Agility
Agility started in England over 40 years ago. It is a sport in which all dogs regardless of breed (purebred or mixed) can participate and have fun. People and dogs of all ages can have fun competing or playing at this unique sport.
Agility is a timed obstacle course for dogs. There are many interesting obstacles through which the dog must maneuver; a dash into the tunnel, along the raised dog walk, through the tire, onto the pause table for a 5 second count, up and over the A-frame, carefully along the tilting teeter, over the jumps, through the chute and in and out through the weave poles and across the finish line. However, it isn’t as easy as all that! For one, each course is different and each day brings it’s own challenges.
Speed is of the essence but dog control is equally important. Each piece of equipment has its own unique challenges. The dog walk, teeter and A- frame, for example, all have yellow end zones which the dog must hit with a paw or faults are accumulated.
Dog and handler may obtain title certificates upon fulfilling certain requirements. Dogs move from Agility Dog of Canada (ADC), to Advanced Agility Dog of Canada (AADC), then to Masters Agility Dog of Canada (MADC) and finally to Agility Trial Champion of Canada (ATChC).
Recently added post ATChC titles are: Bronze Award of Merit, Silver Award of Merit, Gold Award of Merit and Lifetime Achievement Award of Excellence. Each level has increasingly difficult requirements.
We are proud to have a number of dogs and handlers in our club who have achieved all or some of these milestones, but equally value our members who practice just for their own enjoyment and may not want to trial.
Agility Events in a nutshell
While it is fun just to practice agility with your dog, many people gradually enter a few competitions. There are a variety of games / events which the handler can choose to enter.
Standard is not considered a game but rather a full course which includes all the equipment. The dog and handler run the course as set out by the judge. The dog with the least amount of faults and fastest time wins!
Jumpers is a very fast paced course consisting of jumps and tunnels with the occasional weave poles thrown in for good measure. The course designs are very twisty causing the handler and dog to become completely lost! The dog with the least amount of faults and fastest time wins.
Snooker can be very confusing for the dog, handler and spectators alike. It consists of two parts. In the first part the dog must complete three sets of red jump / obstacle pairs. It is much like going to the bank machine before going shopping. The dog must successfully complete a red jump (go to the bank machine to see if there is any money) before doing one obstacle of choice (shopping for ‘points’). If the red jump is not completed successfully (no money in that particular machine), another red jump (going to a different bank machine) must be attempted before going to any obstacle (shopping for points). Once three pairs of red jump / obstacle combinations have been completed (or attempted) the second part begins. The team attempts the obstacles in the order chosen by the judge (often numbered cones on the course). Many runs are very short due to mistakes causing the judge to blow the whistle and the team making a dash to the finish line. The dog with the fastest time and the most points wins.
The Gamble game, demonstrates the dog and handler’s ability to work apart from each other. This game consists of two parts. In the first part, the judge gives the dog team a set amount of time (usually 40 seconds) in which to accumulate as many points as possible. Mini gambles (marked out with plastic lines), which the team may attempt, shows the dog working away from the handler. The mini gambles provide opportunities to double the obstacle’s points. When the 40 seconds have lapsed, the team must attempt the final gamble within a 20 second time period. The handler must stay behind a set line and send the dog to the equipment. The time is stopped when the dog touches the table or crosses the finish line. The dog with the most points wins.
The Team event has two dog/handler teams running on different halves of the course. The course has two exchange boxes outlined with flagging tape. The first dog and handler run the first half of the course and end their run in exchange box A while the second team waits for their turn in a separate box. All 12 feet (handler's and dog's) must be inside their respective outlined box prior to the second dog leaving their exchange box to run the course. The fastest and cleanest run wins.
Steeplechase is the newest class to be added to the AAC list of games. As of January 2005, this game demonstrates the dog's ability to run and jump at high speeds while maintaining control on the A-frame and weave poles. The dog with the least amount of faults and best time wins!
