A Quick Guide to Agility

Paws Ahead teaches agility using the standards set out by the Agility Association of Canada. (AAC). Any breed of dog may be a member and compete in AAC trials whether they are purebred or not.

Classes

The dogs are grouped into three classes; Regular, Specials, and Veterans. Each class is further divided into jump heights based on the dog's height measured at the shoulders.

Dogs that compete in the Regular class jump 10, 16, 22, or 26 inches and climb a 5’6” A-Frame. Mini dogs are 16” & under and receive additional course time.

The Specials class exists for handlers who choose to have their dogs compete at a lower jump height. Some dogs may have conformation, character or health issues that impede their jumping ability. Or some just because the handler feels this choice will help prolong the dogs agility career. Examples might include heavy-framed breeds such as Rottweilers or Bernese Mountain dogs, soft dogs with less drive that shut down easily, or dogs with hip dysplasia. Specials dogs run the same courses but compete at one jump height lower than they would in the Regular class. The jump divisions are 6, 10, 16, and 22 inches and the A-frame is lowered to 5 feet.

The Veterans class is open to dogs who are 7 years and older. Or a specials dog that is 5 years of age and has competed within specials division for a year. The handler can choose when to move their dog to Vets and has the option of competing at one or two jump heights lower than Regular. The A-Frame is 5’.

As you can see, one of the features of AAC is that it is all-inclusive - everyone can play at a standard that is safe and rewarding for their dog.

Performance Levels

There are 3 performance levels in AAC. New dogs begin trialing at the Starters level and progress through Advanced and Masters. As a team advances the course becomes increasingly difficult with more obstacles, greater challenges, and shorter course times.

Awards

Ribbons are presented in each height category in each class (Regular, Specials, Veterans) in each performance level (Starters, Advanced, Masters).

The coveted 'Q' ribbons are awarded to all teams who achieve a 'clean run'. Clean runs must be fault free and within the set course time. A 'Q' qualifies the team for a 'leg' toward a title. The titles are: Starters (ADC), Advanced (AADC), Masters (MADC), and ultimately the ATChC, Agility Trial Champion of Canada. All games have their own title at each level. Effective January 1, 2005 the following awards have been added.

Bronze Award of Merit – 10 Masters standard plus 25 Masters games
Silver Award of Merit – 25 Masters standard plus 50 Masters games
Gold Award of Merit – 50 Masters standard and 100 Masters games
Lifetime Achievement Award of Excellence – 100 Masters standard and 125 Masters Games

Events

Walk through. Spectators may question the sanity of those addicted to the sport of agility as they watch the handlers walking the course talking to themselves and their imaginary dogs. Every course is designed and set by the judge who must first submit the course for AAC approval. No two courses are ever the same. Before running the course the handlers are given seven minutes to memorize the sequence and to study their handling options.

Standard is a set course of up to 20 obstacles. It incorporates all the major types of agility equipment: jumps, tunnels, weave poles, and contact equipment (A-frame, teeter and dog walk).

The object in Standard is to complete the course clean (without faults) in the shortest time possible. A standard course time (SCT) is set for scoring purposes, based on the length of the course.

In designing a course judges lay out equipment in such a way that courses flow yet still challenge the dog/handler teams. Among the most often used challenges are requiring the dog to choose from two closely-set pieces of equipment known as a "discrimination challenge", or having the dog turn away from an obstacle not to be taken known as a "call-off challenge". There are several typical challenges in a single course.

Dogs incur faults by not completing obstacles properly or by not taking the obstacles in the correct order.

Judging

Faults include the following:

Displacing a jump bar: 5 faults
Refusal (running past an obstacle before taking it or any backwards motion in front of an obstacle): 5 faults
Missed contact (Yellow area): 5 faults
Wrong course (taking an obstacle out of sequence): 20 faults
Non-completion of any obstacle: 20 faults
Elimination: Dogs at the Masters level are eliminated for wrong courses or 3 refusals.
Dismissal: A dog that fouls the ring (a cardinal sin) is dismissed.

Aside from the Standard events, there are 4 games events: Jumpers, Gamblers,
Snooker, and Team.

Games

Jumpers is a set course that includes only jumps and tunnels and occasionally weaves. Because there is no contact equipment or table in Jumpers it is the fastest event the dogs run. The dogs may have to cover up to 4.3 yards per second.

Gamblers tests the dog's and handler's ability to work at a distance from each other. The object in Gamblers is to earn as many points as possible in the time allowed.

Gamblers is split into two sections: the opening and the main gamble. In the opening sequence the handlers are given 40 seconds to direct their dogs through whatever obstacles they choose. Each piece of equipment has a point value:

Single jump: 1
Dog walk: 3 or 5
Double jump: 2
A-frame: 3
Spread jump:
2 Teeter: 3
All tunnels: 2
12 weave poles: 5
Six weave poles: 2

Dogs may complete each obstacle twice for points. You will hear the judge calling out numbers, which are the points the team has earned when an obstacle is successfully completed.

Included in the opening sequence are one or two mini-gambles, which are small sequences, usually not more than 3 obstacles. Point values double in the mini-gamble if the dog completes the sequence while the handler works at a distance from the dog determined by a line marked on the course. The distances range from 10 to 22 feet away from the handler according to the performance level.

