Good Dog Agility - Team Gamblers

Uh, yeah. There was a nice, steady rain the evening before, and the ring was muddy. Judge Martin Gadsby changed the obstacles locations. The rules were as follows:

1. Same opening and closing times.
2. Closing points are doubled if you cross the finish jump before the buzzer.
3. Back-to-Back contacts ok
4. No consecutive contacts (e.g. teeter to A-frame)

Hey! A straight time gamble!

Normally, I'd go for 16-17 magic points in a 30-second opening with Scout. However, given the MUD (and she slid out of a tunnel in snooker on her belly), I thought 15 was more fair. It was a 1-3-5-7 system with no 7-point obstacle, no consecutive contacts, back-to-back contacts okay. When you watch the video, you'll find that the teeter is near the finish jump. The teeter was an ideal obstacle to take twice and get the heck out because of this, and it was worth 20 points (5 pts x taken twice x multiplier of 2 for closing). This video demonstrates a PERFECTLY TIMED gamble using magic points (point-time estimation).


This was a 4th place and LAA Q run.

Magic Points: Video Example

This is Lisa Jarvis's Masters Gamblers course at Agility Club of San Diego in January. This post is not about the gamble - it's about the opening.



I filmed several dogs with the intent of showing point-time estimation, aka Magic Points. I filmed Performance dogs, so please don't snort at them. Most of these dogs are older but still have the spunk and desire to play.

Most medium to fast dogs need 15-20 magic points in a 30 second opening. I was unable to add the magic point text to the clips.

When you watch these dogs and see how I counted the magic points, you'll understand why it is often better to avoid the high-point obstacle.


Chute: 1
Jump: 1
Teeter: 2.5 (Most dogs are about a 2 on the teeter)
Jump: 1
Dogwalk: 4
Dogwalk: 4
Tunnel: 1
Jump: 1
Jump: 1
TOTAL MP for 30sec opening: 16.5


Chute: 1
Jump: 1
Teeter: 2
Jump: 1
Dogwalk: 3
Tunnel: 2 (It's a 20' tunnel more than 20' from the dogwalk)
Dogwalk: 3
Tunnel: 1
A-Frame: 2
TOTAL MP for 30sec opening: 16


Chute: 1
Jump: 1
Teeter: 2
Jump: 1
Dogwalk: 3
Messing around after dogwalk: 1
Dogwalk: 3
Tunnel: 1
Tunnel: 1
Tunnel: 2 (Consider the distance between the tunnel under the dogwalk to the one in the corner)
Tunnel: 1
TOTAL MP for 30sec opening: 17


Chute: 1
Jump: 1
Chute: 2 (obstacle completion plus time to get there)
Jump: 1
Teeter: 2
Teeter: 3 (obstacle completion plus time to get there)
Jump: 1
Dogwalk: 3
Tunnel: 1
Tunnel: 1
A-Frame: 2
A-Frame: 2
TOTAL MP for 30sec opening: 20



Chute: 1
Jump: 1
Teeter: 2.5
Jump: 1
Dogwalk: 4
Dogwalk: 4
Tunnel: 1
A-Frame: 2
Jump: 1
Jump: 1
TOTAL MP for 30sec opening: 18.5

The Case Against the Dogwalk
I have one dog that is about a 3 on the dogwalk and one that is a 4. For the same seven points, I can do two tunnels and a jump (look at the tunnel under the dogwalk!) for the same points and 3 magic points instead of 4. Add an extra jump in the mix, and I have 8 points in the same amount of time I can do the dogwalk and get 7 points.

The Case Against the High-Point Gamble Obstacle

Marketers know how to tempt consumers: offer something that seems like a better value. The same can be said for the top point (5 or 7) obstacle(s) in the gamblers class. This obstacle seems like a good deal, right? It offers more points! Gamblers is about points! Well, points and successfully performing the distance challenge. This special obstacle is definitely worth it, right?

Not always.

In DOCNA, the gamblers is always 1-3-5-7, and the 7-point obstacle is always the long set of weaves. The short set(s) of weaves are worth 5 points.

Case 1: Only one high value obstacle
1 long set of weaves: 7 points
2 short sets (back-to-back): 10 points, slightly more time
Contact/Tunnel sequence: 8 points

Case 2: Back-to-back high value obstacle
2 long sets of weaves: 14 points
Flow course with short weaves and contacts : 15 points

In Case 2, there is only a one-point difference. However, my theory is that the flow course will yield more points.

I am going to start recording opening sequences to test the following theory: a flow course, with or without the high value obstacle, will yield more opening points with a non-blazing dog.

Seeing the Point-Time Estimation Method in Action

Using "Magic Points" can easily help you with a Time Gamble.

Here is the USDAA DAM/PVP Time Gamble from Mark Wirant at Good Dog Agility in Tempe, AZ. In a nutshell, the ideal time to cross the finish jump was between 30.01 and 31 seconds in a 1-2-3-5 system.
A couple of considerations:

1. In a 1-2-3-5 system, the value of the contacts and weaves, unless one is the 5-point obstacle, is not much compared to the jumps and round things. It is to your advantage in a 1-2-3-5 system to get the 5-point obstacle twice, and focus on round things (tire and tunnel). Round things and jumps are cheap and fast, usually faster than contacts and weaves.
   
2. Tire is always your friend! It is fast and easy, and worth more points than a regular jump.

I ran this with my older, very consistent dog, Scout. She has a fast A-Frame, and, as luck would have it, that was the 5-point obstacle. I stressed because I wanted the tire twice but could not work that into a nice flow. I planned for 14-15 magic points, with the option of taking the tunnels on the left twice, depending on her speed.

I did a couple of things I would not normally do: 3 back-to-back obstacles. I did, however, allow Scout to safely exit the obstacle and nicely turn around to re-perform it.

Because of her speed on the tunnel-jump sequence that EVERYONE took on the exit, I opted to toss in a back-to-back tunnel by the exit jump.

Finish time: 30.30 seconds.
Opening Points: 28
Gamble Points: 15
Placement: 1st, P16 (my partner finished at 30.36 with extra jumps - the double the wrong direction, and a dropped bar), and highest in PVP Class

The following was my strategy, red text shows the sequence numbering and magic points, blue shows the obstacle values: