What Next? Drag your dog's corpse around a course?

I'm not going to name names or venues, but some people are just stupid. If your dog is NOT CAPABLE of performing the obstacles, perhaps it's time to retire the dog, or find something else to entertain both you and your dog.

My point of contention is lowering an A-Frame for obese dogs, geriatric dogs, and otherwise physically unable dogs. If you are dragging and coaxing a 12.5-year-old dog around the course, the A-Frame height doesn't make a damn bit of difference.

"Lowering the A-frame for my grand-vet dog made a huge difference. Everyone knew the A-frame would be lowered , when it would be lowered and I felt the time to lower it was not detrimental in slowing the run order down"

The person who posted this has an old BC that, I'm being nice here, trotted through a course. Watching this dog was like having my eyes raped. It was pure torture.

If you have a fat, legless dog, chances are pretty good it's not fast enough to propel itself up the A-Frame. Heck, why stop at legless - how about just plain fat. And the handler is torturing their dog and spectators because...? Cruelty? His misguided belief that it's agility or else? Why?

Agility is not for all dogs, just as no sport is, nor ever will be for all people. Every professional athlete has RETIRED at some point. Our dogs, however, do not not get to make this choice for themselves. Our dogs rely on their owners to determine when it's time.

• If your dog cannot meet the performance standards, it's time.
• If your dog cannot keep low jump bars up, it's time.
• If your dog cannot run any longer, it's time.
• If your dog is physically incapable (like hip dysplasia), it's time.

I suspect that there are some people out there whose desire for running their dog is so great that they will leash their dog's corpse and drag the dog's lifeless body around an agility course.

Please be fair to your dog.

Here are some of my words on the topic:

"I have both a small dog and a veteran dog. Neither have problems with the 5'6" A-Frame.

With any sport, human or dog, there is the inherent chance of injury. The best way to prevent injury is conditioning, corrective action (weight loss, surgery) or to not participate. Just as not all humans are capable of playing sports, it is reasonable to assume the same of dogs.

My orthopedic surgeon doesn't want to see me again. Ever. So he told me to give up basketball, volleyball and treadmills. It really sucks, but it's best for me. I know that Scout will tell me when her body is ready to retire from agility. It will suck, but I will do what is best for my dog."

And some more, regarding safety:

"Why stop with the A-Frame? What about teeter and its bounce? Check out the article on weaves in this month's Clean Run. Get rid of those! By the time all the concessions are made for each dog's need, what is left? Is there anything safe? No.

Not everyone, dogs included, are cut out for sports. Don't assume a tall person is a basketball player. Don't assume a really, really big dude is a sumo wrestler. Don't assume that every dog is capable of agility. Agility is NOT going to be for all dogs, as much as the handler desires it to be. What's best for some dogs is to not participate.

I am aware that I have a 9.5 year old dog. I am aware that her retirement is in the near future. I will be devastated when that day arrives. However, I will do what is best for her: stop participating."

And finally:

"The only problem I have is watching people torture their old or obese or otherwise incapable dog into doing agility because the HANDLER wants it sooooo bad. Did these people force their children into T-ball and soccer? My mom coerced me into playing volleyball when I was in fifth grade. All I had to do was stick it out one season. The decision to continue was my own. Dogs don't get to make this decision.

I took Scout lure coursing one weekend. Even though mentally she still wanted to go, physically she was done. Did I keep running her? No. I did what was best for my dog.

As I stated before, not all dogs are cut out for the sport. I played four years varsity basketball and volleyball in high school. I had try outs every year. I watched tons of girls get cut. I watched varsity players from the year before get cut the next. Not everyone is capable of playing, or of playing well enough to be on the team.

If you are going to lower the A-Frame, do it for all the dogs or none."

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.

Pairs Rules

Here's what I hate about pairs: my partner.

Sometimes you get a good draw, other times... well, your partner needs to be taken behind a barn. With an older dog, you make every run count. When your partner racks up 20 faults because she's running a dog that was LAME two weeks ago, then how is that fair to me? This nitwit was late to the gate because she was too concerned about getting her hot chocolate for the morning.

I have only run my little dude in enough Pairs to fast track him to the next level: one Q. Why? Because he is young. Sometimes he does what he wants. Is running amok fair to my partner? No.

Like everyone else, I am out to "have fun" with my dog. However, unlike everyone else, my fun involves receiving a QUALIFYING ribbon.

