Is this fast for agility?

[Root Beer]

Yeah, this. I work my butt off. I'm fairly new at the game but if you think I'm not running my butt off to shave a tenth of a second off my dog's time or training or trying to find the best way to handle to get the fastest time I can, you're wrong. I am. Not always successfully, but I am!

 

I just don't particularly care if that's faster than anyone else.

 

It would be very interesting, I think, although way beyond the scope of our discussion here, to really take an objective look at the reasons why some are more competitive against other people and others are more competitive against a standard.

 

But I do know that one big factor for me is that I am keenly aware of the fact that I have no control over anyone's performance, except my own. Although, in dog sports, the dog must be taken into consideration, so one never really has complete control over a performance!!

 

I did have an absolute blast for a very short time when Dean and Tessa ran in the same class at the same height. I think Tessa was passing through Level 3 in Wildcard and Colors, and Dean was perpetually stuck there.

 

I used to "run them against each other". When I ran Dean, I tried to "beat Tessa" and when I ran Tessa, I tried to "beat Dean". Of course, I really didn't care which one placed above the other - I just found it amusing.

 

If Dean qualified, he beat Tessa. He was so much faster, even with nerves in play. But if he didn't qualify, Tessa, of course, beat him, because she almost always qualified at that level. (In CPE you can place without qualifying, as long as you NQ, not NT, and qualifiers always place above NQ's).

 

Those were good times. Maybe someday Bandit and Tessa will run "against" each other in some game at some level.

 

But when it comes to someone else . . . I don't know anything about their training, their dog's background, their dog's innate talents, etc. So, if someone places above us . . . great. I am glad their run came together so well. If we place above them . . . super fun! But the ribbon I always hope to take home is the green one!! (Q ribbons are a darkish green in CPE).

[CptJack]

Apparently this isn't going to let me put the quote at the top - sorry.

 

I agree that it's beyond the scope here, but I could give you a half dozen reasons related to my personality for not wanting to be in direct competition with other people and almost none of them are flattering.

 

At its core, though, I am actually hyper-competitive and a control freak and perfectionist on top.

 

If I were pitted in direct competition with another handler and their dog and my success relied on their failure one or both of two things would happen:

 

1.) I would quickly quit. I have infinite patience with my DOG, but I have almost none with my own learning curve. If I'm not doing well enough to progress, then I don't want to play the game. Competing against the course lets me maintain objectivity of my own dog and handling and work to improve and SEE improvement and stay satisfied.

 

and/or

 

2.) I would not be someone other people wanted to be around, because I would take this so insanely seriously that I would be no fun to be around, as well as HAVING no fun. My dog would also be miserable/melt because her temperament is not suitable for that (so, again, back to quitting).

 

Measuring against myself, setting my own goals, and having fairly narrow focus on my goals and progression, being able to train for challenges and succeed at them, and not having the unknown factors that comes from other people and their dogs means that I am able to take some deep breaths, not 'compare my chapter one to someone else's chapter 20', love my dog, have a good time and be proud of myself.

Instead of being a highly frustrated, anxious mess who puts inappropriate pressure on my dog.

 

It would be very interesting, I think, although way beyond the scope of our discussion here, to really take an objective look at the reasons why some are more competitive against other people and others are more competitive against a standard.

[CptJack]

And to be clear, that last is not what I think other people do. That is what I think/know *I* would do in that environment and why I steer clear.

[Cass C]

I don't have much to add to what was already said. Except that I think the missed point was you can have the fastest dog in the world, but if you can't control them while they are running it won't get you anywhere. Maybe else where that is not the case?

 

I love running my dog and getting a Q is great, but getting a first place and a Q is awesome! However getting a first place and no Q means very little to me. (This seems to happen a lot at lower levels of NADAC and USDAA for me)

[Root Beer]

I don't have much to add to what was already said. Except that I think the missed point was you can have the fastest dog in the world, but if you can't control them while they are running it won't get you anywhere. Maybe else where that is not the case?

 

I love running my dog and getting a Q is great, but getting a first place and a Q is awesome! However getting a first place and no Q means very little to me. (This seems to happen a lot at lower levels of NADAC and USDAA for me)

 

LOL! I LOVE those NQ placement ribbons. I'm not upset when we don't get one, but I do take every one and keep every one. Blue ones, red ones, yellow ones, white ones! It makes no nevermind to me!

