1) The AKC FAST class has some changes to note, such as the removal of the double whistle and 4-paw rule.  Plus a new FAST title, effective January 1, 2010, was added to the AKC Regulations for Agility Trials. The addition of this title is to encourage exhibitors to continue exhibiting their dogs past the Master FAST titles and help clubs to increase their agility entries.  More details covering the changes to the FAST class is here: http://www.akc.org/pdfs/events/agility/judges_newsletter/2009/0809.pdf

2) The Obedience, Agility, and Rally Regulations were amended, effective April 1, 2010 to provide for mixed-breed dogs.

You may remember the original story of Buddy, a timid rescued Sheltie owned by Carolotta Trevino:    Well, Carlotta recently sent an update on Buddy, which I have posted below.   It’s great to hear how he is learning more confidence by doing agility!

“Hi everybody at Agility Fusion!   Buddy and I went to our first competition this summer! I must say its a BLAST! Our first competition we entered the obedience division and I was very surprised at Buddy’s performance, he did very well until it was time to stand for examination, when the judge began to put her hand on him, he wanted nothing to do with that, so we knew what our goal would be for the next time. In the mean time we continued to practice our agility. In our fun class Buddy was very afraid of the teeter so I decided to purchase the practice teeter base from Affordable Agility to help him along, wow what a difference! ! He now sails over the teeter and sometimes just for fun he will run the teeter himself just to show me what he can do. We continued to practice and then decided to enter our second competition, remembering what our goal was . We worked very hard at letting strange people examine him. At the next competition,the judge came up to him, with doubt in his eyes and a little fear in his heart Buddy came through like the little solider that he is and conquered his greatest fear!! My heart just burst with pride for him.

I know that through agility it has given Buddy courage, and a great sense of who he is. We have found agility competitions near our area and intend to go to as many as we can next season. Here is a picture of Buddy and his teeter. Affordable Agility has the best built, quality equipment for your money that will last for a very long time. So keep going, your goals may be short term or not, but just keep pushing! We are having fun!”

Snooker. It scares a lot of beginners. It looks confusing to the spectators. But in reality its a really fun game!  I am posting a course map so everyone can start planning their strategy.

How do you play? I’m going to try to explain the game in an easy, understandable way.

There are “red” obstacles, and “non-red” obstacles. The Red obstacles are jumps. They will be marked with red flags or cones. On our course map (below) the Red obstacles are the jumps with a 1 by them. These jumps are always worth 1 point. Think of these Red jumps as your bank account. You must go to the bank (jump a red jump successfully) in order to go to the store and purchase something (in snooker your store is the field and you purchase things by completing them successfully).

In Snooker you must jump a red jump successfully, then go out and take any other obstacle. Each obstacle on the field is numbered. Whatever number the obstacle has, is it’s worth. For example, on our course map, the weave poles are worth 7 points. The dogwalk is worth 4 points, etc.

So, you jump a red, then a non-red, then you jump the next red, and any non-red, and then you jump the final red jump, and any non-red. This sequence is called the “opening”. If you do this successfully you move on to the “closing” which is simply running the course in numbered order starting at #2 and going through #7.

How do you Qualify? You need to get at least 37 points and do it under the course time (which the judge will post).

The closing sequence (#2 thru #7) is worth 27 points (add them up, 2+3+4+5+6+7=27). So figure you need to gather at a minimum 10 points in your opening.

Of course there are rules… If you fail to do a red-jump successfully, you do not earn the right to go do a non-red obstacle. For example, if you send your dog over a red jump, and he knocks the bar down, you MUST go to the next red jump and do it successfully before you can do a non-red for more points.

If you do two non-red obstacles, you are off course and the game ends. If you do two red jumps without getting a non-red in between them, you are off course and the game ends.

Using our course map (below), all obstacles in the opening sequence are bi-directional, meaning you can do them in either direction and get points for them.

You see the 5a and 5b sequence. You must do both of these jumps to earn the 5 points. In the opening sequence you can jump them in any order but must do both of them. In the closing sequence you must jump the obstacles in the correct order starting at #2.

~ Thanks to Linda at http://agilityteamair.wordpress.com/ for the above entry~

For more information on snooker, visit one of our affiliate’s pages, http://www.agilityability.com/snooker.htm

This is totally NOT agility related (heck, it’s not even dog related) but it’s just sooo funny.  As the Bible says, “A cheerful heart is good medicine”.   GOOD CLEAN FUN, through and through!  I really think you’ll enjoy it!