Clean Run - June 2015 - 7

Everything you
always wanted to know
about agility

By Brenna Fender

What kinds of leashes are allowed in the AKC and USDAA agility rings? I want
to know if I can use a leash that has an area made for tugging.
The American Kennel Club's Regulations for Agility Trials has a
section (Chapter 4, Section 10) that addresses the types of leashes
that are allowed at events. It states, "A leash may not have excess
material dangling from it, nor may it have any attachments including a fleece or leather wrap. The leash may have a single pick-up
bag and/or identification tag attached to it."
That information is pretty clear, but AKC Director of Agility Carrie DeYoung clarifies the topic further: "Toys are not allowed in the
ring and judges often have to decide if a leash has been designed
around a toy. I usually say to exhibitors, 'if, when you are looking
at a leash, you are not sure it is legal, then it probably is not.' If you
have to ask if it is legal it is obviously pushing what is the traditional concept of a leash."
For United States Dog Agility Association trials, allowed leashes
are not specified in the Official Rules and Regulations of United
States Dog Agility Association. USDAA representatives say that
attachments that could hold food, like baggies, would be prohibited. Most other leash constructions are allowed.
If you have an unusual leash or one that is specially constructed
and that may draw concern from the judge, it's a good idea to ask
about it during the briefing. Better to find out there is a problem in
advance and use another leash than to lose a qualifying score.

What do a judge's hand signals mean? Are there different hand signals in
AKC, USDAA, and NADAC trials?
These three organizations have similar hand signals to indicate
faults, but they are slightly different.
At AKC events, a raised fist indicates a refusal or runout (written
as an "R" on scribe sheets), which earns 5 faults. A raised open
hand means "wrong course" (listed as a "W"), which is also worth
5 faults. Two raised, open hands indicate "failure to perform" (an
F on the scribe sheet), which is a non-qualifying fault. Two fingers
are raised to show a table fault (a T), which equals 5 faults. See
https://images.akc.org/pdf/events/agility/judges_hand_signals.pdf
for an easy to read hand signal chart.
USDAA hand signals are similar. The raised fist also indicates a
refusal/runout (5 faults) and two open hands raised mean "failure
to perform" (20 faults). However, a raised, open hand means "standard fault." Missed contact zones, displacing a jump bar, and exiting the table early are considered standard faults at USDAA events.
Elimination is indicated by a whistle. Wrong courses are elimination
faults, which is why there is not a separate hand signal for them. For
details, see USDAA rules at www.usdaa.com/rulesReg_eBook.cfm.

Do you have a question about agility
rules or anything else agility related?
Mail your questions to Brenna Fender:
brennafender@gmail.com
Brenna collects the questions and forwards
them to us so we never see the names.

In NADAC, a judge's hand signals indicate the number of faults
assessed. More than one type of error may result in the same number of faults, but only the number of faults is indicated. One hand
in the air indicates a dropped jump bar and results in 5 faults being
assessed. Two hands in the air indicates 10 faults, which could be
earned by missing a down contact on the dogwalk or A-frame, running the wrong course, or by a handler crossing over an obstacle
(for example, jumping a dogwalk ramp, hopping over a jump, cutting through the weave poles, or jumping over a tunnel). When the
judge crosses his arms in front of his body (in a manner that appears
to indicate "no"), that means either "failure to complete" or "unsafe
performance of an obstacle," which are both worth 20 faults. Hand
crossing at the neck indicates elimination. NADAC rules can be
found here: www.nadac.com/docs/Rules_for_NADAC_trials.htm.

What do the acronyms for the American agility organizations stand for?
Some agility organizations only host agility trials (like USDAA,
NADAC, and CPE, for example). Others are part of larger organizations that offer a wide variety of sports (like AKC and ASCA).
AKC = American Kennel Club
ASCA = Australian Shepherd Club of America
CPE = Canine Performance Events
DOCNA = Dogs on Course in North America
NADAC = North American Dog Agility Council
NDAL = National Dog Agility League (new organization just starting)
TDAA = Teacup Dogs Agility Association
UKC = United Kennel Club
UKI = UK Agility International
USDAA = United States Dog Agility Association

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June 15 | Clean Run

http://www.nadac.com/docs/Rules_for_NADAC_trials.htm https://images.akc.org/pdf/events/agility/judges_hand_signals.pdf http://www.usdaa.com/rulesReg_eBook.cfm

Clean Run - June 2015

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