A Primer on AKC Agility Points

In AKC agility once you have worked your way up to the top class, Excellent B, you start earning points toward your MACH or Master Agility Champion title.  You need 750 points  and 20 Double Q’s to earn your title.  In my run last week at McCook, IL I got my first points.

Here is how it works:

• One point is awarded for each full second under standard course time.  Standard course time varies by dog height and event.  In standard agility for 20″ dogs like me, it is 3.1 yards per second plus 5 seconds for the Pause Table.
• Dogs earn points from the Excellent B standard class and the Excellent B Jumpers with Weaves class.
• If you place first, you double your points.
• If you place second your receive 1.5 times your points (all fractions are rounded down).

In order to receive your MACH you also have to have 20 “Double Q’s.” A Double Q is an event where you have perfect scores on both Excellent B Standard and Excellent B jumpers with weaves on the same day.

So after my 9 point score, I need only 741 points and 20 Double Q’s to be a champion!

–Lancelot

McCormick Dog Show – Agility for Lancelot

You have probably noticed that I have not had a post since winning my five blue ribbons in agility in January.  Now I am pleased to announce that at the McCormick IKC dog show in February I won another four blue ribbons in the agility competition, plus I had a qualifying run (a run where I did everything correctly, but where I did not place in the top three).

It was three days of fun at the huge McCormick Convention Center in downtown Chicago.  Six thousand dogs and lots of people to primp them, play with them and admire them.  The McCormick dog show is a “benched” show which means the dogs are there all day with their people and available to answer questions (the people mostly answer, but several of the dogs had plenty to say).

The people near us had a sign asking that their dogs not be petted without permission.  The dogs clearly did not make the sign.  If they did, the sign would have said, “PET ME!”  Note that the signs were nicely laminated with C-Line Cleer Adheer laminating film.

Over the three days I had nine agility runs – three in Standard Class, three runs in Jumpers with Weaves and three runs in FAST Class.  I have videos of my best seven.  Regarding the other two, let’s just say I hate yappy dogs. Their people should give them more treats.  You can’t bark while you are eating a treat.

Friday’s Agility Runs

My first run was in the Novice Class.  As a review, you start in Novice.  Once you have successfully completed three qualifying runs under two different judges you get your Novice title and you can move to Open.  From Open, once you have successfully completed three qualifying runs under two different judges you get your Open title and you can move to Excellent.  I’ll talk more about Excellent Class when I get there!

The run above was really picture perfect and allowed me to earn my Novice title in Standard Class agility.