AM I READY TO GO TO A TRIAL?
Before you are ready for a trial-
1. You must practice-if you are not practicing at all on
your own, I would say it would be very difficult to get to
trialing level just by going to agility class.
2. Try a fun match! Most of the local clubs sponsor these
occasionally. Check out SMART's
website for local ones, and the main
California calendar for more. I post ones close to Santa
Cruz here too. You can run with toys and treats and mess up
and no pressure at a fun match. Start out doing just jumpers.
3. Take your dog to some trials to just hang out and be there,
and get used to sitting in a crate. You will be happy you
did this. While you are there, work at the trial! Setting
bars is a great way to hang out at the ring and watch many,
many runs. Watch the handlers in the master's ring. Watch
beginners. Pick up tips. Also learn to do other trial jobs.
4. Register your dog with your preferred venue. You will
need registration numbers from USDAA, CPE, ASCA (Australian
Shepherd club-they have a lot of trials in Hollister
and you don't need to be an aussie to go in them). If you
are going to do AKC, which lots of people do, even without
purebreds, you will need to register your dog with an ILP
if it is not a purebred dog. I am not that hot on AKC since
I have non purebred dogs and like to support organizations
that promote dog rescue and put non purebreds on a level playing
field. AKC recently ran a poll about allowing Non Purebred
dogs to compete in AKC agility trials but NOT against purebreds.
Smacked a little of creepy racism. I know it's dogs, but it
creeps me out. Not sure if I would compete in AKC even if
I had a purebred dog.
WHERE ARE THESE SO CALLED DOG SHOWS?
In agility, they're called trials. Here are the most current
ones coming up, within reasonable driving distance from Santa
Cruz, CA-2ish hours or one tank of gas. $50 man, in gas now
for one tank. So these are only USDAA and CPE, my preferred
venues. There are LOTS more trials that you can find out about
on the Southwest
Agility Calendar. Wonder where we spend our weekends?
Just keep scrolling. See how we did on the blog.
26, 27 APRIL 2008
USDAA Test - Prunedale, California
Salinas-Monterey Racing Team (SMART)
Manzanita Park (Castroville Blvd.)
http://www.smartagility.com/index.html
3, 4 MAY 2008
USDAA Test - Sunnyvale*, California
The Bay Team
Twin Creeks Sports Complex (tentative)
Judges: Tim Laubach, Les Sanders, Cheryl Huffman
http://www.bayteam.org/wiki/USDAA_trial_May_3-4_2008
30 MAY - 1 JUNE 2008-We are NOT going
USDAA Test - Turlock, California
Nunes Agility Field (1318 South 1st Street)
Classes: DAM/PVP, GP/PGP and STP/PSJ + titling
Judges: David Bozak, Jim Hibbard
http://www.nunesagilityfield.com/
4 - 6 JULY 2008
USDAA Test - Sunnyvale, California
The Bay Team
Twin Creeks Sports Complex
GP/PGP, STP/PSJ, DAM/PVP, Titling
Website: http://bayteam.org/wiki/Portal:Events
19, 20 JULY 2008
CPE Trial - Petaluma, California
The Bay Team
Sonoma-Marin Fairgrounds (175 Fairgrounds Drive at Washington)
http://www.bayteam.org/wiki/CPE_trial_July_19-20_2008
23, 24 AUGUST 2008
USDAA Test - Prunedale, California
Salinas-Monterey Racing Team (SMART)
Manzanita Park (Castroville Blvd.)
http://www.smartagility.com/index.html
30 AUGUST - 1 SEPTEMBER 2008
USDAA Test - TBD, California
The Bay Team
http://www.bayteam.org/wiki/Portal:Events
29 OCTOBER - 2 NOVEMBER 2008
USDAA Cynosport World Games - Scottsdale, Arizona
USDAA
Westworld of Scottsdale (16601 N Pima Rd.)
http://www.usdaa.com
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