Agility Training Talk Thread

[Kavik]

I've entered one Gamblers run and qualified If you walk your course well you can do it by making up a nice course and not have to run past obstacles or confuse the dog, at least in Novice. We do distance quite well so that wasn't my main concern We have gotten the distance most times in Open Jumping and Open Agility but have yet to get a qually!

[ness]

Depends on the judge when it comes to setting novice games courses. Some just seem to dump obstacles out there with little regard for flow. A lot of our gamblers judges like to make it a little more difficult too by insisting you start on a particular obstacle.

Snooker can be a little variable - some of the really tight courses aren't very nice for young dogs and neither are some of the really really open courses. The don't really understand what the game is about and it can end up in frustration.

[Agility Dogs]

Here's a question.

For those of you who watch international agility clips on youtube, there is a definite difference between the speed of their fast dogs & the speed of our fast dogs.

What do you think the reasons are for this?

Genetics?

Training methods?

Handling skills?

Different types of courses?

Much higher numbers of dogs?

I think it's possibly a combination of all of these but the training methods account for the majority of it.

I was thinking that the breeding o/s might have something to do with it - selected for a greater period of time.

Then I was talking to the ADAA director of judging the other day. He has just been judging in the US for a big event and was amazed at how much simpler the USDAA courses HAVE to be. Must be 18ft between jumps for a start. Dog must be quicker when they KNOW what is confronting them rather than have to make their own mind up.

I'm sure their training is a little further down the track than ours as well, but it was interesting to hear his comments in light of this question.

T

[Vickie]

That's what I have been noticing too AD. Their grand prix & steeplechase finals seem mostly about our excellent level.

Trim has a brother in japan. I cannot believe how ugly & technical their courses are & their top dogs seem a bit slower in comparison. I wonder if it's b/c they are always running in collection.

We had some qld judges on the weekend. I loved!!!! the courses. Still very challenging, but also very flowing & none of the tight crap we regularly see here in nsw.

[sheena]

That's what I have been noticing too AD. Their grand prix & steeplechase finals seem mostly about our excellent level.

Trim has a brother in japan. I cannot believe how ugly & technical their courses are & their top dogs seem a bit slower in comparison. I wonder if it's b/c they are always running in collection.

We had some qld judges on the weekend. I loved!!!! the courses. Still very challenging, but also very flowing & none of the tight crap we regularly see here in nsw.

My sentiments entirely....why do they do that. It just seems very counter productive, especially for novice dogs to try & do tight, crappy courses. It should be all about the dog having fun & these courses certainly are not much fun. If the judges want to govern the number of qualies they get, then can't they simply make the time tighter. We are heading to Queensland in a couple of weeks to WAGG, to test out some Qld courses. expect them to be different though, as it is ADAA.

[Agility Dogs]

That's what I have been noticing too AD. Their grand prix & steeplechase finals seem mostly about our excellent level.

Trim has a brother in japan. I cannot believe how ugly & technical their courses are & their top dogs seem a bit slower in comparison. I wonder if it's b/c they are always running in collection.

We had some qld judges on the weekend. I loved!!!! the courses. Still very challenging, but also very flowing & none of the tight crap we regularly see here in nsw.

My sentiments entirely....why do they do that. It just seems very counter productive, especially for novice dogs to try & do tight, crappy courses. It should be all about the dog having fun & these courses certainly are not much fun. If the judges want to govern the number of qualies they get, then can't they simply make the time tighter. We are heading to Queensland in a couple of weeks to WAGG, to test out some Qld courses. expect them to be different though, as it is ADAA.

Woo hoo!! See you there.

At the risk of starting a fight.......... Sometimes CCCQ courses do make me struggle and some I don't think are safe for the dogs - esp at Novice and even Excellent level. (bearing in mind I'm not running a Novice or even an Excellent standard dog because of our late start in CCCQ life)

For the most part these seem to be set by either novice judges or judges with a background in obedience who have never run an agility dog in their life. Building courses isn't just about plonking a heap of obstacles in course designer and dropping numbers on them - there needs to be an element of challenge, but they also have to allow the dog safe passage around them.

I like a lot of the different challenges that ANKC judges put together and it has improved our ability to run difficult courses, but some of them are just evil. (The courses.)

The big difference it seems (and this comes from an ANKC judge, I just happen to agree.) is that ADAA have senior judges vet courses before they are released on unsuspecting triallers. It is quite a process before and ADAA judge can design their own courses. There doesn't seem to be that same mentorship for the ANKC/CCCQ judges.

There are plent of really hard challenges - some subtle, some obvious, that you can build into a course without asking a dog to do unnatural turns or take dangersous entries to contact obstacles.

Just my 2 c.