If any of these apply to you/your dog, then SCRATCH from your pairs run, or partner with someone else from this list:

• Your dog was recently lame. Thanks for running a 21" dog that took down THREE 16" bars! My 17" dog doesn't take down bars unless I am in the way! At least your dog can step over them!
• You start a sentence with, "I am retraining...". Don't retrain on my dime! I paid $10 to run with your sorry rump. Perhaps you should RECONSIDER trialing while you remaster whatever you are retraining.
• You and your dog off-course elimination more than you Q. I got stuck with one of these. The dog would have been fine if not for the handler. It's also a bad sign when the people in your area arrange pairs partners WAY in advance to avoid you. The entry form has a line that says. "Please don't pair me with: (dog/handler)". I just write the handler's name. I don't want to pair with either of her dogs.
• You start a sentence with, "My dog can't...". Wow! Your dog CAN'T do something out there? It's the same stuff out there, different order. How did you get in MASTERS/PIII? I know I can take my dog out there and do it all. I expect the same at the Masters/PIII level.
  
• Your dog hates agility. How can I tell? Refusals at obstacles and refusals to move. Pairs typically has a generous course time, allowing you and your partner a fault or two. When a turtle can outrun your dog, perhaps it is time to stop torturing your dog with agility.

Complaints

This course has FIVE reds. Choose three or four. What's there to complain about?

Aside from Amy threatening to go all Tonya Harding on my team, I just was not comprehending the complaints I (over)heard.

The other thing that just killed me is the quantity of people that enter an event without understanding the rules. A 16" PERFORMANCE dog is not the same as a 16" CHAMPIONSHIP dog. How hard is that to understand? I explained it to someone, and then had the judge do so. She was still in disbelief. What's the big deal? The amount of time! These people thought they had 50 seconds (a very long time on what is essentially a jumpers course) versus 46 seconds (still quite a bit of time).

However, my favorite complaint was this: "There just isn't enough time to do four reds."

Huh? Talk about selling yourself short. If you and your dog can complete a 20 obstacle jumpers course in 30 seconds or less, you can definitely do four reds on this course. I am just missing the logic here...

Anyhow, that #5 was most popular. It was surrounded by reds, and, if the last obstacle, led nicely into the closing. It was very easy to find flow in this snooker.

Popular Courses:
1-6-1-6-1-5-1-5
1-5-1-5-1-6-1-7
1-7-1-7-1-6-1-5
1-5-1-6-1-7-1-7

A March Weekend with Scott Chamberlain

Maybe I should preface this by saying that I am biased. I like Scott Chamberlain's courses. They are fair, have good challenges, and require handler thought.

Saturday Snooker
I got a little help from my friend, Maureen. This course was 3 or 4 reds, but a helluva lot of distance to cover. A nice flow is 1-3 (or 4), 1-5, 1-7, 1-7 to the closing. 7a and b were actually more awkward to handle in reality than on paper. Some people went for 4 sevens, but did not complete the closing. Fortunately the 7 combo did not have any special rules in the opening.

Maureen suggested 3 sevens for Scout, and that's what we did.

The time allowed was 52 seconds. That's about 26 magic points for Scout. The closing is worth about 13 for her (3 on the weaves, and extra for handling the seven). I can have at most 13 magic points in the opening.

I started with the #1 at the lower left of the page, ran by #2 and into 7b to 7a. This is about 5 magic points. I directed Scout to the #1 at the top right, and back through the 7 combo. About 4 magic points. The last red was the obvious - the bottom right. The last 7 went from A to B into the closing. This was about 4 magic points. All these values take into account some travel time without obstacles. Opening Magic Points: 13. Finish Time: 51.89 seconds. Worked. Could I have done all four reds? Maybe, but my initial calculation with four reds said no.

Sunday Gamblers
Sometimes you get a little help from your friends. Like when you know how to make your gamble opening, but just don't like it. Here's the course map:



To paraphrase Christopher Walken, what this course needs is more tunnel. I like tunnels because they are fast and cheap. The rules included no contact-to-contact and no contact-to-weaves, or weaves-to-contact, back-to-back okay.

Fortunately I have a friend in California that likes to discuss these strategic things with me. Yay! We discussed taking the tire twice, and that it was best NOT to teach the dog that it is okay to back jump. In the end, for my opening, she and I decided to take the tire forward and backward. (Tire is cheap! That's a quick 6 points!) I just made sure Scout could land safely and turn and do it again. If I ever do something that feels as demoralizing as that, I like it best at the beginning of the sequence, before the dog is running full steam. That's why I will not do that teeter back-to-back. Demoralizing.

Here's what I did:
I would expect about 15 magic points in a 30 second opening. The math, where "mp" is "magic point", and "gp" is "gamble point":
#1 - 1 mp - 3 gp
#2 - 1 mp - 3 gp
#3 - 1 mp - 1 gp
#4 - 2 mp - 5 gp
#5 - 1.5 mp (accounting for the sprint) - 1 gp
#6 - 1 mp - 3 gp
#7 - 2.5 mp (obstacle & sprint) - 7 gp
#8 - 1.5 mp (obstacle & sprint) - 1 gp
#9 - 2 mp - 5 gp
#10 - 1 mp - 1 gp
#11 - 1 mp - 1 gp
#12 - 1 mp (horn blew before Scout landed)

Total Magic Points:
15.5 completed

Total Opening Gamble Points:
31

You might wonder why I chose to end 35 feet from the gamble line. In one of the openings Maureen and I came up with, my last obstacle would be the A-Frame. The speed and angle to the #1 gamble jump would be lacking and awkward. I chose to have a very straight, all out run to the #1. It worked well. As Scout completed the teeter, I positioned myself parallel to the correct tunnel entrance. As she approached between the correct tunnel entrance and me, I gave her a "left tunnel" command. When she took the tunnel, I was running to the #4 jump. Got it, and took third. (Maureen and her dog took first!)

