[Ayoka]

Debbie, I have to agree with you here...in obedience trials you CAN NOT touch your dog and in some venues, you can't even have a collar on them so I think that classes are the place to start people (and dogs) getting used to the fact that they can't use a collar.

peaches and chubby - I realise that you think you are a long way from trials but I can tell you from experience that I started thinking it was only for fun, then I caught the bug and now I'm really wishing I had spent more time on a few things that I know are taking me longer to re-train then they would have taken had I started with those things from the start.

I have seen people in agility classes who are dependant on their (flat) collar for corrections and have way more trouble getting their dogs to work than any other person - in fact watching - I feel for the dogs because their body language screams "get me out of here" I'm not saying you ARE over correcting, just that it can be a concern.

If you really do need that collar for control, and are concerned about your safety and hers, then you might be better to keep working on obedience (off leash), especially recalls, for a while until she matures a little more and look into agility when she settles down.

Alternatively, you could look for a place that offers smaller classes in a completely enclosed area and where dogs are crated while they are not working. I have been to classes like this and they are more expensive but the environment is a little more controlled and you get more one on one time.