Happy New Year!

Starting the new year on an emotive subject, but one that needs covering as the dog agility competition scene continues to have a turnover of competitors each year. Now, I am not saying for one minute that this is a problem caused by new handlers to the sport. However, it is often remarked that some are coming along without the full knowledge of how, what, when, and where to compete with their dogs. There is also, unfortunately, a small minority of folk who simply do not care and will brush the problem off onto other handlers.

Many years ago, while competing with Ollie, my Border Terrier, we were both having loads of fun and progressing fairly quickly up the grades. There was a big bump in the road, however, and although we did get over it for a period of time, it did finally come time to hang up his paws and retire early. Ollie got to the point where he was loving training still, but at shows, he would lose his head and just run rings around me, not listening to a word I spoke.

This was frustrating because, for the most part, he was enjoying the competition scene up until then. Instead, I went on a huge learning curve in canine behaviour, and Ollie went on to be my hiking partner. So, still a win for both of us.

I can still pinpoint the moment that triggered me to take note of how not just my own dogs were behaving but that of others too that were in close proximity to us. In my early years of competing, it never occurred to me that the way other dogs behave can have an impact on my own dogs and vice versa! And this is a huge failure on my part because when I did start competing, I will be honest, I did not read the rules and regulations set out by the Kennel Club.

If I had, I would have seen something similar to what is there today. Here are just two of those rules covering canine behaviour and who is ultimately responsible:

The owner, exhibitor, handler, or other person in charge of a dog at Kennel Club licensed events must at all times ensure that the dog is kept under proper control while at the licensed venue, including its environs, car and caravan parks, and approaches. This Regulation applies before (at any time during the set-up period at the venue), during the event, and afterward (at any time during the breakdown of the event). The mating of bitches within the precincts of the competition, as stipulated above, is forbidden.

Following discussion between the show management and/or a veterinary surgeon, a dog shall be prevented from competing and/or removed from an agility show if it is:

a. A bitch which is in season (apart from a dog attending the show to compete in quarter-finals, semi-finals, and finals of Kennel Club Prestige Events, other than events held under YKC rules).

b. Suffering from any infectious or contagious disease.

c. Interfering with the safety or chance of winning of an opponent.

d. Of such temperament or is so much out of control as to be a danger to the safety of any person or other animal.

e. Likely to cause suffering to the dog if it continues competing.

The circumstances of such a removal shall be recorded in the competition/show incident book and submitted to the Kennel Club.

*ref - GENERAL REGULATIONS FOR AGILITY COMPETITIONS As at 1st January 2024

You see, Ollie's strong point was never the weaves, but they were good enough to earn us clear rounds and placings. However, at one show, the weaves were set up right next to the ring boundary, which was marked out by only a piece of blue rope, which is still a common sight today. The position of the weaves was not the issue, though, with a fairly straightforward entry. What was an issue was a spectator standing right by the weave entry on the other side of the rope, leaving just over 2 meters between the obstacle and her. And in her company was a Border Collie looking very excited, holding a toy in its chops.

This situation by itself at the time was not an issue for Ollie, because he was generally quite good with other dogs. The way it became an issue for Ollie was that this dog was communicating very well that its arousal levels were high. The Collie would shake its toy about and give off muffled barks while Ollie ran his course. The closer we got, however, the more Ollie took notice, and as he headed for the weave entry, it then happened. The Collie lurched forward, nearly toppling its handler over, to which she replied with a strong lead check and shouting at her dog. What she shouted I cannot remember; I was more concerned with our performance as we had been clear up until that point.

I can see the image as clearly as if it happened yesterday. The very moment the Collie was yanked off its paws, Ollie recoiled and shied away from the couple. Tail tucked between his legs, he ran and hid behind my legs for safety. I tried to encourage him the best I knew at the time and even asked him to try the weaves again, but he wasn't having any of it, even after the lady had moved off.

There began months and months of trying to build Ollie's confidence around weaves while in the competition ring. In hindsight, I wish I had said something to the lady, but then again, those that know me will agree it was probably a good idea that that didn't happen. Plus, this incident and a few more got me on the path to learn more about canine behaviour and training, so maybe if I did remember who she was and saw her today, I would probably shake her hand in gratitude.

Why am I talking about this now? Well, it seems that incidents like these still occur, and in a number of forums, it is a hot topic where some people like to look for blame, while thankfully a vast majority of others are looking for a solution. And with many good solutions, they begin with awareness, and now that I have this platform to "titter" away on, that's what I am doing by writing about it.

As I say, this isn't a new problem, far from it, but it's still a problem, and just by being aware of this, then most of us would put the effort in with our dogs. A common obstacle for many handlers starting out their competition careers or starting a new dog is finding places whereby they can reinforce their dog for making the right choices and, for some, desensitize to the different environment. KC shows are big events, even the smaller-sized ones can see hundreds of dogs and handlers. The atmosphere is buzzing with nerves and joy, which will impact on how a new dog will feel when entering such a zone. Sadly, for a lot of dogs, the jump from their training venue where they are able to chill and train to a KC show is too big. Plus, if you are anything like how I was when I first started out competing, my nerves got the better of me often. With that, you may find it hard to support your dog as much as you need to, so what steps can you take?

Yup, find and enter your local Independent agility shows first. They usually have smaller numbers of dogs attending, like ours; we have a cap of 130 dogs! Any more than that, then it defeats one of the reasons why Bee Happy IDA was created. Plus, you will often find a friendly community at a smaller show. I am not saying you won't find this at a KC show, but just on numbers alone, you are more likely to keep bumping into the same people at the smaller shows. We are very lucky to have had, right from the start, a super-supportive core group of people attending Bee Happy IDA. We have a mix of experience of handlers who are prepared to teach and support those with less experience.

Want to see how your dog will get on at a Bee Happy Show? Head over to our show page for our next show on the 26th January. You do need to register with ourselves first, which is free to do, then you are ready to enter any of our shows. We look forward to seeing you soon, and Happy New Year!