Clean Run - July 2012 - 13

I think the final push for me came when we set up a “show” for the last class of the year for a Reactive Dogs Agility session and invited friends and family to attend. Can you guess what happened? The owners got stressed because people were watching and the dogs were unable to perform the things they had learned, even with all strangers staying very far away from the ring, and only familiar people watching each dog’s run. The handlers went home disappointed and I kicked myself all the way home from that class. How did I actually recreate the same stressful environment for dogs that didn’t need any more stress? For the next class, I vowed to videotape the dog’s performances and only invite guests to watch the dogs online. Enter a cold long winter with lots of time to think about it, and the Virtual Agility League was born. The Virtual Agility League offers a Training Division at the Beginner and Intermediate Levels. In this division, the handler may use treats and toys in the ring. In the Expert division, treats and toys may not be given during the run or be visible on the handler. Beginner Level Jumpers courses contain only winged and wingless jumps, the double jump, the tunnel, and the chute. Beginner Level Standard courses contain the dogwalk and the A-frame in addition to those obstacles. Beginner Level challenges include 90° and 180° turns. Beginner Level courses bear similarities to CPE Level 1 courses, in that there

are no weaves or teeter. Intermediate Level Jumpers courses may contain the tire and the triple jump, in addition to challenges like serpentines, wraps, and obstacle discriminations. Intermediate Standard courses include a set of six weave poles and also the teeter. The closest traditional venue comparison to this level would be the former version of AKC Open, in which there were only six weave poles. Expert Jumpers Courses include the broad jump and the panel jump—two of the most difficult jumps to navigate. Challenges can include threadles and 270° turns. Expert Standard courses include a set of 12 weave poles. The Expert courses resemble a USDAA Masters level course. There are also Cum Laude, Magna Cum Laude, and Summa Cum Laude titles for handlers who choose to stay at the Beginner or Intermediate levels and perfect their skills. For dogs that progress to the Expert level, there are the VALOR Exceptional and VALOR-Dictorian titles. VALOR includes all the best parts of the most ideal agility trial. Handlers can help build the course and may walk the course as long as they want. Handlers can even choose the course they want to run and watch others run it online, ahead of time. Most importantly, when it is time to run the course, handlers can keep the video camera running and keep trying the course until they get a clean run. (How many times have you wished for just one more chance at a course at a traditional trial?) The benefit of this

option is that both dogs and handlers increase their confidence with each run. So, is VALOR a test of agility skills? Yes. Is VALOR a contest to prove whose dog is the fastest or best? No. Let’s take a look at what The Virtual Agility League does not include:

H The stress and cost of longdistance travel in a hotel

H The stress and cost of staying H The stress of running in
inclement weather

H The stress of ring conﬂicts H The stress of walking a course in H The stress of getting your dog

a large crowd of people for a short amount of time through crowded trial grounds up jump and having your dog off leash with other dogs around while you warm up

H The stress of waiting for the warm-

H The stress of lining up for the ring

and making sure you get in the ring in time to make the judge and gate steward happy crowd of people and dogs watching ringside the ring

H The stress of running with a

H The stress of having a judge in

Congratulations
Stephanie & CH MACH Troika Transit of Venus, RN
PHOTOS BY MARY WALKER

enus V

Tina Eldred D Mary Kobis D Gayanna Gilbraith D Anne Kernan D Aliza Smith D Becky Kick D Betsy English D Christine Fleischmann D Diane Betelak D Dianne Mahar D Donna Schmidt D Karen Vanderburgh D Lisa Hanley D Lisa Parker D Lynn MicKinkle D Lori Hachey D Melvin Manor D Michelle Osborne D Sandy Madaio D Stacie Murray D Toni Kurowski
July 12 | Clean Run

Clean Run - July 2012

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Clean Run - July 2012