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Even before a puppy can compete, come out to events so your dog gets used to the buzz and is not fearful or aggressive. It will make doing agility fun and safe for you both.
About Agility
Agility is a sport in which dogs traverse a maze of obstacles and compete for speed and accuracy. Terriers jump through tires, zip through tunnels, scale a 5'7" A-Frame, traverse a narrow "dog walk", negotiate a see-saw, zigzag through closely spaced, upright poles and soar over a variety of challenging hurdles. The sport has an overwhelming spectator appeal, largely because of the fast pace, the challenging and visually appealing obstacles and the contagious enthusiasm displayed by the dogs.
Photo: Tien Tran
Trials and Fun Days
'Trials' are recorded events which can issue certificates. Both terrier and handler must qualify to participate and adhere to stringent regulations. Trials, can in fact live up to their name and be a little stressful for those whose reps are riding on the results.
'Fun Days', on the other hand, are open to all terriers, often all breeds. Events are judged but results do not, so to speak, go “on the books”, nor are there official Awards. On a sunny day in June, who cares? Come out and have Fun! We still follow the rules for safety and equipment and it is a wonderful chance for your dog to learn and enjoy his sport.
Judging Agility
At sanctioned trials, judging follows regulations that are available to all participants (see sidebar). The judge should be qualified as an Agility Judge through one of the agility organizations - AAC, USDAA, or JRTCC/CA.
Stewards may scribe for scoring, but only the judge may signal and score faults.
The judge sets the course, checks the heights of the jumps and construction standards and establishes the Standard Course Time. The judge should hold a briefing before the event concerning performance scoring, refusals and other procedures. The judge also answers questions pertaining to regulations in effect.
What's on an agility course
Agility courses consist of several obstacles through and over which your dog races: contact obstacles, tunnels, hurdles, weave poles, pause obstacles and the tire jump.
Contact obstacles consist of the Teeter Tottor, A-frame, and dog walk. All are similar in that the dog must climb and descend inclined ramps and panels. Contact obstacles have painted ends, which are “safety zones” or “contact zones”, intended to prevent dogs from jumping off an obstacle too early and possibly sustaining an injury. When traversing the obstacle, the dog must touch each of the painted contact zones to avoid penalties or “faults”.
There are two types of tunnels on the agility course. The flexible tunnel is an open tunnel that is bent into a variety of shapes and configurations. The Chute tunnel has a rigid opening and a fabric chute through which the terrier must burrow.
Hurdles/Jumps test your terrier's ability to jump. The hurdles are a large portion of the course and come in a wide variety of forms.
The weave poles are two sets of upright poles through which the terrier must serpentine quickly and accurately. To weave properly means the terrier enters on the right of the first pole and weaves in and out without skipping a pole.
The pause obstacle is a table. The terrier must jump on the pause table and assume the position appropriate for the class they are competing in, for a count of five.
The tire jump consists of, well, a tire suspended from a frame.
Tips on Training and Safety
Use a flat buckle collar or no collar at all, not a “choke” or “slip” collar, when training or competing. Do not force your terrier to complete an obstacle or push a young dog. Remember, puppies under one year do not compete in trials, both for their safety and their health.
Choose one command for each obstacle and always use that command. Keep training sessions short. As with all training, combine training with play, since play is a great reward. Try to end each lesson on a successful note; you will build your own confidence and your dog will love the sport. In competition, you cannot pull your dog (in the on-lead classes), use any food or toys as motivation, nor jump over obstacles yourself, so keep these guidelines in mind as you train.
Finally, the trials are lively, with dozens of dogs revved up and eager to run. Even before a puppy can compete, come out to events so your dog can get used to those conditions and not be fearful or aggressive. It will make the event fun and safe for you both.