The IFCS competition runs from 14-16th- tomorrow through Sunday.
USDAA.com is planning on streaming coverage of this event for a reasonable rate. Watch and see some of the best agility competitors in the entire world, and cheer for your old favorites- or get a new favorite! My favorite part of watching Agility Championships is seeing all the courses, and figuring out how to set them up with my equipment. There are some really great challenges on them!
Tags: Affordable Agility News, agility games/classes, agility organizations
TDAA trials are mad fun- after all, there’s so many little agility dogs to watch rockin’ their stuff on course and around the area, it’s truly amazing! And the games!
But the question arises- where can you find your own TDAA trial? It’s simple! Just go here and select your state and TDAA, and voila! You will see all the listings available to you and your dog.
Tags: agility competing, agility games/classes, agility organizations
Q. I’m thinking about trying United Kennel Club agility, but I’ve only done AKC trials in the past. Are the obstacles different at the Novice level?
A. The UKC’s first level, Agility I, uses many of the same obstacles seen in AKC trials. An Agility I course consists of 13 obstacles: six hurdles, six non-hurdles, and a pause table. The six hurdle obstacles may be chosen from 10 types: bar, bush, high, log, long, picket fence, rail fence, spread, water, and window. The non-hurdle obstacles for Agility I are the A-frame, dogwalk, teeter, open tunnel, closed tunnel (also known as the chute), and hoop tunnel. All non-hurdle obstacles are required.
Of the non-hurdle obstacles, the only one that is unique to the UKC is the hoop tunnel. This obstacles is a series of hoops held in place by a PVC or wood framework. The hoops are set at alternating angles to form a zigzag pattern when seen from above. The dog runs straights through the hoops like he would a tunnel. But since the hoops are not enclosed, the dog can incorrectly exit the sides at any time.
Many allowed hurdles are quite different from AKC jumps. While some UKC clubs may possess all the unique hurdles, many use the common ones- bar jumps, long jumps, and spreads. All UKC hurdles must be in 42″ and 48″ wide. The hurdle uprights of 36″ to 48″ heights may be separate, connected by a ground-level crosspiece, or supported by a separate base.
The bush fence hurdle is designed with a planter that holds live or plastic plants, or branches cut from leafy shrubs. After the 8″ initial height, additional planter boxes are added to provide the 14″ and 20″ jump heights (called divisions in the UKC). The high hurdle is similar to the high jumps used in obedience competitions. The log hurdle is made of 4″ PVC pipe that is 42″-48″ in length. Pyramidal stacks of 3, 6, or 10 pipes are used for the separate divisions. The picket fence hurdle looks like it sounds, but the ends of the pickets must be flat or round, not pointed. The rail fence hurdle has several displaceable (preferred) or non-displaceable (allowed) cross rails held between two uprights. The water hurdle has ramps and platforms that are positioned on either side of a water box or pool, which is about 48″-50″ x 28″, made from 2x2s and must hold at least 1.5″ of water. The window hurdle has the same frame as the UKC tire jump but it is covered by a panel of wood or heavy fabric that is 42″-48″ wide with an opening 14″-18″ wide and 30″ high. The panel is adjustable for each division. Detailed descriptions and specifications of all UKC obstacles are available online at: www.ukcdogs.com/website.nsf/rules/DEAgiliAgilityObstaclesDescriptionsan.
© Clean Run, January 2009
Tags: agility competing, agility obstacles, agility organizations
Q. I compete in AKC agility with my Poodle that weighs 2.5 pounds. She sometimes can tip the teeter plank and sometimes not. When trialing if she goes to the end of the teeter and the plank does not move, what would the judge do? What should I do?
A. An AKC representative offers this response: “An AKC teeter that is properly calibrated will go down when a 2.5 pound dog is at the end of it. There are several dogs of that size currently competing.
“If the teeter for some reason wouldn’t go down and the dog is at the end of the board, the handler should pick the dog up and politely ask the judge if he or she calibrated the teeter yet on that day. If the judge answers that it hasn’t been calibrated, they should ask that it be checked and if found in need of correcting, then the dog should be awarded a rerun, using the proper rules for reruns.”
