Sunday, February 18, 2007
How dog agility rounds are judged
First of all we need to mention that in dog agility, at least in the UK, dogs are divided into FOUR separate classes according to their heights.
After all, if you think about it, it would be hardly fair to expect a miniature toy type dog to jump the same height as say a Great Dane.
So the dogs are divided into those less than 12" tall, those under 16", those below 20", and any dog over 20" tall. Specific jump heights are set for each of these dog height divisions.
In this way, fair competition can be achieved for the tiniest toy dog, up to the tallest. UK Agility does, however, allow the handler the choice of jumping their dogs HIGHER than the jump height for which their particular dog qualifies and is eligible for. [Other countries have their own series of divisions and rules.] So once the jumps have been set to the correct height for the class, what else do we need to know?
The second item to remember is that it is the pairing, and/or team with the LEAST points/faults which wins. In some competitions there are, say, five members to each team, and the team are allowed to discard the worst round. The points from the remaining, say, four members are added together and that is the total... if that team has the lowest overall total, then they win.
All classes are judged 'against the clock'. Which means that there is a set time to complete the course, if a dog does not complete the course within the stipulated time allowed penalty points are added according to how many seconds they exceed the allotted time by.
One of the worst things which can happen is for a team member to be eliminated, this can put extreme pressure on the remaining team members to perform!
How can you get eliminated?
Well, it's rather similar to our showjumping analogy again! Refusing an element for a number of times, getting the course elements in the wrong order, or touching your dog will result in elimination. So be certain to know the course before you go out to do your round. You will always see showjumpers 'walk the course' before the competition begins... taking note of which is the best way to approach each element of the course, but also mentally noting anything within the course which may prove a problem. Sometimes the course may not be set out in a manner which allows an easy progression from element to element, and some competitors may get caught out, going in the wrong way/order, and thus being eliminated.
In dog agility, faults are incurred for knocking fences down, for not touching the compulsary contact points, for not waiting until the plank touches the ground on the see-saw, not staying down for the required amount of time on the table, and for what is called a 'refusal'. A refusal may be a genuine refusal where your dog loses confidence at the last minute and has to be encouraged to try again, or if you are not quick enough, your dog may not be sure which jump he/she is supposed to be doing and may circle around whilst waiting.
All competitors, both humans and dogs, need to be fit [and alert]! Once you have crossed the 'finish' line, the clock is stopped, and your total number of faults and time faults, if any are incurred, are added together... and, as previously mentioned, the lower the number the better.
When going for Kennel Club finals the amount of time allowed for your round will be extremely tight! This is to stop people trying to win by doing a clear round in a slow time.
Therefore, from a spectators point of view, you have a fast, furious, and extremely exciting competition to watch. And from a competitors point of view, dog agility is fast, furious, exciting yet nerve-wracking when you are competing in a final of a big competition... to sum it up, agility is compelling and addictive both for those who compete, and for those who watch too!
After all, if you think about it, it would be hardly fair to expect a miniature toy type dog to jump the same height as say a Great Dane.
So the dogs are divided into those less than 12" tall, those under 16", those below 20", and any dog over 20" tall. Specific jump heights are set for each of these dog height divisions.
In this way, fair competition can be achieved for the tiniest toy dog, up to the tallest. UK Agility does, however, allow the handler the choice of jumping their dogs HIGHER than the jump height for which their particular dog qualifies and is eligible for. [Other countries have their own series of divisions and rules.] So once the jumps have been set to the correct height for the class, what else do we need to know?
The second item to remember is that it is the pairing, and/or team with the LEAST points/faults which wins. In some competitions there are, say, five members to each team, and the team are allowed to discard the worst round. The points from the remaining, say, four members are added together and that is the total... if that team has the lowest overall total, then they win.
All classes are judged 'against the clock'. Which means that there is a set time to complete the course, if a dog does not complete the course within the stipulated time allowed penalty points are added according to how many seconds they exceed the allotted time by.
One of the worst things which can happen is for a team member to be eliminated, this can put extreme pressure on the remaining team members to perform!
How can you get eliminated?
Well, it's rather similar to our showjumping analogy again! Refusing an element for a number of times, getting the course elements in the wrong order, or touching your dog will result in elimination. So be certain to know the course before you go out to do your round. You will always see showjumpers 'walk the course' before the competition begins... taking note of which is the best way to approach each element of the course, but also mentally noting anything within the course which may prove a problem. Sometimes the course may not be set out in a manner which allows an easy progression from element to element, and some competitors may get caught out, going in the wrong way/order, and thus being eliminated.
In dog agility, faults are incurred for knocking fences down, for not touching the compulsary contact points, for not waiting until the plank touches the ground on the see-saw, not staying down for the required amount of time on the table, and for what is called a 'refusal'. A refusal may be a genuine refusal where your dog loses confidence at the last minute and has to be encouraged to try again, or if you are not quick enough, your dog may not be sure which jump he/she is supposed to be doing and may circle around whilst waiting.
All competitors, both humans and dogs, need to be fit [and alert]! Once you have crossed the 'finish' line, the clock is stopped, and your total number of faults and time faults, if any are incurred, are added together... and, as previously mentioned, the lower the number the better.
When going for Kennel Club finals the amount of time allowed for your round will be extremely tight! This is to stop people trying to win by doing a clear round in a slow time.
Therefore, from a spectators point of view, you have a fast, furious, and extremely exciting competition to watch. And from a competitors point of view, dog agility is fast, furious, exciting yet nerve-wracking when you are competing in a final of a big competition... to sum it up, agility is compelling and addictive both for those who compete, and for those who watch too!
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