Borzoi Club of America

Borzoi in Agility

[ Prepared and Distributed As A Public Service By The Borzoi Club of America, Inc. October 1999, updated December 2000 ]

WHAT IS AGILITY?

Agility is a fun, competitive sport testing for speed and accuracy of handler and dog. Dogs are individually timed as they are directed by their handler to negotiate a course of jumps, obstacles, tunnels and weave poles, similar to many equestrian events. Qualifying scores are awarded to those dogs finishing the course without disqualifying mistakes, and within a predetermined amount of time. The difficulty of the course increases as dogs advance to higher levels of competition. Ribbons are awarded to the first four places in each jump height, for each level.

AGILITY ORGANIZATIONS

There are three different organizations that award agility titles. These include the American Kennel Club (AKC), the North American Dog Agility Council (NADAC) and the United States Dog Agility Association (USDAA). All three organizations are concerned with the dog's health and safety as they compete and the rules and regulations reflect this.

AKC ELIGIBILITY -- Dogs must be 12 months old, physically and mentally sound, an AKC recognized breed and registered with AKC, ILP or Limited registration number.

NADAC AND USDAA ELIGIBILITY -- Dogs must be 18 months old, physically and mentally sound, and the dog may be a mixed breed.

ROOTS OF AGILITY

Agility began as a spectator sport in England. The Show Committee at Crufts initiated agility competition to occupy spectators during the waiting time between obedience championships and the group competition. Within a short time it became so popular that the Kennel Club made it a regular competitive event. Agility began its popularity in the United States in the middle 1980's. Since then the sport has grown by leaps and bounds. Attend an agility trial and you will know why.

CHOOSING A BORZOI FOR AGILITY

In choosing a Borzoi for agility, adult or puppy, choose a happy, outgoing and people-oriented dog. The dog should not be shy, sensitive to noise or fearful of unfamiliar situations. He should be curious, confident and trusting. A "puppy aptitude test" can be helpful in determining if a puppy has these traits. (The test can be adapted to adult dogs.)

Structural soundness is an equally important consideration, as agility is a physically demanding sport.

TRAINING YOUR BORZOI FOR AGILITY

With proper training, any Borzoi can do agility. Obedience training is a must as it will help to instill the confidence and willingness to please that you need. Your Borzoi should reliably respond to "sit," "down," and "stay" commands. (See the Borzoi Club of America's pamphlet The Borzoi In Obedience). This training will also give your dog the basis for teamwork between dog and handler necessary for agility. It is never too early to begin introducing your puppy to agility equipment. Smaller dogs are easier to handle on contact obstacles and puppies are generally more curious and willing to try new things. Beginning with an adult Borzoi may take a bit more time and effort, but the results can be just as successful.

Encourage your puppy to enjoy food and toy rewards, making sure he does not lose the "play" attitude. You may have to teach your adult Borzoi to enjoy food and toy rewards. There are many successful teaching methods available.

Agility is a strenuous sport for dog and handler. You and your dog should be in good physical condition to compete in agility without injury. Your dog must be able to make sharp, fast turns, jump and have a good sense of balance to negotiate the obstacles. As a handler, you must also be able to run and negotiate sharp, fast turns in order to direct your dog. Jogging is a good way for both you and your dog to stay in shape.

WHO DO I CONTACT TO FIND OUT ABOUT AGILITY TRAINING CLASSES?

Look for a local agility club, or if none are available in your area, contact your local obedience club for information on agility classes. If the obedience club does not offer classes, they may be able to refer you to a private agility trainer.

OBSTACLES USED IN AGILITY

A-FRAME -- a contact obstacle made of two panels that the dog must go up one side and down the other. They must touch the contact zone on the down side.

DOG WALK -- a contact obstacle consisting of a center section and two ramps, twelve inches wide. The dog must go up one ramp, across the center section and descend the other ramp. The dog must touch the contact zone on the up and down ramp.

PAUSE TABLE -- a 36 inch square table that the dog must stop on for 5 seconds in either the sit or down position.

SEESAW -- a contact obstacle consisting of a 12 inch wide plank supported in the middle by a fulcrum. The dog must go up the plank and cause it to pivot to the ground before dismounting. The dog must touch the contact zone on the up and down part of the plank.