 

Someday I am going to get one of those ribbon quilts made with all of Maddie, Dean, and Tessa's NQ placement ribbons from Agility, and medals from WCFO (they don't do that anymore, but they used to and Dean and Tessa both have a few), and a few pretty placement rosettes from Rally FrEe from courses we didn't qualify on, but got a placement for. Whenever we NQ and get a placement, I proclaim, "here's one for the quilt!" - sometimes to total strangers who have no idea what I'm even talking about.

 

I honestly don't know why that idea amuses me so much, but it does.

 

It would make a gorgeous wall hanging. What does it mean to me? I remember and appreciate the best my dog had to offer, even when things didn't go quite the way I would have liked.

[Cass C]

 

LOL! I LOVE those NQ placement ribbons. I'm not upset when we don't get one, but I do take every one and keep every one. Blue ones, red ones, yellow ones, white ones! It makes no nevermind to me!

 

Someday I am going to get one of those ribbon quilts made with all of Maddie, Dean, and Tessa's NQ placement ribbons from Agility, and medals from WCFO (they don't do that anymore, but they used to and Dean and Tessa both have a few), and a few pretty placement rosettes from Rally FrEe from courses we didn't qualify on, but got a placement for. Whenever we NQ and get a placement, I proclaim, "here's one for the quilt!" - sometimes to total strangers who have no idea what I'm even talking about.

 

I honestly don't know why that idea amuses me so much, but it does.

 

It would make a gorgeous wall hanging. What does it mean to me? I remember and appreciate the best my dog had to offer, even when things didn't go quite the way I would have liked.

I'm not saying I don't take them

 

They just don't mean as much to me as a Q, but to each their own!

[Root Beer]

I'm not saying I don't take them

 

They just don't mean as much to me as a Q, but to each their own!

 

I wouldn't say they mean "as much" as a Q . . . just something different.

 

And I'd say they mean more to me collectively than individually, if that makes any sense.

[CptJack]

I want the Q, but yeah. Every ribbon to which I am entitled is coming home with me. I'm most of the way to a crate cover for Kylie

[Cass C]

 

I wouldn't say they mean "as much" as a Q . . . just something different.

 

And I'd say they mean more to me collectively than individually, if that makes any sense.

Makes total sense

[PSmitty]

 

I love running my dog and getting a Q is great, but getting a first place and a Q is awesome! However getting a first place and no Q means very little to me.

 

Yes! Just to clarify since I was the one doing most of the talk about head to head competition, I did not mean wins on NQ runs. Those don't count to me.

[alligande]

Now I don't get Q ribbons or placement ribbons I miss them . Qs count, but the only ribbons you get for placements, and depending on the club you usually get a bag of dog food, a ribbon, treats, etc. and it is an overall prize for the weekend.

In Nadac and USDAA in the lower levels I only took my NQ first ribbon if I felt we had earned it sometimes in 26" there was only 3 dogs and we usually smoked the competition so I did not bother. But if it was a legit win then the ribbon came home.

[mum24dog]

The Q system makes more sense to me where classes are small.

 

The progression system would soon become top heavy if all that was needed to move up were a win against a few dogs. I can see why making it take longer to progress would be preferable.

 

It's not unheard of for dogs to win out in small classes at small shows even here but it's not the norm. I try and avoid that situation when deciding what classes to schedule at our show.

 

The title of Champion has been mentioned. Our older collie will be competing in a Championship class of 153 Grade 7 dogs on Saturday. All dogs run a Jumping and Agility course and the best 20 over both rounds get to the final then the winner if clear is one third of the way to becoming an Agility Champion. Works for us and ensures that only the best get to be called an Ag Ch.

[CptJack]

That's actually something I really hadn't even considered, but valid. Our trials usually have somewhere between 50 and, at most, 100 dogs - amongst all the jumping heights, and in all the levels. There are RARELY more than 3 dogs in her height class for a given course - there are more bigger dogs, but there are even fewer small ones. If all she had to do is complete the course and beat *a* dog - well. We'd be further than we are now - not less far.

[mum24dog]

It's definitely a different ball game numberswise. Here 100 dogs would just be one medium sized class.

 

As mentioned earlier in this tread, we do have the option to progress on points up to half way up the ladder so it's not completely a win out system, although not many do use the points option.