Improving Agility Organizations - Suggestions not Criticisms

This is the quarterly Blog Action day, where agility bloggers across the globe share their ideas on a designated topic.  This list of links: Improving Agility Organizations, will no doubt be read by the various agility organizations and maybe they'll glean some new ideas.

First, for family and those unfamiliar, there are many dog agility organizations.  In America, there are 5 major organizations.  Outside the US, there are many others, whose activities include setting up rules for holding matches and trials, establishing titling criteria, training judges, helping local clubs get organized, etc.

Agility is rapidly growing in popularity, and rapidly evolving.  Rules and equipment are changing in response to safety concerns, keeping the game challenging, attracting new handlers, providing a stepped program of incentives and titles on the way to championship, considerations for uniformity of equipment across all platforms, etc.

Here's my Lucky Lucy, a 4 year old
Southern Black Mouth Curr, a breed
as yet unrecognized by AKC, but an amazing young
athelete working her way towards MACH.

That said, my only extensive experience is with AKC and I think they do an incredible job!  I train 2 purebred papillons, but am most grateful that AKC has begun to allow All American Dogs to register and compete for the same agility titles as AKC's recognized breeds.  I think it will shortly be proved that breed recognition, or pure breeding, has little to do with any atheletic dog's ability to participate in and excel in our great sport.

With that great big proletarian "thank you" on record, I have only a few more concerns or ideas to share in the spirit of evolving AKC agility, which may apply in some measure to other venues as well.

1. Masters vs. MACH -
   I've never understood why dogs with 9 Q's under their belt and just admitted into the Master's Standard (or Masters Jumpers) category of competition, should compete for placement with MACH 1 dogs, who have earned 20 QQ's!  Or MACH 6 dogs with 120 QQ's.  It's obvious to me that there should be some additional layer of difficulty added once a dog becomes a champion, and they should be judged within their own group. This might not require any additional course setup, but maybe shave off the SCT by a few seconds, with book keeping no harder than how Preferred is handled vs Regular -- same course, different designation on paper.  Or to make it more interesting maybe yes, introduce more international handling, an extra trap, tweeking the angle of a jump or two to require tighter turns, a harder entry, a longer serpentine or threadle, an extra jump or two at the end requiring more stamina.  Nothing too hard on the ring crew nor taking much time to adjust.  No moving heavy equipment. Judges could design courses with just a little tweeking in mind.   I look forward to the day when Champions compete against each other, leaving the greener teams to compete amongst themselves!
2. Matches -
   In my neck of the woods, matches are hard to find, maybe one every 2 years or so.  This is a new trend because when I got started in agility 4 years ago, many trials held a match, and we were all advised to enter as many matches as possible to get our green dogs used to being in the ring, yet able to motivate with toys and treats.   About 2 years ago it came to pass, no doubt because handlers would spill treats or intentionally throw them on the dirt and dogs competing the next day would be distracted by the smells, allowing treats in the ring fell out of favor.  Not so good for dogs with no tug/toy drive, but better than nothing.  And now that I can't find a match anywhere, I've been asking various Trial Chairmen about this and got these responses:
   
   "Matches are too much trouble" . . . . . .  Gracious sakes, I read the AKC Regs on holding matches, and they are way too much trouble!  If AKC's purpose is to teach new clubs how to hold trials with a few dry runs first before holding a real trial, the Regs make perfect sense.  But once that's done, fun matches are all we need and these rules should be relaxed.  Why, for instance, is there a rule that only club members can participate in a club's non-sanctioned "fun match"? People attending the trial from several states will happily come in a day early to practice their dogs in an arena situation.  Why can't they?  What's the point of this rule?  I do, maybe, see the point of limiting fun match participation to dogs that aren't champions. Champions with all their experience don't need so much proofing against distractions.  They don't have ring jitters. It could be argued that champions might gain an unfair advantage being prematurely exposed to a club's peculiar equipment before the trial begins.  Going in cold is an added level of difficulty that could be required of champions, but not so much with greener dogs.
   
