Back to contents
#BestForPets
Jo & Jelli Jo has had Cocker Spaniels as part of her family for 15 years and a talent for training dogs. She competed with her older cocker spaniel, Isla, in obedience and qualified her twice for the Good Citizen Dog Scheme Pre Beginners Semi Finals held at Discover Dogs. In the last few years, Jo discovered a new found passion in agility. Jelli, who is now five years old, has gone from Grade 1 to Grade 7, taken part in the Team GB showcase event in 2022 and is qualified to run in Championship classes.Jo hopes to make the most of the 2023 season, spending most of her free time driving all over the UK entering Championship classes and training foundations with her new puppy, Willow. your dog needs to stand still underneath a hoop that stands on a table. For example, if the medium hoop does not sit flat on the table then your dog will have the intermediate hoop placed over them and if this sits flat then they will be classed as intermediate height. You dog will also need to be officially measured after the age of 15 months in readiness for the minimum age of competing, which is 18 months. There’s no rush to be measured or compete, this is just the minimum ages. Measuring is generally straight forward;
You can of course enter unaffiliated shows that do not require measuring or being registered with the Kennel Club but these will not count towards progression through the grades.
“Go Tunnel, Go Weaves, Run Run, Targettttttt!”
To find a club in your area to train with, visit Agility Net: agilitynet.co.uk/clutch/clubs.htm
These are all words you might hear a handler saying (or shouting) during an agility competition!
Agility is a really fun and addictive way of mentally and physically stimulating your pawfect pal whilst keeping fit and active yourself. What’s great is that all breeds can take part; it doesn’t matter if you have a small dog or a big dog, as the height your dog jumps is determined by their size. In an agility competition, you need to navigate your dog around a course which comprises of jumps, tunnels, weave poles, a seesaw, dog walk and an A frame. The jumps may also be varied and include a wall, tyre or spread jump. Safety is key, so if a dog mis-jumps and touches a pole, the inside of the tyre or the wall, the equipment is designed to fall so they do not get injured. If any obstacles are dislodged or ‘contact areas’ are missed on the seesaw, dog walk and a frame then the canine competitor is given faults. The winner is the handler with the furry friend clocking the fastest time and fewest number of faults.
As you progress up the grades (all new handlers start in Grade 1 and aim to reach Grade 7), the complexity of the courses increases and you may be asked to send your dog round the back of a jump or run into the unobvious end of a tunnel. If you would like to get started in agility, it’s really important to start training with a registered club who can teach you both properly in a controlled environment with safe equipment. Once you have trained the basics, and both you and your pooch are confident, you can enter shows and be in with the chance of winning lovely trophies and rosettes. To do this, your dog must be registered with the Kennel Club to take part in KC shows. This can be the breed register for pedigree dogs or the activity register for crossbreeds and rescue dogs.
No dog is excluded from this fantastic sport!
10
11
Made with FlippingBook Online document maker