Sunday Snooker
Maureen and I co-conspired on this one, even though our dogs are in the same jump height. The special rule on this one (thanks for not disappointing me, Scott!) was that the #7 combo had to be taken in direction, but either jump could be first. In other words, from the inside out. A nice course was all 6's, with a potential off-course at the #3 jump. A few people with blazing dogs attempted three 7's. Maureen and I concluded that 6-7-7 was the way to go, and that there was enough time. I entered both Bug and Scout, and both had 48 seconds.

Bug is a young dog who already has his Snooker Master title. I wanted this to be fun for him. I did all 6's. Instead of front crossing the first #6 to get the red at the top of the page, I met him outside the tunnel and essentially blocked his view of the #3 jump. I wrapped him around the right of the next red, and all he saw was tunnel. I ran the outside of the tunnel to pick him up for the last red (bottom right). I just had to be careful of all those tempting tunnel entrances to get him to the #2, and then ping-ponged out to #3. #3 to #4 was a change in focus. If the handler was not paying attention, the dog leapt from #3 to the off-course #1 in the closing. Another popular off-course was taking #4b instead of #4a. Most handlers front crossed between #4b and #5 to the correct tunnel entrance. #5 to #6 was fast and fun. Then came the tricky part: pick up at that tunnel into #7a. I made a front cross at the tunnel exit, but pulled Bug too much. The whistle blew for a runout. Still a qualifying run. Good boy!

Scout is collecting Q's, but I was feeling rather feisty. I went for the course that Maureen and I planned. The closing, in magic points, is about 9.5, which includes 0.5 for #2-#3 and 0.5 for the handling/distance between #6 and #7a.

The opening:
Red 1: 1mp
Distance to #6: 0.5mp
#6: 1mp
Distance to Top Red 1: 1mp
Distance/Handling to #7a: 1mp
#7a & #7b: 2.5mp
Last Red: 1mp
Distance to #7a: 1mp
#7a & #7b: 2.5mp
Distance to #2: 0.5mp
TOTAL Opening: 12mp
TOTAL For Course: 21.5, which would be about 43 seconds.

What I failed to realize when I walked this was the harsh angle from #7b to the #2. Most refusals occurred at the #2. I really had to work that approach better. After that, it was smooth sailing, except Scout didn't miss #7a like Bug did. She completed the course in a little over 44 seconds, and took first place.

Where's Your Front Cross?

This jumpers from Dave Grubel at Contact Point 02/28/09 was fast and fun, utilizing a straight tunnel, also known as a puppy cannon.
I scribed Masters, so I got to watch where things went wrong.

A lead out between 2 & 3 was popular. However if the handler was not positioned well enough for the dog to think he could land safely, bar #2 dropped. In lieu of the lead out, some handled with a rear cross at #4.

A front-cross between #6 and #7 was popular if 3-4-5 was handled with the dog on the left.

#10 to #11 was a little tricky. I read it as a front cross or, presuming I was well ahead of my dog, a threadle arm. #11 was a popular dropped bar.

There was a lot of chatter about the desire to get a front cross in between #14 and #15. I can attest, it was difficult. I had to put on the afterburners and not admire my dog. The reason there was so much talk about this front cross was getting to #17 without taking the off-course #2 jump.

#18 was a triple. Some that handled that as a rear cross had dropped bars.

I don't do start lines with Scout. I did walk out to #2, called her, and then front crossed between #2 and #3. Here's what I did:

Another Well-Timed Gamble

This is from Good Dog Agility's 2009 February Trial. It was the first run of the morning. Mark Wirant judged.

A very popular opening ran the jump-time-jump-gamble jump-tunnel. My dog drops bars if I do something stupid. If my dog dropped bars on her own, I wouldn't even contemplate taking a gamble jump.
I went for 14 magic points. My course was 13.5. The buzzer did sound when I was across the field from the #1, but it was a straight run, so that's not a big deal for a dog that is reasonably fast. It would be a deal-breaker for a slow dog.

The key to this gamble was how to handle that #2 and the turn into the teeter, especially with a very tempting tunnel entrance. The dogs and handlers that succeeded either had good directionals (a left!), or added a front cross between the #1 and #2, which I did.