Spectator's Guide

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Spectator's Guide for Dog Agility Compiled by Caroline Hanson

WHAT IS DOG AGILITY? In brief, it's a sport in which a dog runs through a timed obstacle course as commanded by the handler. Agility training strengthens the bond between dog and handler, and provides fun and exercise for both.

WHAT WE EXPECT FROM YOU AS A SPECTATOR: · Before you reach out to pet a dog, always ask the owner/handler FIRST. Please especially be sure your children observe this rule. Please supervise your children at all times. · Feel free to sit or stand ringside and observe, but please remember to stay back a reasonable distance from the ring itself and away from ring entrances and exits. · It is against the rules for spectators to assist or coach the handler/dog team by, for example, yelling out the correct obstacle order from the sidelines. It is also not appropriate to shout the dog's name, since this would distract the dog from the handler's commands. · But please feel free to applaud and cheer the dogs on, and show your appreciation at the END of a particularly good or entertaining run.

On the agility course, you will see a variety of OBSTACLES:

  • Jumps - Most of the jumps are single bar jumps, some with colorful and decorative wings holding up the bars, double-bar spread hurdle(s), and the tire jump. Each type of jump is set at the proper height for each class, determined by the height of the dog at the withers (shoulders). Dogs must clear the full height of the jump without knocking a bar off.
  • Tunnels - There are two types of tunnels, open tunnels which are long open tubes; and "chutes", which are open at one end and have a collapsed fabric tube at the other.
  • Contact Obstacles - The contact obstacles, so called because of the yellow "contact zones" at each end, consist of the A-frame, the dogwalk, and the see-saw. To perform these obstacles correctly, the dog must get at least one paw in each contact zone when they ascend and decend the obstacle. The contact zone rule is for safety considerations.
  • Weave Poles - The dog must enter to the right of the first pole and zig-zag through to the end. They must not miss a pole.
  • Pause Table - The dog must land on the table and assume a down position for a count of five seconds.
  • THE JUDGE: Not only does the judge design the pattern and supervise the set-up of the courses, but also must referee the dog's and handler's performance and indicate faults or mistakes. Watch for his or her hand signals to indicate mistakes.
  • FAULTS: Faults occur if the handler touches the dog or an obstable while on course; the dog runs the wrong course, misses a contact zone; misses a weave pole; displaces a jump bar; jumps on and off the table before the end of the count, or exceeds the amount of time set by the judge for running the course.

WHAT HAPPENS AT AN EVENT:

  • Judge's Briefing: When the course has been set up, the handlers gather together for a "judge's briefing" where the judge summarizes how the class is judged.
  • Walk Through: Then the handlers may "walk the course". They do this as a group, without their dogs, following the numbers to become familiar with how the course goes. Most handlers try to walk the course as many times as they can in the time alotted, to plan their strategy. You may see handlers during a course walk actually running the course with an imaginary dog, giving the commands as they would during their competing round. Or other handlers gather in little groups and discuss potential problem spots and how they are going to handle them.
  • The Competition Runs: The dogs run the course individually, off leash and without collars. The "timer" will tell the handler when he or she may begin, starting the stopwatch as soon as the dog crosses the start line and stopping it when the dog crosses the finish. As each dog runs, the judge indicates the faults, which are noted on a sheet of paper by an official called a "scribe." At the completion of the round, the timer tells the scribe what the dog's time was. The information is then conveyed to the "scorekeeper," who calculates the qualifying performances and top placements.

THREE LEVELS OF AGILITY:
Beginning, (called Starters or Novice, depending on the experience of the handler), Advanced, and Masters. As you would expect, the courses and the rules get harder as you move up.

  • TYPES OF CLASSES:
    Standard Class requires that the dog, under the direction of the handler, perform all of the agility obstacles in the order and time limit set by the judge.
  • Gamblers Class has two distinct parts. In the first part, the handler must maneuver the dog among the obstacles in any order that he/she chooses to execute them. The dog earns points for each obstacle performed correctly. After the whistle blows, the dog can earn bonus points by working independently away from the handler through a series of obstacles, while the handler stands behind a designated line.
  • Jumpers Class is composed only of jumps and tunnels.
  • Pairs Relay consists of a standard course with one dog and handler doing a portion of the course, followed by a baton exchange to a second handler and dog who run the second part of the course.
  • Snooker is based on a British game of billiards. In the opening sequence, the handler must direct the dog over a red jump, then an obstacle of his choice, a second different red jump, an obstacle of his choice, a still different third red jump and an obstacle of choice, then complete the sequence of obstacles in numbered order.