Local dog clubs keep K-9s jumping
On May, 19th of this year, the wind was howling louder than the dogs in their crates, but that did not stop the volunteers and members of Fido (FIrst Dog Sports) and The Arizona White Mountain Kennel Club. They persevered through the winds that gusted, at times, to up to 40 MPH, and set up the two rings needed for the spring agility competition to begin.
Tents swayed on their tethers as the equipment was brought in from storage, and judges helped direct the many dedicated dog enthusiasts there to help set the courses for the May agility trial on Frontier Field in downtown Show Low.
Participants came in from as far as New Mexico and Colorado, according to Melanie Builder, who was the show’s chairman. Melanie ran this trial along with Kevin Bebee, the founder of Fido. Both have a passion for the sport and have worked hard in conjunction with the Arizona White Mountain kennel club to keep these trials going, even through the pandemic, knowing how important it was to get people and their dogs out and exercised.
Agility is a sport that combines different obstacles, depending on the dog's level, set up in different configurations. Obstacles include jumps, tunnels, weave poles, a-frames, teeters, and many more. The more advanced your dog, the more obstacles and more complex the courses. The roots of the sport go back to England when it was created as a demonstration for different breeds of dogs and was first shown to an audience during the Crufts dog show in 1978.
The judge designs the course and then gives the handlers 5 minutes to walk the course. In five minutes the dog's handler must memorize the order of the obstacles and strategize about how to lead their dogs through them. Agility courses and the order of different obstacles vary in each competition, and this is what makes agility so interesting. Courses are never the same, challenging handler and dog alike.
Dogs can begin competing at 18 months at the lowest level. Since agility is all about confidence, it is a great way to begin shaping a relationship with a dog while keeping both of you fit. Unlike other dog show classes, agility is open to all breeds of dogs, no matter the size or age, and many shelter dogs have gone on to win impressive championships. While breeds like border collies and terriers excel, it is not uncommon to see greyhounds, and dachshunds among their ranks, along with the local shelter’s favorite Heinz 57. This event is a wonderful sport for shelter dogs, many of whom have reached the top of their class. For shelter dog who need confidence and learn who must learn to trust their new owners, agility is a fun interactive sport that helps both the handler and the dog grow confident together.
Curious to see if you and your dog could do this? Come out to watch. The people involved are very helpful, and often have training sessions in various places around the area.
And remember, don’t get discouraged until you give it a try!
“Everything is hard until it’s easy” -Goethe
To compete in sanctioned agility events you can register your dog at https://www.akc.org/register/information/canine-partners/
It is open to any mixed breed dog.
FIDO’s Facebook page can be found here;
https://www.facebook.com/groups/75757467509/permalink/10159778009787510/
The Arizona White Mountain Kennel Club’s website is here.