The rules for reruns that apply to equipment malfunction can be found in the AKC Judges Guidelines, Chapter 7, Section 2. In some cases of equipment malfunction, the dog and handler may continue the run and later perform the problematic obstacle (for example, when a weave pole breaks while the dog is weaving). But in this case, the dog can’t continue; she is stuck on the teeter. The Guidelines state: “Sometimes the malfunction affects the dog or handler greatly, and the run basically stops at that point. In these cases, the equipment should be fixed, and the dog should be given and opportunity to perform it (one time) immediately, to reacclimate itself to the obstacle prior to completing the course or the rerun as described below. If the dog had incurred faults that would keep it from qualifying at the time of the severe malfunction, the handler should be allowed to simply complete the course at that time. If the dog was qualifying at the time of the severe malfunction, then the handler would be instructed that a rerun would be necessary. All faults incurred in the first run (up to the point of the malfunction) would remain in effect, and judging would begin at the point where the severe equipment malfunction occurred. Exhibitors must be briefed with rerun criteria as stated in stopwatch/e-timer malfunctions.”
© Clean Run, January 2009
Tags: agility obstacles, agility organizations, agility safety
Q. I’d like to try the games at CPE (Canine Performance Events) trials, but I don’t know anything about them. Can you help?
A. Three games are unique to CPE: Colors, Wildcard, and Fullhouse. Colors is very straightforward. The object, according to the rulebook, is to “successfully run your choice of one of the two overlapping mini-agility courses on the same field.” Each course is 8 to 10 obstacles long and the courses cross paths or overlap several times.
The courses are differentiated by different colors used to number the obstacles and should be equivalent in length and in difficulty level. When handlers step up to the start line, they must declare to the judge which color course they will run. Once the color is declared, it cannot be changed.
One off-course is allowed in levels 1 and 2 only, one other fault is allowed for all levels, and the run must be 5 seconds or less over the time. No level is allowed a knocked bar. All obstacles must be performed successfully for a team to earn a qualifying score, unless the error is within the allowed faults total. In levels 1-4 the team may not exceed 10 total faults; at level 5 they may not exceed 5 total faults; and for level C they must run completely clean.
Wildcard is a little more unusual. The rule book states that the object of this game is to “successfully complete the course including enough ‘wildcards’ to qualify.” A modified course of 10 to 12 numbered obstacles is used along with three “choice” obstacles, where the handler must decide which option to take. Two obstacles will be placed parallel and 5′ apart. One obstacle is worth 1 point and the other is worth 2 points. The handler (or the dog) will choose which obstacle to perform. Once the dog commits to or touches the Wildcard obstacle, he must complete that one. After each Wildcard obstacle, the dog must continue on the regularly marked course.
Wildcard follows the Standard class measuring, yardage figures, and standard course times. Levels 1 and 2 can have one off-course fault, but levels 3-5 can’t have any. All levels may have one bar down, may be up to 5 seconds over time, and may have one other type of fault. Just like in Colors, for Levels 1-4 the team may not exceed 10 total faults; for level 5 they may not exceed 5 total faults; and for Level C no faults are allowed. Also, for Levels 1 and 2 the dogs must complete two 1-point Wildcards and one worth 2 points. For Levels 3-5 and C, the dog must do two 2-point Wildcards and one 1-point option. A 15-point fault is assessed for Wildcards that are faulted and not corrected (if the Wildcard is correctable) which will result in an NQ.
FullHouse is a strategy game in which the handler gets to design her own course while trying to accumulate the required points needed at a particular level. The 4″ and 8″ and 12″ jumping dogs have 35 seconds to accumulate points and the larger jump heights have 30 seconds. After the whistle sounds to indicate that the time is up, the dog must reach and touch the pause table with at least one paw within 5 seconds. After 5 seconds, 1 point is deducted for every additional full second that the dog takes to touch the table.
The course that the handler designs must include at least three single bar jumps, two ‘circle’ obstacles, (tires, tunnels, and chutes), and one from this list: contacts, weaves, broad jump, double, or triple. The minimum number of points required for Regular and Veterans classes are: Level 1 19 points; Level 2, 21 points; Level 3, 23 points, and Levels 4, 5, and C, 25 points. For the Enthusiast and Specialist categories, Level 1 needs 17 points; Level 2, 19; Level 3, 21; and Levels 4, 5, and C, 23. Single-bar jumps are 1 point, circles 3 points, and the contacts, weaves, broad, double and triple are worth 5 points. Back-to-Back obstacle performances are okay if performed safely, and all obstacles will b e scored for only two performances.
When the handler and dog perform the required obstacles within the time allowed and have accumulated the required points, they have earned a qualifying score. Placements are based on qualifiers, then points, then time, and those non-qualifiers who received a time are placed after.
The other games played at CPE are Snooker, Jumpers, and Jackpot (CPE’s version of Gamblers). These are the games played in several other organizations, but you should read the complete rules, available at www.k9cpe.com/forms/cpe2008rulebook.pdf before playing any of them.
© Clean Run, January 2009
Tags: agility competing, agility games/classes, agility organizations
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