If you are new to the world of dog agility, then here are a few bits of information, which may help you settle in.

Dog agility is a really fun sport for both you and your dog, but it comes with a warning, it is very addictive ……. you have been warned!!!

Training

The club has 3 different regular training sessions, which are aimed at handlers and dogs of different abilities.

Winter (all sessions run at Stubley)
Session 1 - (New Dogs learning agility) is on a Monday night 7.30pm - 8.40pm (allowing 15 mins at the beginning to set up the equipment)
Session 2 - (Dogs to progress to when they are able to get around a full course & can or are nearly weaving. Handlers may stay in this session if they do not wish to compete at shows) is on a Monday night 8.40pm - 10.00pm (allowing 15 mins at the end to put the equipment away)
Session 3 - (Dogs & Handlers that compete) is on a Wednesday night 7.30pm - 10.00pm (allowing 15 mins at beginning and end for equipment)

Summer
Session 1 - Monday night 7.30pm - 8.40pm at Stubley (allowing 15 mins at the beginning to set up the equipment) except for 3 rd Monday of each month which will be outside at Arkwright Arms pub and will be 6.30pm - 7.40pm
Session 2 - Monday night 8.40pm - 10.00pm (allowing 15 mins at the end to put the equipment away) except for 3rd Monday of each month which will be outside at Arkwright Arms pub and will be 7.40pm - 9.00pm
Session 3 - Wednesday night 6.30pm - 9.00pm (allowing 15 mins at beginning and end for equipment) at Arkwright Arms pub.

Please note that EVERYONE attending a training session must help set up and put away the equipment as listed above, this allows everyone to enjoy their training session.

Rosette Night

We run a rosette night on every 2 nd Monday of the month, which gives you and your dog the opportunity to compete against other members of the club in a fun and friendly atmosphere. It is split into the following groups so that you only compete against dogs and handlers who are at a similar level to you: Group 1 - dogs in Mon session 1 that have not competed at more than 5 shows Group 2 - dogs in Mon session 2 who have never been placed in the top ten places at a show Group 3 - for all other dogs Everyone wanting to take part in the rosette night needs to get there for 7.30pm as it takes place over both sessions. Lots of rosettes to be won so come and give it a go

Trials Night

Trials nights are usually held twice a year, where members get the opportunity to have a go at gaining their bronze, silver, gold etc awards

Other Events

We organise an annual Kennel Club Affiliated Agility Show (next years is 11 th-12 th June at Osmaston Showground nr Ashbourne). Help is always welcomed and appreciated with an additional bonus of reduced training session fees for anyone who helps for 2 full days (from £6.00 to £4.50 for 1 st dog/session & from £3.00 to £2.50 for 2 nd dog/session). We also have a human Christmas do and a doggy Christmas party where there are lots of fun & games and many prizes to be won.

Library

The club also has a library which has various dog books, training DVD’s and also a set of weaves that can be borrowed free of charge, there is no set time limit to how long you can keep these items, but we do ask that you don’t keep them too long so that others can enjoy them too. See Fran Key for details.

Some common dog agility terms:

ABC - Any breed except collie
Channel Weaves - Two lines of weaves which are placed parallel to leave a channel for the dog to run through, and can be moved closer and closer, they are used as an aid to train a dog how to weave
Clear round - Is where a dog completes an agility course with no faults
Faults - 5 faults are given each time the dog and handler do not successfully negotiate an obstacle e.g. knock a pole off, miss a contact etc
Course Time - Maximum time set by the judge to complete the course
Time Faults - Time faults are given if the dog takes longer than the course time, the number of seconds over the course time is added to any other faults received to get a total number of faults
Refusal - This is when the dog hesitates before tackling the obstacle or he goes past the obstacle/beginning of the obstacle, he will receive 5 faults for a refusal
Elimination - Dog gets eliminated if it does not complete the course fully and in the correct order
Contacts - These are the areas on the bottom, at the end of the contact equipment (A-frame, dog walk, see-saw) which are coloured a different colour to the rest of the piece, which your dog must touch, he will get 5 faults for each contact missed
Agility Course - This is a course, which has pieces of contact equipment included within them
Jumping Course - A course which only contains jumps, tunnels and weaves (no contact equipment)
Flick Flack - Jumps that are in a line, where the dog jumps over 1st jump, back over 2nd jump and them over 3rd jump in a zigzag style
Classes - A course/competition, which is for a specific height/level of ability
Places - For each class there will a set number of rosettes/trophies available to win, the number depending on how many dogs are competing within that class i.e. 1st, 2nd and 3rd, if you get placed or get a place this means that you will receive one of these rosettes/trophies

Agilitynet.co.uk is a really good website full of lots of information and articles about what is going in the world of dog agility and if you are interested in competing the forthcoming shows are also listed here under the heading show diary.

Also give our website a visit www.nddac.org.uk where further information can be found including the Club Constitution/Rules, Conduct Code Leaflet, Venue and Health & Safety Rules and Trials Night Information We hope you and your dog have fun at the club and if there is anything you want to know, please ask.

COMPETING Getting started If you are thinking of competing with your dog this leaflet gives you a few of bits of information to help you along your way

If you are still unsure whether competing is for you or your dog, the Dog Vegas winter series is a great way to test the water

These are day shows that are run by 4 members of NDDAC, they are not Kennel Club Affiliated (just for fun) and a lot of the club members attend, so there will be plenty of people to make you feel welcome and give you any support or help you may need. Dog Vegas also run several Kennel Club shows at which you will be well looked after.

