SOyouwanttostartTrialsinAgility?

Thisbookletisproducedtohelpfirst-timerslearnthestepsforcommencingAgility&Jumping&Gamestrials.FirstSteps:

Soyourdogisatleast18monthsold&youhavehimtraineduptothelevelwhereyouwouldliketogiveAgilityTrialingago?Thisassistsyoudiscoverwheretogetanentryform&especiallyhowtofilltheformout.Whatdoallthoselettersafterdog’snamesmean?WhatdoalltheclassesMean?ThefirstyouhavetodoisjoinyourStateBodyoftheAustralianNationalKennelCouncil(ANKC),ThisisDOGSWESTinWesternAustralia.Applytohaveyourdogregistered.Ifhe/sheisnotafullpedigreedog,thenitwillbe"AssociateRegister."Dothiswellinadvanceofyourfirstanticipatedtrialasthemembership/registrationcantakesometimetocomethrough.AllAssociatedogsmustbesterilizedandproofprovided.Whileyouarewaitingforyourmembershiptocomethrough,youwillfinditveryhelpfulifyouvolunteertobea"LeadorGateSteward"atatrial.Youwillmeetsomeofthecompetitors,mostaremorethanhelpfulwithanyquestions;&alsoyoucanhelpwiththeequipmentetc.Youwillrealisethatthisisnotjustasportforfit,youngpeoplewithfastdogs.Thehandlerscameinallshapes,sizes,ages&conditionsandtheydon'tallhavesuperfastdogs.Eventhebesthandlerswillsometimesmakemistakes&get"Disqualified"orhavepenalties;butitdoesn'tmatter,everyonehaslotsoffun.NowyouhavejoinedDogsWest&theyhavesentyououtyourfirstbi-monthlymagazinelistingthenextlotoftrialscomingup&youhavechosenoneyouwouldliketoattend.YoucandownloadyourpaperentryformfromANKCAgilityTrialEntryFormsExplanationoftheclassesLettersisontheback.(2ndTab)ThisisinExcelandhasdrop-downoptionsforclassesandheights.YourdogMUSTbemeasuredofficially,Notbefore16monthsofageortwomonthsbeforeyourfirsttrial;todeterminewhatheightcategorytoenter.MeasuringJudgesarelistedonWebsite.Theywillrequirepriornotice/bookingandyouwillneedtobringyourDog’scertificateofregistrationalongforverification.-

Theheightismeasuredatthewithers: Dog’sheight:(HAS) JumpHeights:

• Upto&including270mm 200• 271mmupto&including365mm 300• 366mmupto&including455mm 400• 456mmupto&including545mm 500• 546&over 600

Nowtofillitout!!!Whatdoyouenter??YoumayenteralltheNoviceevents,whichwillbe:

• NoviceJumping(JD),• NoviceAgility(AD),

Youcanalsoenterjustforfunandtheexperience,buttheyaremoredifficultcourses&involveadistancehandlingsection.

• OpenJumping(JDO)&• OpenAgility(ADO)

NoviceGames:(ifoffered)

• NoviceStrategicPairs(SPD),• NoviceGamblers(GD)&• NoviceSnooker(SD)

Thejumpingcoursesaregoodonestoenterifitisyourfirsttime,astheydon'thaveweavepolesorcontactequipment.Theyarejustjumps&tunnels.Gamesinvolvestrategysomaybemoredifficult.Youhavenowfilledoutyourform&sentitofftotheDogClubrunningtheevent,togetherwithyourcheque(don'tforgettoorderacataloguealthoughmostclubsnowuploadforconvenienceandfreeofchargetoWAAgilityFacebookpages)inplentyoftimebeforetheclosingdate.OR–TheremaybeOn-Lineentriesoffered,thesearebetterasyouwillhaveinstantreceiptofyourentries(andpaymentifyouusethePayPaloption).YoucanenterOn-Lineandsendpaymentbypostorpopinaboxattrials(ifavailable).