   "The club looses money on matches" . . . . . I think the obvious answer is to charge more. Everyone knows arenas cost money and the cost has to be covered. The going rate around here used to be $5 for 2 minutes in the ring.  I'd gladly pay more to give my dogs ring experience.
   
   "It's too hard to find staff" . . . . . finding perks to draw 5 or 6 core staff shouldn't be too hard -- free match runs, ice water and a few cookies would do it for me, free trial entry fees would be even better. We have to quit expecting core volunteers to slave away for free.
   
   "Matches aren't necessary, just enter and run your dog at enough trials and they'll get used to it" . . . . .  the people saying this are experienced competitors who trial often and have little need for matches themselves.  They are also the ones staffing the trials and don't want the extra hassle.  But I feel they've lost sight of the needs of the newcomers, and the advantage of training green dogs in an arena situation.  I wrote AKC a few months back wondering what they might do to encourage clubs to add matches to their trials, at least once a year.  I haven't heard back yet.
3. See Saw Flyoffs -
   We have all witnessed, time and time again, dogs not faulted for obviously leaving the board before it hits the ground, presumably because judging the see-saw accurately is so extremely difficult that the norm is to cut every team some slack.  BUT
   
   AKC judging rules are very clear: To properly perform the seesaw, the dog may not exit the plank until the elevated edge hits the ground for the first time  . . . . . . . . . Exiting the plank before its elevated edge hits the ground is faulted with an "F" for a flyoff . . . . . . . . the dog must still be in control and have touched the contact zone at the same time or after the plank touches the ground.
   
   If it is impossible for a human to accurately judge this (as in recent discussion about Masher, the 8" papillon who won at Nationals, whom some witnesses claim dismounted the board a fraction of a second early), I hope some kind of electronic sensor can be developed.  This would encourage handlers to train a solid dismount more vigorously, since they could no longer hope to squeak by without it.  This is mostly for the safety of the dog, but also, of course, in the interests of fairness in who Q's and who doesn't.  Some kind of proximity sensor strip embedded in the contact zone?  A touch pad under the rubberized surface that sets off a red light on the side of the board if the dog looses contact before the board hits the ground?  I don't know, but surely someone out there is clever enough to design an economical solution.
4. FAST classes -
   Few clubs and few judges have wireless mikes, so the scribe often can't hear the numbers 1-10 called out by the judges (each obstacle taken adds value to a cumulative score).  Sometimes judge's heads are turned away, other times the judge has a soft voice, or loud fans overhead, or a barking dog behind the scribe table makes it impossible for the scribe to hear.  I've timed enough FAST classes to witness scribes missing calls or guessing calls to know that FAST scores aren't all that accurate.  I think AKC should require judges to purchase wireless mikes and bring them to all the FAST classes they judge.  An adequate system costs around $200, and judges could bump up their compensation package by a few bucks a day to cover the cost.  I also think that judges should be required to provide the scribe table with a course map showing the value of each obstacle, so if the scribe can't hear a number, she can glance at the map and tell what it is. 
   Of lesser concern is the lack of electronic eyes measuring when to start the timer.  Depending on a person to press a button when they think the dog's nose crosses an invisible start line is inexact at best.  No human timer gets it exactly right every time, but it's probably not more than a second off . . . unless their finger slips or they aren't paying attention.  At novice levels it makes very little difference, but at championship levels, maybe it does.
5. Agility Commentators -
   Sarah and Estaban, of Bad Dog Agility, working up and sharing their Power Score statistics in their AKC Nationals Preview article and publishing their podcast: Episode 33: 2013 AKC National Agility Championship Wrap-Up opened a Pandora's Box for me of what is possible.  Their sports analysis comparing various dogs'  and handlers' careers and runs was state of the art, in my opinion.  I believe it points to a more exciting future for our sport.  Like the way olympic figure skating has Peggy Fleming and Scott Hamilton in real time discussing and describing what we are watching --  the tripple lutz, the quad, etc., and every football game has a desk with commentators discussing the plays, the players, the coaches, bringing the viewers to a higher level of understanding of what they are watching, our sport needs that to gain in popularity.  For example, when I bring family members to an agility trial, they quickly lose interest after watching me and a few teams run, on the grounds that "they are all doing the same thing".  It takes a practiced eye to see the vast differences in handling, speed, extension, collection, tight turns, etc.  Which leads me to discussing the PA system at AKC Nationals.  I wasn't there in person, but why was the video commentary streamed by AgilityVision so garbled?  I could hardly understand a thing that was said.  Either the placement of the microphones, or the PA system itself . . . . something needs improvement.
6. Scholarships to National and International competitions -
   I have suspicions and have expressed elsewhere my concerns that there are probably some top notch AKC competitors who can't afford to go to these expensive competitions.  So we never see them on the US team.  I was thus gratified to hear on the latest Bad Dog Agility Podcast: Episode 36: The 2013 EO and AWC USA Teams, that AKC does fund some teams to these events, and has a donation portal on their website for other donors to help finance certain teams.  I suppose some portion of our trial entry fees are earmarked for this fund.   I'm still not sure if the qualifications for funding have anything to do with financial need, but I hope that becomes the criteria in future. Not to sound too bourgeois, again, but money is no measure of atheletic excellence.

Okay, that's all I've got to add to this conversation.  I look forward to the rants, wise council and/or wild ideas of our other bloggers.

Men are never so likely to settle a question rightly

as when they discuss it freely.
- Thomas Babington Macaulay

Upwards and onward!

Agility Seminar with Brittany Schaezler

Saturday morning introductions.
That's Lucky and me, bottom right.

I spent last weekend at our club's annual agility seminar, held at our field.  COST:  $100/day for a working spot, $30 to audit, including lunch at Don's.  Dr. Brittany Schaezler, a veteranarian out of Houston, TX who used to belong to our club while in vet school at LSU, was our instructor.  Post-trial, she has graciously reviewed, clairified and even extended my seminar notes below.

Brittany has tried out for World Team 3 times with her sheltie, Trip.  She also runs Ticket, another sheltie.  She follows Susan Garret and uses Greg Derrett's handling methods, summarized as follows:

• Each handling cue means one thing only - very precise.
• Body language trumps verbal commands any time.
• A change of arms always means a change of direction.
• Never let D cross over behind you.

Brittany uses minimal verbal commands (weave, A-frame, tunnel, chute, walk it, spot-- as needed), running courses largely on body language alone.  She never uses "left, right, out, around, over", uses "here" only in a tight spot, and does not give a verbal command for each jump. She just points with arms and shoulders.  She doesn't speak while D is going thru the weaves. She says dogs don't read your feet as much as your body.  Ds tend to run a straight line and take what's in front of them unless you signal a turn with arm and shoulder turns, or decellerate, and trains her dogs to recognize each body movement as a specific command.

SATURDAY: (Novice)

Race To Reward* (get D to focus away from you without head checks): 

• Place reward on ground.  Sit D a few feet away.  Release.  Run to meet them.  Increase distance.  Interject 1 low jump, a straight tunnel. 
• Hold collar, throw toy.  Release.  Run forward with D. Tug.  Increase distance.

*From Agility Right From The Start, by Eva Bertilsson and Emelie Johnson Vegh.  I watched the video, read the first chapter online, then bought the book.  It sounds good, breaking every skill down into easy to accomplish parts, ending every session with success, building handler skills FIRST, not focusing so much on sequences as on independant, enthusiastic performance of small tasks, always having fun! I feel I have trained my dogs all wrong, and their enthusiasm for agility suffers for it.  I have to mend my training (and teaching) ways immediately, including no more trials (after next weekend), until my dogs are eager to run courses with me.

Accelleration/Decelleration: Saturday morning was devoted to accelleration and decelleration.  It was supposed to be a day for novice dogs, but most enrollees were our club's most advanced trainers.  Border collies especially need to decelerate, dogs like Lucky need accelleration.



Decel Flatwork:

1. Stand ahead of D.  Call.  D decels as they approach your side. Reward.  Increase distance. Reward the decel.

Accel Flatwork:

1. Stand ahead of D.  Call. Throw toy ahead.  D leaves you, accellerating to toy.  Meet D and tug.
2. Same, but move forward as D passes you, meeting up at the toy. Tug

RULES: To Q accel, run to landing side of jump; to Q decel, run to the take off side of jump. To teach decel, start with 2 jumps, and stop when they commit to jump 2. When they wrap, treat.



Helper shakes toy as D approaches.

The course set up was a U shape: 3 winged jumps to a curved tunnel/3 winged jumps back, bars on the ground.  Can ask D to decellerate, wrap, etc., at any point. Don't need D to jump full height, just run between posts is fine. Cue decelleration by slowing down, stopping forward motion, even stepping backwards, and not moving past the wing of the jump.

Build accelleration by the promise of a great reward at the end (treat, tug, fetch), and passing the wing.  Never slack up on giving out rewards. If you don't have a training partner, place toy or treat beyond the last obstacle where D can see it or knows it's there.



Brittany says most dogs don't inherently "love" agility.  We have to transfer value to the obstacles with massive amounts of treats (food, toys, praise, play).  They will do what we want, to get what they want.  Eventually, most dogs will start to associate the VALUE of the reward to agility. 

Lucky exhibits stress going into the tunnel.  Needs lots of tunnel work. Brittany has seen videos of her going fast after the lure, and in the jump chute.  Says Lucky is no doubt stressed at trials, as many dogs are.  She says "never pass up an opportunity to attend a match".  In Houston, there are 6-8 matches per year, and she goes to all of them to build value for running courses.

Brittany and ?, training the "one rear toe on"
contact behavior.

Contacts:  2-on-2-off is falling out of favor on the A-frame.  Very bad for the dog's shoulders.  Brittany's preferred method is 1RTO (developed by Linda Mecklenburg)  "one rear toe on" about 1" up on dog walk, running contacts on A-frame using "jump bumps" to train it (see below), and 4-on on the seesaw for dogs under 20 lbs..

1RTO places emphasis on the dog's back legs rather than "sticking" the front legs. The way to train "1RTO" is with a 5' long x 12" wide rough-surfaced board, treats and a clicker.  Progression is:

• Click/treat for any interaction with the board.  Off, or throw a treat back off the board to reset the Off position.
• Click/treat for 4 feet on the board. Off
• Click/treat for only 2 back feet touching.  Off
• Click/treat for only 2 back feet touching at the end of the board.  Off
• Click/treat for only 1 back foot touching.  Off
• Click/treat for only 1 back foot touching at the end of the board.

Eventually, D might come off the board, then reach one back foot to touch the board, or even back up to touch the board.  This could result in a fault (wrong course), as D can't re-enter an obstacle, so be careful here.  Then begin to play the back foot touching game at the base of the dog walk, then the A-frame.

See-saw for small dogs should be 4-on at the end, and wait for touchdown before releasing.  Large dogs can leave the board just before it touches because their weight will push the board down before their back feet loose contact.

Here, Chance takes down side in 2 strides,
ensuring one stride hits in the yellow.

A-Frame Stride Regulators (Jump Bumps):  D (any size) should take the A-frame 2 strides up, 2 strides down, without touching the apex.  D will naturally learn to do this if you place jump bumps on the down side, one covering the top slat, another over the lowest blue slat.  For speed, place a target for D to drive to, several feet out. This training ensures they will ALWAYS hit the lower contact, which makes the running contact possible.  NOTE: May have to adjust slat positioning slightly.  Best to video your D to figure this out.  Jump bumps should remain on the A-frame forever, except at trials.  Start with the A-frame at about 3' high.  Progress in 2" increments to full height.  Height is less important than stride.  You train this to muscle memory.

Can make jump bumps out of 4" PVC, cut in half, 3.5' long, with a hole drilled near the bottom of each end for a bungee cord to wrap under A-frame and hold jump bump securely. Paint to match A-frame paint, but at first use white or reverse colors so D can see bumps more easily.

Start having D run over jump bumps placed on ground, then between jump posts, then add to A-frame, indicating you expect D to jump over them.

You can also add a jump bump on the up side, covering the top slat, or right over the apex, to encourage leaping over the apex, especially with small dogs.  Maxie had no problem taking the down side in 2 strides, even though his normal running stride is only 3.5 feet and the a-frame is 9'.  Go figure.

You can also make jump bumps out of pool noodles.  They are cheap and more flexible.

There are online Running Contact classes (and other agility classes), offered at http://www.daisypeel.com/

SUNDAY: Advanced (training 180's, 270's, Serpentines, Double Box, Point System, and Push Through/Back Side)

180's:

• Step 1. Start with 2 winged jumps in a line, wings touching.  Start close. Stand in middle, D to outside, send D over 1 with arm closest to D, post turn and pull over 2.  Treat. Work both sides.  Work further and further back to 15'.  Do the same with front crosses (D ends on inside) and rear crosses (D starts on inside).
• Step 2. Separate jumps 1' at a time to 15' apart, increasing when you get great performance.  Repeat PT, FC, RC, always using the same cues for each type of turn.
•  If mistakes happen, backchain to previous distance.
• NEVER go in between the wings -- this is babysitting the 180, and is actually a different cue (for a pinwheel).

The full course sequence we ran Sunday afternoon included a 180 out of the chute, which I discussed extensively in a previous blog post.  Brittany related one method of placing the chute within a tunnel so D can NOT run sideways and get tangled in the fabric.  If they are trained NEVER to run a curve in the chute, then you can call their name and they will know where you are, but won't run towards you while in the chute.  She also discussed rear crossing behind the chute -- make sure D sees your RC before they enter the chute.

270's beginning training

270's:

• Step 1.  Start with winged jumps at right angles, touching.  H stands inside the 90 degree angle with D.  Send D over, around the 270, and pull  D back into H's space, with a post turn.  Treat.  Work both sides.
• Add FC's and RC's
• Work further and further back.  
• Step 2. Separate by sliding 2nd jump along the line 1 foot, increasing to 15'
• Never pass the plane of the wings.
• Backchain as necessary for consistently good performance.
• For D's who tend to run around 2nd jump, place a ground bar catecorner to where the wings meet.
• Try not to use the "out" command.  Keep shoulders pointed in direction you want D to go.

Serpentines:  In correct serpentines, D must stay behind H.  To do this, H must stay right next to the jump and wing, leaving ONLY the space behind H for D to jump into.  If you leave an opening, D will take it and end up doing a threadle.  Treat immediately by the wing so D won't run behind you.  See diagram:



Many trainers found it difficult to hug the wing of the middle jump, but whenever they did, D performed perfectly.  So now I know how to do a serpentine without driving thru the line of jumps and front crossing at every turn. Yippee!

Start training this with D at 2, H holds right arm across chest, keeps left arm close to body or behind back, calls D, H steps forward one step and treats D behind or beside them (never past H), alternating hands to treat.  Do from both left and right approaches.  Then, start D at 1, left arm out pushing D away, then switch arm to pull D in across 2nd jump and in behind you, where they stay until you switch arms again to signal a jump over 3rd jump.  The timing of your arm change has to be just right to avoid pulling D in between jumps, or pushing D out between jumps (which would be a threadle).  Increase distance between jumps from about 4' to about 15'.

