overwhelming that I ended up with information overload. Marcus communicates very clearly and is good about giving each participant his undivided attention when they are performing the exercises. Each exercise built on the previous one and Ranger and I made a lot of progress on our rear crosses and our communication with each other. I set up the exercises we used in my yard as soon as I got home and they have been a very valuable part of my training. I would love to have the opportunity to take another of Marcus' clinics.

Lynn Stringer (Flagstaff, AZ)

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Just having attended a two day seminar with Marcus Topps, I must say I thoroughly enjoyed working with him. He is very clear and concise in the skills he's teaching. He's thorough, taking the group step by step through foundation skills that are a "must have" for any serious competitors and taking the time to help each individual grasp and understand the concepts. He was very personable and easy to work with. I was very comfortable training and even had a few laughs. Even with directionally challenged people like myself, he remains calm and patient. He pushed me beyond making excuses as to why I couldn't do a particular exercise and showed me that it is in fact possible. By the end of the seminar I was no longer making excuses or saying that the exercise was beyond our knowledge or capabilities and I was pleasantly surprised to see the results. Above all I admire his approach and mentality of keeping things simple. I believe he puts an emphasis on key building blocks to great training while keeping it simple and headache free. Everything remains clear and to the point for both handlers and dogs while producing amazing results. It was an absolute pleasure working with him.

Sasha To (Las Vegas, NV)

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As a scientist, I’ve always felt indebted to the few scientists whose work causes what is called a “paradigm shift,” or a completely new way of thinking about a much-studied subject. This new way is often very simple and elegant, stripping the complexity from a problem that has confounded others for a very long time. After a weekend at a seminar with Marcus Topps, I’ve realized that the way I think about handling and training my dog has undergone a paradigm shift. Through his simple foundation training program, he has shown me how to achieve tight, efficient turns with my dog, which is something I have struggled endlessly to achieve through various other systems. Through his advanced-level sequences, he has shown me how to apply the foundation work to rear crosses, threadles and serpentines. He has also provided his unique insight on how to handle courses with the smoothest line possible for both dog and handler. Finally, his demonstrations with his own young dog were very helpful in allowing me to see his training in action. 

I will be enormously grateful to Marcus for the rest of my agility career.

Wendy Parciak, Ph. D. (Missoula, MT)

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I went to the Marcus Topps seminar in the Dallas area on October 23 and audited it. Believe me next time he comes to this area I will opt for a working spot! Although I could only stay for half of it due to work obligations,I learned more in those four hours than I have in a long time. Marcus is down to earth,patient and fun. He spent lots of one on one time with each working team and was more than happy to answer questions from those auditing. His techniques for teaching wraps are unique and fun for the dog. Marcus is a very positive trainer and his seminars should not be missed.

Susan Horak (Dallas,TX)

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I want to thank you for arranging for Marcus Topps to come give seminars at Workin Paws.  I found it really interesting--wishing I had heard it 1.5 years again when I was starting Gwyny. 

I really liked the fact that he didn't waste a lot of time talking about his philosophy, blah, blah. He just got up and showed us what he did, explaining why as he did so, and then got us doing it. With only 6 working teams, we each got sufficient personal attention, and with only a few auditors there weren't a lot of tangential questions that wasted working time. I went home tired physically and mentally, which, in my world, means I got my money's worth. He also broke the foundational work down enough that I know what to do, and gave us various permutations on the one S-curve jump arrangement so I've got some clear idea of where to start to improve Gwyny's and Pic's turns. It was great that he brought Amp--a work in progress--because it really helped illustrate what he's trying to accomplish. So many seminar presenters (and videos) go on and on about their philosophy, and spend a lot of time showing off their extremely well-trained dogs, with the result that one really isn't equipped with the tools necessary to train an inexperienced dog (e.g., what do you do when the dog goes wrong?).

I hope Marcus comes back, because I really want to see how he does wraps, serps, threadles, etc., and how he analyzes the courses in deciding on how to do them. Again, thanks for your efforts. And if he comes back, and you need help hosting him, let me know.

Gail Mahood (CA)

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Rain, Dust Storm and Shine, Godiva and I had a great experience taking both of your seminars. The skill sets we learned such as tight efficient lines and timing of crosses has helped shave seconds off of our time. Breaking down each step from beginning to finish on how to train lefts and rights has improved our communication on the course. Marcus was very patient with everyone including the novice handler/dog and while making the class fun for all levels. We are very excited and looking forward to start competing this fall and now incorporating the new techniques we have learned. Thank you Marcus!

Kameron and Godiva (Gilbert, AZ)

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I slept TEN HOURS last night!!  I spent the day at Marcus Topps seminar at Canine Sports Academy and it was interACTIVE and AWESOME.