NowtogetreadyfortheactualTrialEvent:

FortheTrialit’ssuggestedyouneedagazeboforshade,oryoumightbeableto

sharewithafriend,&acrateforyourdog.ItisNOTrecommendedtostake/tiethedogup,orjustleavelooseinthecar.Agilityisveryexciting,dogswillsensethisandmaybequite“Hyped-up”,sokeepacloseeyeonallinteractions,keepthedogonleadatalltimes,exceptwhenactuallycompeting.Youwillalsoneedanexhibitornumbercardholder,(armband)asyouwillbegivennumbers(orprintyourown)whichneedtobedisplayedonyourpersonwhenyourun(oryoucanusealargesafetypin).ArmbandsareavailableattheDogShopatDogsWest.Makesureyougettothetrialwithplentyoftimetospare.OntheTrialNotice“schedule”inthemagazine,willbethe"Vetting"time.Thisisthetimeyouneedtobetheretocollectyournumbers&haveyourfemaledogvettedifsheisanentirebitch.Abitch“inseason”willNOTbeallowedtotrial.Mostly,therewillbeatleastoneNoviceeventfirstup,&youwillneedtohavewalkedthecourse&bereadytorun,beforethe"judgingcommencestime”mentionedonthenotice.Don'tforgetyouwillneedtimetogiveyourdogawalk,warmup&apee.(Pickupafteryourdog–always!)

WalkingtheCourse…..Toafirsttimer,eventheNovicecoursescanbedaunting,buttheyneedn'tbe.Insteadoftryingtorememberallthenumbers,whicharehardtofollowwhilekeepinganeyeonyourdogatthesametime,breakthecourseintothreesections.Usuallythefirstsectionisprettystraightforward.Thelastsectionisusuallyafairlystraightrunhome&thisiswhereyouareatanadvantageifyouhavetaughtyourdogto"Goon"aheadofyouoncommand.It'sthemiddlepartwhichyoumayfindsomethingyouthinkisachallenge.Itisimportanttobepresentforthe"Judge'sBriefing"asthejudgewillexplaintheline-up/startprocedureandthetimesetforthecourse(SCT).YouneedfiveclearroundswithintheSCTtogainyourfirstTitleQualifier"Q".YouneedFive"Q's"ineachofAgilityandalsoJumping(eg5xJumpingQmeansyoumayapplyforyourJumpingDogTitle(JD)–sameforAgility(AD).(seeothertitlesbelow)YoucannotgainatitleusingthesameJudgeeachtime,theremustQualificationsunderthreedifferentJudgesforeachTitleapplication.Youmustthenapply(&pay)foryourtitlethroughDogsWestbeforeyoucanelevatetothenextlevel.Ifyoudon’tapplyyoucannotelevate,ORcontinuetoruninthesamelevel.(unlessyourunasNFC-notforcompetition).

Afteryourrun:

Itisnoteasytogeta"Q",sodon'tworry...manypeoplegetdisqualified.(DQ'd)Nevertakeittoheartorblameyourdog...whenyougetbacktoyourcar,praiseandtreatyourdog,nomatterifitwentrightorwrong,theyhavejustworkedforyouanditususuallyhandlererrorthatcausesmistakes.Dogsdon’talwaysunderstandyourdirections,theymayjustbevery“green”still!NovicedogsarejustNOVICE.

Remember,youarenotplayingforsheepstations,youandyourdogareouttheretohavefuntogether.Reflectonthegoodthingsthathappenedeg.hedidlovelycontactsorweavepolesoritwasalovelyrunhome.Youwillhaveanideaofwhatneedspolishingbeforeyournexttrial.HaveFunit'saddictive!!TitleQualifications:(fromtheRegulations)

TheCanineControl(DogsWest)willreceiveapplicationfortheuseoftherelevanttitlelettersafterthenameofeachdog,whenthedoghasgainedaqualificationcertificateatthefollowingspecifiednumberofTrialsunderthespecifiednumberofJudges.CLASS NOVICE EXCELLENT MASTERS OPEN

Title AD/JD ADX/JDX ADM/JDM ADO/JDONoofCertificates 5 6 7 5NoOfJudges 3 3 3 3 Note:Thehigherleveltitlesupersedesthelowertitleeg,adogwithJDXisnotJDJDX,butjustJDX.Openisseparateanddoesn’tsupersedeanytitle.

Itisalluptoyouandyourdognow–YouareaTEAM!Goodluckandhavegreatfun.