Double Box setup

Double Box:  The double box should be set up at all times and can be used to teach all handling skills.  It looks like the diagram below:

Point System:  To determine the best path to take and the best way to handle, Brittany uses a point system.  Is it better to handle from the left or right of a jump to the next obstacle?  Shortest distance for H = +1 point.  Which direction will D be facing coming out of the obstacle?  If facing the correct next obstacle = +1 point.  If a redirect is required = -1 point (because turns slow D down).  Highest point value generally means "best way".

Send to Back Side of Jump:

Stand close to the wing with arm outstretched, D to outside.  Give a verbal cue such as "back" or "out", until D catches on they are supposed to take the back side of the jump. Big party.  Repeat left and right wing.  Gradually increase H's distance from wing until 15' back.  Occasionally intermingle sends directly over the jump, making sure you point at the jump rather than beyond the wing.  Support the wing until D's nose clears the wing. 
Begin throwing in FC's, running off with the reward, and treating with other hand.  Gradually fade the verbal cue when the physical cue is well understood.

GENERAL RULES: 

• Never front cross on D's straight line path.  Use FC only to turn.
• Rear crosses should take place as close behind D as possible.
• What turns D is the cross, not arms, feet, or shoulders.
• Rear cross flatwork.  D sits.  H goes from side to side behind D, at greater distances. D's head should snap in your direction only AFTER YOU RC.  Never reward for a head check (a flick) that occurs prior to the cross.

POINTS OF INTEREST:

• Trainers spend too much time running full courses, not enough time on skill building and handling cues.
• Build accuracy with repetition on short sequences, offering reward only for correct performance.
• When a green dog is running a full course or long sequence, DO NOT correct mistakes.(AMEN, I've been saying this for 2 years!).   D must learn to complete a sequence at full speed, without stopping.  If they miss a jump, a weave pole, or take a wrong course, keep going.  You will take all the fun out of agility for them if you are always stopping to correct, and you will slow them down. Stopping a desirable activity is a negative form of correction.  Once D is fast, enthusiastic and truly understands what you are asking them to do, then you can stop to correct, but, BIG POINT, be sure when they get it right you immediately stop and reward. 
• Go for fast and happy more than accuracy.  If D gets slow, stop."The more likely your dog is to "slow down/be careful", the less you can afford to "correct" in a sequence.  You have to know your dog."
• A still toy is a dead toy.  Must bring to life with movement.
• Greg Derret never uses a flip to get a dog over a jump or into a tunnel.
• Greg Derret's system has evolved.  Early DVD's no longer reflect his current system.

This was my best agility seminar ever.  Brittany was well prepared, organized, friendly, fielded questions well, treated everyone with equal favor. Everyone was in good mood.  The weather was just about perfect.  Air quality not bad.  LCCOC's old Radio Shack wireless microphone system which I resurrected from storage and John repaired for the club, worked very well.  Brittany's comments could be heard across the field, and she expressed much appreciation at not having to shout. We started out powering it from my car's cigarette lighter, until Ken (our newest member) brought out his portable inverter, which reached everywhere and lasted all day.  Turns out, our system draws very little power.  All very good.

Unfortunately, poor little Maxie got stung Saturday morning by a wasp that was hovering in the grass.  He yelped and wailed for 5 minutes, I treated immediately with Swedish Bitters, but he licked his paw incessantly for about 2 hours, and on Sunday was clearly off, and afraid of the grass.  He ran about half speed during his turns, and while not limping today, is still nursing his paw and seems tired.  Lucky just ran slow, as usual, and some kind of bugs in the grass were tickling her bare belly and making her scratch a lot.  Still, I got a lot from the seminar and plan to start my training over, from scratch, after the Kiln trial this upcoming weekend if I meet my 2011 goals.  Almost there.

The KT Sports Injury Tape I used on my calf seemed to work.  I had no problems whatsoever, though I can't fathom how it works.  It's a mystery, and my new best friend.

Upwards and onward!

P.S. Brittany invited us all to send videos of our training sessions, which she offered to analyze and comment upon.  Nice!  She also urged us to come to more trials in Texas, and said the Crosby arena is very good.