What is this forum for?

[CanyonLabradors]

I thought I would create a sticky for new people who ended up in this forum because of the word "OBEDIENCE".

We have this forum "Agility, Obedience, and Conformation" created in the Labrador Retriever Training section as these competetive sports require a great deal of training in order to accomplish goals and titles.

However, if you are looking for general training tips, General Canine Good Behavior classes or want to ask "How do I get my puppy to stop biting me," these types of questions actually belong in the "Training Tips" forum. Not that we can't or don't want to help, but it's the best place for you to get the most exposure and certain answers to your questions from all of our wonderful members.

These events (and Rally which is not in the title of the forum) are actual events that many of us compete in. Here is a description for those interested in finding out more about these very cool and very fun sports you can do with your dogs!

What is Agility?

Agility is a sport that appeals to young people and to senior citizens. It has great spectator appeal. Agility is designed to demonstrate a dog's willingness to work with its handler in a variety of situations. It is an athletic event that requires conditioning, concentration, training and teamwork. Dog and handlers negotiate an obstacle course racing against the clock.

The AKC offers two types of agility classes. The first, Standard Class, includes contact objects such as the dog walk, the A-frame, and seesaw. Each of the contact obstacles has a "safety zone" painted on the object and the dog must place at least one paw in that area to complete the obstacle. The second is Jumpers with Weaves. It has only jumps, tunnels and weaves poles with no contact objects to slow the pace.

Both classes offer increasing levels of difficulty to earn Novice, Open, Excellent and Master titles. After completing both an Excellent Standard title and an Excellent Jumpers title, owner and dog teams can compete for the MACH - faster than the speed of sound! (Master Agility Championship title.)

Agility began in England in 1978. The AKC held its first agility trial in 1994.

Agility is the fastest growing dog sport in the United States and is the fastest growing event at the AKC.

A trial is a competition. Clubs hold practice matches, then apply to be licensed to hold official trials. At a licensed trial, handlers and dogs can earn scores toward agility titles.

An advantage to AKC participation is that dogs can earn titles in a variety of events such as conformation, lure coursing, earth dog, retrieving and field trials, obedience, rally (as of 1/1/05), and tracking, as well as agility.

In the first year of AKC agility there were 23 trials. In 2003, there were 1,379 trials. The number of trials held in 2004 will be more than 1,670.

What is Obedience?

Demonstrating the usefulness of a dog as a companion to humankind, AKC Obedience is a sport with rules, regulations, judges, conditioning, training, placements and prizes.

Dog and handler teams are judged on how closely they match the judge's mental picture of a theoretically perfect performance as they execute a series of specified exercises.

Accuracy and precision are essential, but the natural movement of the handler and the willingness and enjoyment of the dog are very important.

The first AKC licensed obedience trial was held in 1936 with approximately 200 entries in 18 trials.

Each level of obedience competition--novice, open, and utility--requires mastering a specific skill set, which increase in difficulty, before advancing to the next level.

What is Rally?

AKC Rally is the new dog sport that is taking the nation by storm, a successful stepping stone from the AKC Canine Good Citizen® program to the world of obedience or agility. Rally offers both the dogs and handlers an experience that is fun and energizing. The canine team moves at their own pace, very similar to rally-style auto racing. Rally was designed with the traditional pet owner in mind, but it can still be very challenging for those who enjoy higher levels of competition.

A rally course includes 10 to 20 stations, depending on the level. Scoring is not as rigorous as traditional obedience. Communication between handler and dog is encouraged and perfect heel position is not required, but there should be a sense of teamwork between the dog and handler. The main objective of rally is to produce dogs that have been trained to behave in the home, in public places, and in the presence of other dogs, in a manner that will reflect positively on the sport of rally at all times and under all conditions.

What is Conformation?

Dog shows, or "conformation" events, are the signature events of the AKC. They concentrate on the distinctive features of purebred dogs and help to preserve these characteristics by providing a forum at which to evaluate breeding stock.

Exhibits are judged against individual breed standards, which have been established for the AKC-recognized breeds by their parent clubs. These written standards describe the ideal size, color, and temperament of each breed, as well as correct proportion, structure, and movement.

[missteareuss1]

I am interested in agility training ... just waiting for obedience and all his shots 1st ... he's still only 2 months old