Clean Run - January 2009 - 59

• Lighting: Are there shadows or are you casting a shadow? Sometimes dogs are jumping into the rising or setting sun, depending on the season, and can be blinded. • Weather: Rainy? Windy? Dry? Dry grass can be slick like glass. • Uphill: Jumping uphill can add an inch to the jump height and have an even bigger impact when it’s a spread. • Downhill: Might make a dog extend even more over a jump • Reflection: Sun reflecting off the equipment • Noise: How loud it is (can the dog hear you?) • Wind: Blowing trash or leaves outside the ring • Judge: Yes, judges can be an environmental factor, from the path they take, to where they stand for the table, to what they wear. But most likely this affects only a small percentage of dogs. Learn Your Stride Length One of the first things that AKC agility judges learn at the judging clinic is how to pace off the distances between obstacles. AKC judges tend to have a pretty good idea of the number of strides it takes for key AKC distances: 15', 18', and 21'. You can gain an advantage if you also know how to do this so you can determine how important that extra 12" might be. Ideally it takes two people. Measure an 18' distance. You can use a measuring tape like those for centerline course building. Mark the start and finish lines for the 18' distance. With your head up and looking forward, start walking a few feet before the start line to ensure your natural pace and an accurate stride are measured. Have the second person count the number of steps it takes you cover 18' at your normal pace. The second person should count because most people have a tendency to slow and look down to find the finish line and this will throw off the count. Repeat at other key distances. Don’t have a second person to help? Just try to fight the urge to look down and slow down. Or alternatively, drop something at your sixth stride then go back and see what distance correlates to that marker. Repeat for 7 strides, 10 strides, and so on to get an accurate count for various distances. Or you can do this on a surface where you can see footprints (wet surface or sand), and go back and count strides. It Is Easy As I write this article, I wish I had written it several agility trials ago, because I could have used some of these reminders myself. It’s so easy to forget all the considerations when we’re handling our dogs, and remembering may seem to be a daunting task. But the future is bright. The more you and your dog see and experience, the fewer problems course challenges (even the hidden ones) will cause for your team, and your team will be one of the teams making it “look easy.” D Carol has an MS in Mathematics and works for AT&T. She is an agility judge, part-time agility instructor, and active member of JAG. Carol and her husband, Paul, have trained and titled several breeds in the dog sports of agility, obedience, Rally, herding, and flyball. They have shown Basenjis, Malinois, Chinese Cresteds and Border Collies. Carol’s current partners are her Chinese Crested, MACH2 LouieLouie, and Belgian Malinois, Fusion. ® January 09 | Clean Run 59

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Clean Run - January 2009

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