[sheena]

I have only been trialling for 12 months so I am pretty inexperienced when it comes to judging courses, but I think I have learnt enough in that twelve months to be able to access a course to be either ridiculous or down right dangerous (sometimes both). I get a little angry when I pay good money ($8 a run) in NSW & have to make the decision to run a crap course & make the best of it, or pull my dog out. Of course a judge that sets up one crap course usually sets up crappy courses for the rest of the day. I am making a mental note of these judges & in future will treat their courses as "training runs" & not ask my novice dog to do ridiculous things that confuse her or put her in danger. I'm not going to get a qualie on them anyway. Thank goodness in NSW trials we have a different judge for the 2nd day.

Looking forward to seeing you at WAGG, AD. We are going there to try & get our final pass for our AAD Title. She got all her other ones at the Grand Prix.

[Agility Dogs]

That's what I have been noticing too AD. Their grand prix & steeplechase finals seem mostly about our excellent level.

Trim has a brother in japan. I cannot believe how ugly & technical their courses are & their top dogs seem a bit slower in comparison. I wonder if it's b/c they are always running in collection.

We had some qld judges on the weekend. I loved!!!! the courses. Still very challenging, but also very flowing & none of the tight crap we regularly see here in nsw.

Who were the judges Vickie?

Also - just as a comparison or to make the point.

X can and has run at up to 6.5m/sec in Novice JUMPING courses. In the Advanced AGILITY course on Saturday night she was absolutely flying, but only managed about 4.2m/sec - 1.2 sec behind the winner. If their top dogs are running easier courses then they have to be a LOT quicker or something is wrong.

[pie]

Some of the tighter courses are better for the little dogs though, I know my dog prefers the tighter ones with heaps of crosses rather than large open flowing ones.

[Agility Dogs]

Some of the tighter courses are better for the little dogs though, I know my dog prefers the tighter ones with heaps of crosses rather than large open flowing ones.

I don't have a problem with a tight course as long as the angles are safe and there is a flow to it (as opposed to being flowing). Hard to explain without being able to show it.

With X I'm lucky - she is almost as quick as a big dog, but turns almost as well as small dog.

I don't run CK on tight courses - any change of direction blows his mind, let alone lots of tight turns. :rolleyes:

Edited November 8, 2010 by Agility Dogs

[pie]

Yep I think I know what you mean, there was a jumping course at the nationals that had a chute at a right angle to a jump and it was a tough entrance, some dogs hit the frame when trying to get into it, that's not good.

[Agility Dogs]

Yep I think I know what you mean, there was a jumping course at the nationals that had a chute at a right angle to a jump and it was a tough entrance, some dogs hit the frame when trying to get into it, that's not good.

EXACTLY. Difference between tough and dangerous. I just spend too much time and value my dogs too much to see them injured like that. I had some horrible near misses at training early on because of my own inexperience - don't need it at a trial.

ETA - I think this is a good example of a twisty course, but a safe one. (and it gives me a chance to post up my girly's video again if I'm honest!) X face planted because I was late on my turn - nothing to do with the course. (Don't most dogs use their nose as a fifth leg?)

Edited November 8, 2010 by Agility Dogs

[Vickie]

Who were the judges Vickie?

Sue E, Neil L & Rob O. All great courses!

[Vickie]

I don't have a problem with a tight course as long as the angles are safe and there is a flow to it

Agreed. We have run some quite small & twisty courses that had great flow & no bad angles

Not much distance between some of these jumps & lots of turns, but it had a real flow to it & was lovely to run

[Vickie]

Very nice AD :rolleyes:

[Agility Dogs]

I don't have a problem with a tight course as long as the angles are safe and there is a flow to it

Agreed. We have run some quite small & twisty courses that had great flow & no bad angles

Not much distance between some of these jumps & lots of turns, but it had a real flow to it & was lovely to run

:rolleyes: to you to.

What Kennel is Trim from?

[Vickie]

What Kennel is Trim from?

She is Guirmere, same as Maria & Gordon's dogs (and a few other QLD'ers)

[Agility Dogs]

What Kennel is Trim from?

She is Guirmere, same as Maria & Gordon's dogs (and a few other QLD'ers)

ah, thought so.

ETA - Wikki has had a couple of nice plays with the 3 pups from the litter about 5 months ago. Trek is going to be a monster! She is really stand offish until she realises she knows them and then jumps in.

T

Edited November 8, 2010 by Agility Dogs

[huski]

We had our first ever night at agility tonight It was just an orientation night so I won't take Daisy till our first proper class next week. So excited to start learning a bit more about agility

[Agility Dogs]

Who were the judges Vickie?

Sue E, Neil L & Rob O. All great courses!

Just noticed this. I always like their courses.

Some of Neil and Rob's dogs are related to my boy.