Preparing for your dogs first agility trial:
So you and your dog have put in all the hard work and you think you’re ready to enter your first Agility trial. It is a good idea to offer to steward at a trial before you run your dog. This will give you first hand experience of how a trial works, and gives you a close up view of common mistakes people make.
The Paperwork:
In order to enter a trial you need to be a member of the VCA, you can download the forms from the VCA website at
http://www.vca.org.au. Next you will also need to get your dog officially measured. This needs to be officiated by two judges and can often be done at trials.
Some trial schedules are posted in the bi-monthly magazine Vic-Dog but due to the cost of advertising a lot of clubs advertise by word of mouth. The VicAgility website contains the schedules of
http://www.geocities.com/vicagility
Check in procedure:
Find the check in desk and get your entry numbers and catalogue. If you have a bitch you will need to present these entries and get her vetted. Take a look at the running order, and find where your ring is.
Find your ring and walk the course:
Walk it once to find all the numbers, next break it down into sections and work out the best way of handling it, and finally look at it from the dogs point of view to find any traps the judge may have snuck in! Talk to other competitors on the course and find out how they are thinking about handling the course. Every dog is different, but you may just get an idea you hadn’t thought of.
The Judges briefing:
The Judge will tell you the course length, standard course time, and rate of travel (I actually find this information fairly irrelevant as whatever times and rates they give us we’re going to be running just as fast as we can (right??). Each judge does things slightly differently, count on the pause table, and start procedure, and also clues as to the things they are pedantic about. If you’re not first up and have time watch a few dogs running to get an idea of traps that weren’t obvious when you were walking the course.
Warming you dog up:
Check for scratched entries ahead of you and make sure you warm your dog up with a few dogs ahead of you. Don’t let the gate steward bully you into queuing up early (I like to keep my dogs moving until we walk into the ring).
Entering the ring:
You have got your dogs full attention from the warm up games so look like you mean business and neatly heal into the ring (this is something you should practice in training). Listen to the judge but remember your dog is the most important thing in that ring so reciprocate the attention you are receiving from your dog.
Exiting the ring:
Once you have completed your run your lead/collar will usually be waiting for you at the exit gate. Make sure you have your dog on lead before exiting the ring **Some judges will disqualify you for this**. Praise your dog, run back to the car and give them their favourite treat or have a play with your dogs favourite toy!
Common mistakes in the trial ring:
No food or toys are allowed in the ring.
Dogs must not enter or leave the ring off lead.
Dogs must run with a flat collar with no tags, (or no collar at all).
Whilst the dog is being judged you can’t touch your dog. Judging starts when you acknowledge after the Judge asks “Are you ready?”, and finishes when your dog crosses the finish line. (I have been pulled up by a judge for patting my dog before leading out because judging had started).
Timing starts when the dog hits the start line (this may be the first obstacle or a painted line between to posts). If you are doing a lead out take your time.
Timing finished when the dog hits the finish line. This is not always the last obstacle.
A final comment:
NERVES! Everybody has them and dogs are very good at picking up on them so try to relax and have fun with your furry friend. Don’t forget to praise and talk to them during the run. Remember that 99.99% of all mistakes made in the Agility ring are made by the handler and not the dog.
If it doesn’t go quite to plan don’t worry. Every handler competing will be able to recount a tale of their own dogs misbehaviour in the ring. I will never forget one of the first jumping runs I entered:
I was training at a club that had a caravan they used for members registrations etc. My dog had befriended the ladies that volunteered in the caravan, and every week went visiting for pat’s and treats.
We were halfway through our run and the course turned through 180 degrees with a tunnel exit framing the caravan perfectly… Of course she ran out of the ring, cut across two others and made a beeline for the caravan!!
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