From
the northern reaches of Canada to the Southern United States, more
and more dog owners are discovering the action-packed world of dog
agility. In this month's spotlight, we have invited two authorities
in the field to illuminate the in's and out's of this wonderful
sport. In 'Welcome
to Agility', the Agility Association of Canada's Kathryn
Harvey covers the fundamentals of the sport and the Canadian
competitive circuit. The North American Dog Agility Council's 'Agility
in the USA' outlines agility registry and trial
information for the United States.
Welcome to Agility
by Kathryn Harvey
You've seen them on TV: dogs and handlers barreling around a course
of obstacles, through tunnels and weave poles, over jumps, and up
and down contact equipment at top speed. Among the fastest growing
sports in Canada, this is dog agility.
There's no greater rush than running a complicated course in sync
with your dog, so it's no surprise that the word "addiction" is
often associated with agility. Many avid participants started out by
taking a class for fun with no intention of ever competing. Soon,
though, they were bitten by the agility bug and moved from casual
hobbyist to all-out competitor, trading in small cars for vans
packed with shade tents, comfy lawn chairs and crates, and spending
almost every weekend in the company of others similarly bitten.
With more than 200 trials taking place each year, it's increasingly
easy to find a place to play. Most agility trials in Canada are held
under the auspices of the Agility Association of Canada, an
organization that welcomes all dogs over eighteen months of age
without regard to breed or pedigree. AAC trials are run by host
clubs across the country at sites ranging from private homes to
large public stadiums. The formerly weather-limited agility season
has been extended considerably by the addition of a number of great
indoor sites.
Getting Started
The most important factor to consider if you're interested in
getting involved in the sport is that there's a lot more to it than
simply telling your dog which obstacle comes next. Those dogs you've
seen on TV represent hundreds, maybe thousands, of hours of
carefully planned training. Done well, training can be at least as
enjoyable as competing, but it's much more involved than you might
first think.
Prior to enrolling in an agility class, handlers should ensure that
their dogs have good off-leash control and an excellent recall and
stay. Many dogs get very high when faced with the fun of agility, so
it's especially important to have solid basic skills in place before
adding agility to the mix. Agility classes are not the place to work
out socialization or aggression issues.
Training methods vary, but should focus on positive rewards and
unhurried, steady progress. In their excitement to get on the
equipment, many agility newbies fail to recognize the importance of
good foundation work - a mistake that will come back to haunt any
team as they progress.
The most vital component of this foundation work is the relationship
between dog and handler. Only by being tuned in to one another are
teams able to find success negotiating the challenges of an agility
course. Good instructors will start with the basics, including
attention work, motivation and communication, and will help handlers
to train the finer points of obstacle performance before having
teams incorporate those obstacles into longer sequences.
Getting Competitive
Before entering a sanctioned agility trial, it's a great idea to
attend a few trials as a spectator and to enter as many fun matches
as possible. These are set up like trials, but often allow the use
of toys in the ring and encourage handlers to work on problems
without the pressure of competition. Many agility training
facilities rent their rings and equipment for practice time,
offering handlers an opportunity to train somewhere other than
their usual venue and expose their dogs to different sets of
equipment and distractions.
If you think competing may be in your future, be sure to register
your dog with the sanctioning body. Allow at least six weeks before
your first trial to obtain a dog ID card, which you'll be required
to present at each trial and which will indicate your dog's jump
height. At your first couple of trials (or more, if your dog is
between 18 and 24 months of age), you will have to have your dog
measured by an officiating judge. These measurements will be marked
on the card and will determine what height your dog will jump.
Once you and your instructor have determined that you're ready to
enter a trial, decide which level and classes you'll enter. The AAC
offers divisions for "regular" dogs, who jump a prescribed height,
as well as "special" dogs, who jump one height lower. Veterans
classes are available for dogs over seven years of age, and allow
dogs to jump one or two heights lower than their regular height.
Everyone starts off in Starters classes, moving to Advanced only
after earning the required number qualifying scores at the Starters
level. Titles are presented to those dogs who earn qualifying scores
(or "Qs") at each level. Classes include standard (all equipment
performed in an order set by the judge), jumpers (tunnels and jumps
only), gamblers (requiring work at a distance), snooker (a strategic
game of point accumulation), team relay (involving two dogs and
handlers) and steeplechase (a high-speed game including jumps,
tunnels, weave poles and the A-frame).