The day before the seminar both Dennis and I took private lessons with Yarr and Henry. Dennis hadn't planned on attending the seminar but was so impressed with his private lesson that he enrolled to audit the seminar (working spots had filled).

It seems like the hardest part for new handlers to understand is how their foundation (or lack thereof) is going to contribute/detract from their competitive successes on down the road. I get that some people will never care about being at the top of a game - ok by me. But the unfortunate people are those who realize they care about speed/time AFTER they get to the Exc/Master levels, only to find the ways in which they've been taught agility keep them, at best, within the ranks of mediocrity.

Within MT's action packed day were foundation exercises that had my mental light bulbs lit all day long. I wish I'd been taught similar foundation lessons earlier so they would be in place now - but a girl's gotta go with the hand she's dealt. <g> Without totally changing my ingrained handling I can still use MT's foundation exercises to help Yarr and Henry run more effectively. Also MT gave valuable individual attention to helping ME handle more effectively too - and I am NOT so easy to teach movement to. Dennis and I both were about giddy over the ways in which this seminar will enhance our Puppy Drover's performance as an adult. And he can start NOW!

I doubt everyone who runs agility shares the concern for inches and seconds we cherish (I admit it) but it seems like within MT's message is a standard from which every agility dog and handler would certainly benefit. Basic "obedience" behaviors I often see dismissed because "in agility we do it THIS way" were clearly expected by MT and I appreciate that.

I can work my dogs the same old way I've been working them any time I want to keep on working them that same way. <g> I don't attend lessons and seminars to reinforce what I already know. It was a rare treat for this Okie to be able to spend an hour and a day working my dog the way a world renown Champion trains his dogs, under his direct supervision. Thanks to Kathy Rasmussen for organizing this weekend at Canine Sports Academy. She offered  a great set up for this presentation. I'd do it again... and again.

Kris Butler (Norman, OK)

The first time I ever saw an agility trial Marcus and Juice were running, and it was then, that I decide I wanted to do this sport. I have watched Marcus for years, he is an amazing handler. I attended his seminar in Oceanside last November and it was the best thing I could have done for Juice (Yes I even named my dog after Marcus's Juice, for good luck!) We didn't have enough foundation before that and the seminar made a big difference. Juice and I are finally clicking and making some awesome runs.

Marcus has a great attitude at his seminars. He tells it like it is, straight forward and to the point. I liked how no matter what level your dog was at they could participate learn something. I never thought I could use left and rights until Marcus helped me, and I couldn't do a rear cross without Juice knocking a bar. He has helped so much. I'm attending another seminar in Oceanside in 2 weeks and I cant wait! My goal is to make the world team, and I know I have a great teacher helping me. Thank you Marcus Topps!!

Stephanie Malone (Las Vegas, NV)

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My husband and I really enjoyed your seminar this weekend. Great training techniques as well as solid presentation style made a winning combination for the participants. Thanks!

Suzanne Jones (CA)

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I liked the approach of training your dog really well on something before you start running with it and taking it over jumps. Lots of work on right and left for the handlers was great because it can be very confusing. I thought stressing (again) how important foundation training is to dogs was great. Marcus was quite patient because almost everyone was getting confused and he never became abrupt or impatient.

Lonnie Gribnau (Stevensville, MT)

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The reality of my handling and the lack of focus of my dog was brought home to me in a respectful and useful manner. He has the ability to work with a variety of handlers and dogs to bring out the best in both. I think his seminar helped this aging handler develop the team work with a very high drive dog that will make us happy and successful. The method is unconventional but totally logical-I liked it.

Betty Knight

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The seminar was very challenging! I went away with very precise steps to help both my dogs learn to tighten their turns, especially on rear crosses. Marcus’s process to teach directionals is very doable.

Linda Cummings

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Six hours well spent! It was amazing how my dog began to respond to certain aspects of the training after just a few minutes. Marcus does a fantastic job of giving individualized attention to both the handler and the dog. I left the seminar feeling like we really had "team" potential.

Susan B and Circle (D/FW, TX)

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Recently I attended a Marcus Topps building blocks seminar and then went to a trial and watched some of the very fast dogs. Some had some tight turns but many could have benefited from what Marcus is teaching. Never to old to learn something new. When looking for those seconds on the course Marcus's Building Blocks seminar could benefit all levels of participants.

Marcus took his time with all participants and was very good in his explanations. I will work Marcus's method over the winter and then maybe next spring Stevie will be ready to break out in the agility ring. Would definitely attend another seminar with Marcus. He has a passion for the game and it shows in his training. Thanks You Marcus.

John H. Gooldy and Stevie the Papillon (Springfield, MO)