There are lots of different agility shows going on throughout the year (see Agilitynet.co.uk for a full show diary), a lot of which you can camp at if you wish. Not all shows are Kennel Club Affiliated and it is only at Kennel Club Affiliated shows where you can move up through the Kennel Club grade system. However some shows have their own grading system or league.

Dogs that wish to compete at a Kennel Club show must be registered with the Kennel Club, if your dog is already registered under the breed register then you don’t need to do anything else, but if they are not or they are a cross breed then you will need to register them on the Activity Register (see the Kennel Club web site).

Agility generally has three different competing heights; small, medium or large and each dog must be measured before it can compete in its first Kennel Club show, to ensure that it is jumping at the correct height. This measuring has to be done by 2 registered Kennel Club Measurers and recorded in your Kennel Club agility record book, which can sometimes be purchased from the Measurer or direct from the Kennel Club for a small fee. A small fee of £4 will also be charged for measuring your dog. If your dog doesn't have a microchip or tattoo then you will need a passport size photograph for the book. If the dog is measured medium or small it must have a second measure between 12 months and 24 month after the first, to ensure it does not grow into the next height category. From Dec 2010 we will have two members of the club who are qualified Kennel Club Measurers and so they will be able to measure your dog at the club.

There are also special classes for older dogs or dogs that cannot jump their correct height these are called “veteran “and “anysize”, however if you compete in these classes you cannot enter the small, medium or large classes at that show.

Once you make it out into the ring, the object of running a course is to complete the course without any faults in the fastest time possible. Accuracy is the more important than speed as a slower clear round is better than a faster round with faults, however if you have both that’s even better!!

When you compete your dog should not have any tags or hanging items on its collar and they are not allowed to wear harnesses etc, only flat style collars are allowed. No treats/toys are to be taken in the ring when competing. Please read the rules on the show schedule.

At the Dog Vegas winter shows you can run a course “not for competition” (NFC), which means you won’t be judged against the other dogs and you can use the course time to train your dog in the ring if you wish (you may use a silent toy in the ring if running NFC). If you are running NFC, you must let a member of the ring party know before you run otherwise you will be eliminated and may be asked to leave the ring.

Your first show

If you have entered a show (follow entry instructions on show schedule) you will generally get your ring number, running orders and camping pitch (if camping) along with a ring plan and details of classes to be held at that show, a couple of weeks before the show, either by post or e-mail (which ever way you have requested).

From these you will know which ring your classes are in and hopefully be able to work out roughly what part of the day your classes will be taking place. This will be very approximate as there is no telling how fast or slow each class will go through the ring.

So keep an eye on each ring throughout the day to ensure you don’t miss your runs.

Before your class starts, you (along with everyone else) will get the opportunity to walk the course without your dog, this allows you to walk the obstacles in the correct order to help you remember the course and plan your strategy and the positions you need to get yourself in.

Before the class starts you need to check what your running order is and try and arrive at the ring with your dog ready to run at approximately the right time, i.e. if you have a low running order you will need to go to the ring earlier than if you have a high running order.

When collecting your dog, don’t forget to make sure they have been to the toilet as you will get eliminated if your dog relieves him/herself in the ring. That rule also applies to the handler, Ha Ha!

When you get to the ring there will usually be someone to book you in, which means they will tick you off the running list, you will need to tell them your running order and then they will find your scribe ticket, which they will usually give to you. Keep this safe as it will need to go to the Scrimer before you run so that they can record your run time and any faults you may get.

You will then need to join the queue (if there is one) and wait for your run. Please keep your dog under control whilst you wait

Just before your run someone will take your ticket from you and then you will get your dog ready, don’t forget to take their lead off (there will usually be someone to take your lead to the finish for you) and leave those toys/treats out of the ring.

Then wait for the Scrimer to instruct you to go, do not go before they instruct you, as this will cause you to be eliminated. They will usually say something like “when you’re ready Fred” or what ever your name is.

Then you’re off, go for it!!!

And that’s all there is to it, you will probably be full of nerves on your first few runs, but don’t worry, just go out there and have fun!

“GOOD LUCK!”

Here are some extra dog agility terms used at shows:

Show Manager - Officer of a KC registered society responsible for the organisation and running of a show
Show Secretary - Officer of a KC registered society responsible for the administration of show
Show Schedule - Details all the information about the show e.g. host club, venue, entry fees, classes, awards offered, judges etc
Ring - The area that the agility course is run in, a show may have multiple rings
Ring Manager - Allocated person to ensure that the ring runs smoothly
Ring Party - People who have been allocated a job to run that ring
Ring Nº - Number allocated to dog for entire show
Running Order - Numerical order in which dogs compete, arranged by random draw for each class
Judge - Official who designs the course, judges each dog and handler in turn, indicating faults and penalties to the Scrimer by signal or verbally
Scrimer/Scribe - The official responsible for recording faults as indicated by the judge and times measured by the electronic timer for each competitive round
Scorer - Records individual dog's scores and works out winning places
Pole Picker - Person who’s job is to put the poles back on the jump wings each time they are knocked off
Win out - To get first place
Grades - These are a Kennel Club measurement of ability and the level at which you compete at; there are grades 1-7, 1 being the beginners level and 7 being the advanced level. To move up a grade you must win out of 1 agility class or 3 jumping classes. You can also move up using the points system (see Kennel Club site). To win out of grade 6 you need 4 wins at least 2 of which must be in agility
Booking In - This is where you give your running order to an allocated person located on the ring and they will then fine your running ticket and either give it to you to keep until your run or hand it straight to the Scrimer
Walk The Course - You will usually be given 5/10mins to walk the course without your dog in order to try and memorise the course and work out your strategy before the class starts
Run The Course - This is when you carry out the course in competition with your dog and are judged and timed