OPEN TUNNEL -- a tunnel made of flexible material with a 24 inch opening, 10 to 20 feet long. It can be curved so the dog cannot see the exit.

JUMPS -- many types of jumps are used on the agility courses, depending on the level of competition. They are single bar, panel, broad, double bar and triple bar. Class divisions are determined by the height of the dog. Jump heights are as follows:

8 inches -- for dogs 10 inches and under at the withers
12 inches -- for dogs 14 inches and under at the withers
16 inches -- for dogs 18 inches and under at the withers
20 inches -- for dogs 22 inches and under at the withers
24 inches -- for dogs over 22 inches at the withers

CLOSED TUNNEL -- consists of a rigid entrance with a chute attached. The length of the closed tunnel is 12 to 15 feet.

WEAVE POLES -- consist to 6 to 12 poles 36 inches tall and spaced 20 to 24 inches apart. The poles are arranged in a straight line. The dog must enter the poles correctly and weave through all of the poles.

TIRE JUMP -- a suspended tire like jump.

GLOSSARY

CONTACT OBSTACLES -- an obstacle that requires a dog to touch a safety zone.

CONTACT ZONE -- the yellow painted area on an obstacle indicating the safety zone.

CALL OFF -- a challenge on the course where the dog must be redirected by the handler in a different direction so the dog will not take the obstacle in his path.

FAMILIARIZATION -- a time before the competition begins when the Novice dogs are allowed on the equipment.

JUDGE'S BRIEFING -- prior to the start of a class, the judge goes over time, distance and scoring for the course.

COURSE TIME -- time allotted to finish the course without incurring time faults.

TIME FAULTS -- penalties incurred by running over the time allotted for finishing the course.

ELIMINATION -- a dog is given a "no score," but is allowed to finish the course.

EXCUSAL -- an elimination with excusal requires the dog and handler to leave the ring immediately.

AKC AGILITY TITLES

AKC Agility Titles are:
Novice Agility (NA)
Open Agility (OA)
Agility Excellent (AX)
Master Agility (MX)

To acquire a title a dog must earn a qualifying score in its class at three trails under two different judges. The Masters title requires, after earning the Excellent title, that the dog have 10 qualifying scores in Excellent classes.

AKC Agility Jumpers With Weaves Titles are:

Novice JWW (NAJ)
Open JWW (OAJ)
Excellent JWW (AXJ)
Master Excellent JWW (MXJ)

In this class, the course is made up of jumps, weave poles and tunnels only, eliminating all contact obstacles. This class is to demonstrate the dogs speed and jumping ability.

All the above agility titles go after the dog's registered name. The Master Agility Champion title (MACH) goes in front of the dog's registered name.

SCHEDULES OF AGILITY EVENTS

Schedule of AKC agility events, lists of agility clubs and rules & requirements for agility titles are available on the American Kennel Club web site http://www.akc.org or write the American Kennel Club, 5580 Centerview Drive, Raleigh NC 27606-3390.

NACAC and USCAA trials are similar to AKC trails. They have slightly difference rules and qualifying requirements for titles, which are the equivalent of Novice, Open and Excellent classes.

The NADAC web site is http://www.nadac.com or write the North American Dog Agility Council Inc., HCR 2 Box 277, St Maries ID 83861. The USDAA web site is http://www.usdaa.com or write the United States Dog Agility Association Inc., PO Box 850955, Richardson TX 75085-0955.
Both of these sites have a schedule of events, contacts and books for sale. The agility magazine "Clean Run" is available from 35 Walnut St, Turners Falls, MA 01376-2317. Their website is http://www.cleanrun.com. They cover AKC, USDAA and NADAC events and have training tips and articles by the top agility folks around the country.

CONCLUSION

Agility is teamwork between you and your Borzoi. A fast and athletic sport, there is no more satisfying feeling than a run at an agility trial, especially with a Borzoi. This is an event where there is great spectator appeal because it is so exciting to watch. Exhibitors encourage and support each other, as they compete against a qualifying standard rather than against each other. Agility is also a fun way to compete with your Borzoi. They love it! Whether you train for fun or competition, agility is a great way to spend time with your Borzoi.