AKC finally voted on all the agility recommendations and there is one I am happy, happy , HAPPY about! The table has a new performance criteria effective September 1, 2010:
Performance: The dog shall pause on the table for five cumulative seconds. The
judge’s count shall start once all four paws have touched the table (and the dog
remains on the table top). Neither a sit or a down position shall be required.
Having such a miserable time with Jimmy's table, this seems too good to be true. Now all I have to do is get him to stay on the darn thing for five seconds, no begging for a down or a sit, only to have him sass me and run off....nanner, nanner, nanner, you can't make me! He might still blow me off, but if I can keep the argument going (on the table) for 5 seconds, we'll be good! I think I will continue to train for an automatic down, but at least I might still have a prayer for a Q now. Oh, that, and keeping the bars up, of course :-)
I think the real reason this was instituted was 1) to save time, and 2) to someday have electronically timed tables to make the counts more fair.
Lots of other changes can be found in the May minutes:
Wahoooo! Now I don't have to train a sit :)
ReplyDeleteYay!! I may try this activity now!
ReplyDeleteIt's good to catch a break, isn't it?
ReplyDelete