Clean Run - May 2017 - 5
Less Competitive?
By Lori Westling
© mia grant
Does a taller A-frame, higher jumps, and spread jumps really make a class more competitive?
I just read an article in which the USDAA (United States
Dog Agility Association) Performance division was referred to as a "less competitive type of agility" and a division "for old dogs." The author even described Performance
as a "step down" from the Championship division. There is
this same vibe at trials, too, like the Performance classes are
somehow "less than." How disheartening. Have we forgotten our dogs in our quest to be competitive?
The course challenges are the same in Performance and
Championship-so why the big disparity? Just because
dogs can (and will) jump very high, should we be asking
them to? Should we be starting competition with 15- or
18-month-old dogs?
We are now seeing lots of repetitive use injuries in young
dogs as well as dogs that have finished their career at 5 or 6
years of age because of injuries. Why is this not making us
stop and take notice? Why are we not giving this the same
consideration we would give the safety of a jump wing?
I have noticed that many people start their dogs out in the
Performance classes and those dogs stay in Performance for
their entire career. In talking to these folks, they say they
do this to give their dogs a longer competitive life in agility.
This is a decision I have made for my bigger dogs. I have
had two dogs measure into the 26" class. I started them in
Performance and then moved them to Championship. I regret this decision as both of these dogs were injured. I attribute at least some of the cause to the higher jumps, the
spreads, and the steeper A-frame in Championship.
I don't notice people talking about the AKC (American
Kennel Club) Preferred classes in this manner. Maybe this
is because those dogs are blended within a jump height, not
separated into different classes. They do still include spread
jumps in the Preferred classes, but there has never been a
tall A-frame.
I hope we always have the option of classes like Preferred
and Performance, and that these classes will be considered
equally competitive to any other class.
Here is to keeping our dogs competing soundly and comfortably for many years!
Lori Westling
Lori lives in Albany, Oregon with Australian Shepherds Cole, Ava, and Jeb. She trains and competes in agility, nose work, and herding with her dogs. She first discovered
agility in 1995 with her first Aussie, Rumor. She can be reached at auseez@gmail.com.
May 17 | Clean Run
5
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Clean Run - May 2017
Contents
Clean Run - May 2017 - Cover1
Clean Run - May 2017 - Cover2
Clean Run - May 2017 - Contents
Clean Run - May 2017 - 4
Clean Run - May 2017 - 5
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Clean Run - May 2017 - Cover3
Clean Run - May 2017 - Cover4
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