When the 40 seconds has elapsed, the timer blows a whistle and the dog/handler team proceeds to the main gamble. They have approx 20 seconds (based on distance covered in gamble) to complete the main gamble, which is another set sequence of 3 to 5 obstacles. Like the mini-gambles, the main gamble must be completed by the dog while the handler is behind the gamble line, up to 22 feet away. Dogs that complete the main gamble in the time allowed double their points earned in the opening. The time is usually stopped by the dog touching the table or crossing a finish line.

Snooker challenges the team's ability to work closely and under control. It is a game with a premise similar to the Billiard's table game by the same name - successful completion of a red jump allows the handler to attempt an obstacle of their choice. The object of the game is to collect as many points as possible within the prescribed time. The obstacle's number is equivalent to its point value. The perfect Snooker game is worth 59 points.
As in Gamblers there is an opening and a closing and there is no set course. There are 4 single jumps with red flags and a minimum of 3 must be attempted. No red jump may be repeated but the same obstacle may be used four times for points. The team must perform red/obstacle-of-choice pairs in the order of their choosing. After successfully completing either 3 or 4 sets they proceed to the closing where they must successfully perform as many of the numbered obstacles 2,3,4,5,6,and 7 as possible, in sequence before the allotted time elapses. Depending on the class and level the Snooker course time is between 55 and 75 seconds. This is the only game where the team is whistled off as soon as a Snooker rule is broken; e.g. taking two obstacles-of-choice back to back, repeating the same red, faulting an obstacle in the closing. This can result in some VERY short runs!

Team demonstrates team spirit, strategy, and sportsmanship. There is a set course wherein each handler runs one section of the course carrying a baton. The baton must be passed from one handler to the next within an exchange box while both handlers and dogs are in the box. The two halves of the course have no common jumps but may overlap or share obstacles such as contacts and weaves. There is a maximum of 24 obstacles with each dog running at least 9. Steeplechase demonstrates the dog's ability to run and jump at high speeds while maintaining control on the a-frame and weave poles. The dog is required to perform each obstacle in a numbered course as laid out by the officiating judge. Minimum required obstacles include 6 jumps, 1 tire jump, 1 spread jump, 1 tunnel (flexible or collapsible) a-frame and weave poles. Weave poles and a-frame can be used twice each, and at least one of the must be used twice. Spread jumps will be removed for the Specials and Veteran classes.

Faults: Refusals are not faulted, Weave poles are judged at the Starters level, Knocked bars - 5 faults, Missed contacts - 5 faults, Off course - 20 faults, Non-completion - 20 faults, 30 faults = elimination. To earn a qualifying leg towards the title, the dog must compete the course with a combined time + faults score equal to or lower than the Standard Course Time, as determined by the judge. The dog with the lowest combined score shall be declared the winner, with all other competing dogs assigned placements based on ascending order of time + faults scores. In the event of a tie, if one dog has fewer faults, that dog will place ahead of the dog with more faults otherwise the tie will stand.

Agility Equipment

Hurdles: common commands: jump, hup, over (big is added in front for spread)

There are four types of hurdles on an agility course.

Singles have one bar.
Wings are single bar jumps with wider standards which force handlers to work further away from their dogs
Doubles are two parallel bars, 8-15 inches apart, depending on the jump height.
Spread or ascending are jumps as long as they are high. A dog jumping 26" for example, would face a 5-bar jump 26" high and 26" long.

Tire Jump: common commands: Tire, Hoop, through.

This is a 19-22 inch (interior diameter) tire suspended at the dog's jump height. The dogs experience it as something different than a jump because they are surrounded by the obstacle and have to jump 'through' as opposed to 'over.'

Tunnel: common commands: Tunnel, through, under.

A flexible tunnel (air ventilation shaft) 15-20 feet long. Dogs must go in the correct mouth as set in the course sequence. Tunnels are often curved around and under obstacles to create discrimination challenges.

Collapsible tunnel or chute: common commands: chute, push.

The entry is a drum; the exit is a 12-foot flared cloth chute through which the dog must 'push'.

Weave Poles: common commands: Weave, poles.

Usually a set of 6 or 12 poles spaced 18 -22" apart, the weaves are the hardest obstacle to teach. The dogs left shoulder must enter between the first and second poles then continue to weave between each pole, exiting to their left. A wrong entry or missed pole is faulted and must be corrected.

Table: common commands: Table, box, bench

The dog must jump onto the table, 'down', and 'stay' for a count of 5 seconds. When the adrenaline is flowing it is challenging to get some high-drive dogs to wait.

Contact Equipment:

Contact equipment is painted plywood with sand imbedded to improve traction.
Dogs must touch the yellow contact zones on the way down except on the teeter where he must touch the yellow on the way up as well.

A-frame: common commands: Frame, scramble, climb, A-frame

The A-frame is two 3-foot-wide sections, each 9 feet long, hinged together and raised into an A-shaped 'wall'. For the regular class the peak is 5’6”. For all Specials and Vets it is 5'.

Dog walk: common commands: Walk it, bridge, plank

The dog walk is a 36-foot long, 10-12 inch wide plank; with the centre section elevated 4 feet off the ground.

Teeter or seesaw: common commands: Teeter, seesaw, saw, tip-it.

This is similar to the child's playground toy. The teeter is 10-12 inches wide, 12 feet long, and 24 inches high at the balance point. It must tip only one way and return. A fly-off incurs 10 faults.