Contact the trial-hosting club to obtain an entry form. Many trials
have opening dates, before which entries will not be accepted, and
all have closing dates. In some areas, trials fill very quickly, so
be sure to get your entry in on or as soon after the opening date as
possible.
Everything you need to know about AAC trials, including eligibility
and class descriptions, can be found in the official rule book,
which you'll receive when you become a member.
The Big Time
In addition to weekend trials hosted by clubs across the country,
the AAC also offers championships in each of its seven regions.
These events result in the naming of regional champions and also
determine which dogs qualify to compete in the national
championship, held in a different location each year. The 2006 AAC
National Championship will be held in Burnaby, BC, in August.
The last few years have also seen the addition of world
championships open to all breeds and mixes of dogs, the next of
which will be held in the Netherlands in May 2006. Teams are
selected based on performance at the regional and national
championships.
As agility continues to grow and evolve, one thing is clear: there
is no better way to deepen the bond between dog and handler than to
spend time together learning how to be a team. And there's no better
place to be a team than on an agility course on a sunny summer
afternoon.
For more information about membership, dog registration, clubs and
upcoming trials in your area, go to
www.aac.ca.
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Kathryn Harvey is the President of the Agility Association of Canada
and the co-owner of The Agility Farm, a training facility east of
Toronto. Co-author of "Citizen Canine: Practical advice on living
with dogs in the real world," Kathryn competes with her border
collie Ruby and has a puppy, Logic, in training.
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Agility in the USA
by NADAC Representative
In the United States, there are a number of agility registries that
sanction agility events. The United States Agility Association (USDAA),
the North American Dog Agility Council (NADAC), the American Kennel
Club (AKC), the Canine Performance Events (CPE) and the Australian
Shepherd Club of America (ASCA). Besides the AKC, which requires the
dogs to be purebred and registered with the AKC, all other
registries allow purebreds and mixed breeds to compete. Each
registry has separate rules and philosophies that make each venue
unique. Similar to the Canadian agility registry, a dog and handler
team must compete in sanctioned agility trials to earn qualifying
scores in order to receive titles and awards in each venue.
All venues have a National Championship event during the year. To
qualify for the Championship event, the rules varies within each
organization, but agility trials held by each venue’s associated
clubs through out the United States, will allow all competitors the
opportunity to vie for the prestigious Championship awards.
The North American Dog Agility Council (NADAC) was formed in 1993 to
provide North American dogs and their handlers with a fast, safe and
enjoyable form of the sport of dog agility. NADAC has also expanded
the venue to our agility friends down under in Australia. Within the
US and Australian venue, there are three levels of competition
called Novice, Open and Elite. Each registered dog must start in the
Novice level, and each team must earn a set number of qualifying
points to advance to the Open level and then further on to the Elite
Level.
The classes offered are Regular Agility (a course using all approved
equipment), Jumpers ( jumps and tunnels), Tunnelers (a course that
tests speed and handling skills using all tunnels), Touch N Go (a
course testing speed and accuracy using multiple tunnels, dogwalk,
a-frame and teeter), and Weavers (a test of impulsion and collection
using tunnels and weave poles). NADAC also has divisions within
their classes. The Standard division is open to all dogs. The
Veteran division is open to all dogs 7 years and older or handlers
over the age of 60 years or certified handicapped handlers. The Jr
Handler division is open to any handler under the age of 18 years.
The Veteran and Jr Handler division allows the dogs to jump lower
than the Standard division dogs and they are also given more time to
complete the courses. Within each division, a dog could earn the
coveted title of NADAC Agility Trial Champion (NATCH) by earning the
required number of qualifying points from the Elite level.
The NADAC Championships are held each year in a different location
throughout the United States. This year the competition is being
held in St.Louis, Missouri on October 12-16th. This grand event is
open to the public and all spectators are welcome to attend.
To learn more about the North American Dog Agility Council rules,
dog registration, membership or calendar of events, please visit the
NADAC website at
www.nadac.com.
Photo Credits:
Images submitted courtesy of Agility Association of Canada
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