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Next
Meeting |
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September 3, 2010 |
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7:00pm |
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Dog
agility came to us from Britain, where it was used as
an exposition during breaks at horse shows. As it resembles
the steeplechase for horses (or an obstacle course for
GIs!), it is entertaining, fast paced and fun to watch
as well as to participate in. Dog/handler teams negotiate
an obstacle course made up of contact obstacles, tunnels
and jumps of many configurations, in an effort to get
a "clean run" in the shortest time. Agility
is one of those sports that fosters fun and camaraderie
among those who compete - judges (who are competing rather
than judging) will offer novices tips on how to handle
courses, more experienced workers help out those newer
and less seasoned. Many of the competitors also help set
courses and do other "steward" work at trials.
It's a very relaxed and enjoyable sport for everyone concerned.
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There are several places to find information
about dog agility, starting with the AKC. All of GKCDTC's
agility trials are under AKC rules for course size, configuration
and equipment. NADAC and USDAA are two other sites which
you can find on the web - and the United Kennel Club (UKC)
also has agility trials.
To
learn agility requires no special skills. Obstacles are
introduced singly, with dog and handler firmly trained
on each before any "speed" is required. Contact
obstacles, including the dog walk, the A-frame, and the
teeter-totter require the most practice. While all dogs
can do them, there are "contact zones" at the
bottom of each of these that the dog must touch. Training
the dog not to jump too soon is a major issue in agility
contact obstacle training.
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Most dogs know how to jump, but many never have
the chance to do a lot of jumping until they get into
this activity. For this reason, jumps are set low and
dogs encouraged to clear them well before moving to higher
jumps. After a few tries at each obstacle, jumps, tunnels
and contact obstacles can be strung together in small
groups of 3-6, so the handler can find the best way to
work her dog. Eventually, full courses are used and the
speed is increased. |
AGILITY TITLES
NA - Novice
Agility
OA - Open Agility
AX - Agility Excellent
MX - Master Agility Excellent
NAJ - Novice Jumpers with Weaves
OAJ - Open Jumpers with Weaves
AXJ - Excellent Jumpers with Weaves
MXJ - Master Excellent Jumpers with Weaves
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For
more information about AKC approved agility titles visit
the AKC
web site.
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The Greater Kansas City Dog Training Club holds
agility trials each spring. These are back-to-back trials
(Saturday and Sunday) with both standard and jumpers with
weaves competition. If you have questions, feel free to
call the club line. Someone will get back to you.
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