So I am actually a bit ashamed to say that before yesterday we had never been to an independent agility show!
So for those that don’t understand what I mean, in the UK there are two main organisations that run agility shows. The Kennel Club (KC) is the one most people know about along with Agility 4 All, which was formerly known as UKA. As well as these two organisations there are lots of other independent shows ran by different businesses. Any results you get from the independent shows will not count towards any progression at KC or A4A shows, but the independent show may have it’s own league for results (not all do this though).
The main reason for going to this show was to have a look around and see what it was like for my young dog Quest. Quest is about to start his competition journey and I am looking for as many ways as I can to make his transition from training to competition as positive as possible.
I have had a lot of comments from people wondering when Quest is actually going to enter the ring. My answer is always the same – when we are ready to do so! I felt my competition journey was rushed a bit with my other dogs to the point where it wasn’t planned, but because they progressed quickly, combined with the covid break in shows, we are now in a position of ‘what next’. If you have read my book you will know the story of why I felt so pressured, but with many points now proven I certainly don’t want to repeat this with Quest!
I had heard that this particular show was good for giving young dogs that stepping stone into competitions. You can run ‘not for competition’ allowing you to train in the ring. Also in the lower grades (grades 1 and 2) you can carry a toy, as long as the toy doesn’t touch the dog when running for competition. This sounded like a good set up so we went along to see.
I didn’t enter Quest for any competition runs, we were there to train around the rings and have a look to see if the environment will suit him in the future. I did enter my other two dogs Milo and Flash. I’ve made no secret of not really knowing what to do next with Milo and Flash after they reached their G7 goal, but as we were wanting to have a look at the show we took them along.
They both had a fun time competing at the show and I really enjoyed running them. They don’t get as much training as they used to but they certainly do still enjoy having a competition run from time to time. Milo was a little bit too excited in his 2nd run that resulted in a 
in the ring 
. He did have 2 before he went in, so I wasn’t really expecting that, but as always he likes to keep me on my toes 
.
These things happen to even a grade 7 dog it seems and in a strange way I am glad it did. One of my worries when Quest starts to compete is him doing this. Quest can do an adrenaline poo from time to time – it is something we are working hard on, and we have just about conquered it in most agility environments, but the fact this happened to Milo has weirdly put my mind at ease for when Quest does enter the ring. Don’t get me wrong, I will certainly be doing everything I can to prevent it, but as a one off these things happen!
I could have easily have skipped mentioning all that from my write up, but one thing I find really odd in agility is how people mention only the ‘best bits’. You will see edited videos on social media or what seems like the perfect run or training session. As a trainer I believe it is my job to be honest and show you the good and the bad, and what to do when these things happen. You don’t learn from only seeing someones best bits!
That is a big reason I started my Quest For Success Academy, to give handlers an honest guide of taking a young dog to the competition ring and beyond. By sharing my experiences combined with my behaviour knowledge, it puts handlers in a much better place to understand their dog and to build a successful team. Agility is far more than just skills alone. Skills will only get you so far, but understanding your dog combined with these skills that is what gets you the success!
Milo’s results from yesterday were – 1 x E in his 1st run – he popped out his weaves then I chose to carry on without correcting these to keep his confidence high. 1 x E in the jumping for his poo incident. 1st (clear) in the other agility and then 5F for dropping a pole in the steeplechase (would have been 2nd if he didn’t drop the pole) For a dog that will be 9 this year I think he is doing great!
Flash had 2 runs, jumping I got him and E as I pulled off a jump too soon, then his Steeplechase was a clear 2nd.
I really enjoyed running them today and they enjoyed it too, so we will carry on with the odd show here and there for now. I actually think the independent show suited them for where they are both at in their journey so we will definitely be taking them to more of them.
The show in general was very laid back with plenty of space. The rings were fenced but if I am honest I wouldn’t say securely fenced, however it is my own personal opinion that you shouldn’t rely on a fenced ring anyway. Yes it gives the handler a sense of security, but there are other pieces of the agility puzzle that need to be worked on too alongside the agility skills to allow you to feel confident to run your dog with or without a fenced ring.
In reflection we would definitely go to this show again, the set up suited each of my dogs for different reasons. I like that they have put things in place to help young dogs transition to the competition environment. We have another independent show to try in a month or so, so it will be good to compare the two.
These shows rely on handlers giving them the support to continue, so I’d say if you have one near you, go along and give it a try. A bonus was all runs were in the dry! Not a spot of rain till we left!
Happy training / competing
Katrina
KB Dog Agility 