April 2022 50×70 Results

Posted on May 9, 2022 by Bud Houston

Below are the results for the 50×70 League for April 2022. The April course is a game designed by Cindy Valdez from Jumpin’ K-9’s in Temecula, California. I am calling it “Hop Into Spring.” Scored Time, plus faults.

If anyone would like to design courses for the league, let me know!!!

The efforts of dogs playing in April earn Lifetime Performance Points (LPP). The LPP is a measure of rank based on how each dog placed in relation to all the other dogs. The IDAL keeps a catalog of all the courses run since the league inception. When a course is run a second, third, fourth… time, the scores of ALL the dogs who have ever run the course are maintained in field. New runs are compared and ranked with the old runs. This ranking is a unique system in the agility world. It allows competitors to do such things as compare a current run to an older run by the same dog or visualize how handling has changed over the years. Honors (titles) are conferred based on the total LPP of a dog as well as the performance in each season.

50×70 Courses for April 2022

Briefing:

There are three sequences on the course. All three sequences must be completed, but they can be completed in any order. Before each sequence, the middle, unnumbered jump must be taken. The middle jump is bidirectional. The numbered obstacles must be taken in the order indicated. Standard course faults apply.

Dogs must start on the table. Handlers are permitted to lead out. Time starts when the first paw hits the ground and stops when the dog hits the table with any part of their body AFTER finishing all three sequences (or the handler gives up). If the dog takes the table at any time before completing all three sequences, it is merely counted as a wrong course. The team can continue to complete all the sequences. Standard course faults apply. Scored Time, Plus Faults.

50×70 Regular Standings

Follow this link to view individual performance by dogs and their handlers. Most are graced with a YouTube link:

standings-april22-50×70-reg-1 Download

Top Dog

The Top Dog of all the clubs reporting in April is Eleven. Eleven and Sean McQuaid of K9cation in Hudson, Colorado set the standard with no faults in 26.97 seconds.

First-Place Team – 377 LPP

AQ4U’s Fast & Furryous in Brooks, Kentucky took first place team in April. Maggie, a Parson Russell Terrier, took first for the team. Handled by Ann Embry, the team ran the course with no faults in 27.9 seconds.

Second-Place Team – 325 LPP

K9 Powersports in Grand Junction, Colorado took second. Jessie, a Border Collie handled by Crystal Wert, ran the course with 0 faults in 31.56 seconds.

http://y2u.be/jTSRxIj9pvM

Third-Place Team – 277 LPP

Sport Dogs Jalisco in Mexico took third place. Amie, a Labrador, dashed into their top spot with 0 faults in 35.36 seconds. Amie is handled by Nohemi Ramos.

Fourth-Place Team – 272 LPP

K9cation out of Hudson, Colorado took fourth place. Their top dog was Eleven who was also the overall Top Dog. Eleven and Sean McQuaid finished the course with zero faults in 26.97 seconds.

Fifth-Place Team – 242 LPP

The All Breed Training Club of Akron in Tallmadge, Ohio took third. Savvy, a Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever, and Cindy Fink took the club’s lead yet again. They completed the course with zero faults in 31.71 seconds.

Sixth-Place Team – 122 LPP

Lakeside Agility Club (Formerly Clicker Pets) from Jalisco, Mexico took fourth place. Camilla, a Border Collie handled by Linda Hendy, took top honors. They had 0 faults in 47.81 seconds.

Results for Initiates and Dabblers

Although the Initiates and Dabblers ran the same course, they are also ranked among their skill level. Follow the links below to view individual performances by dogs and their handlers. Most have YouTube links:

standings-april22-50×70-id-1 Download

Top Dog

The Top Dog for the month of April is Amie, a Labrador handled by Nohemi Ramos. They run for Sport Dogs Jalisco in Jalisco, Mexico. They ran the course with 0 faults in 35.36 seconds.

Second-Place Dog

The second-place dog is Chocorrol, an All American handled by Guadelupe Espinosa. They are also from Sport Dogs Jalisco. They ran the course with five faults in 30.94 seconds. Urghhh! Those off-course options!!!

Third-Place Dog

The third-place dog, also from Jalisco Dog Sports, was Cody. Cody is a Bichon handled by Maria Elena Perez. They had zero faults and completed the course in 38.34 seconds.

BLOG1636 IDAL

Questions comments & snide remarks should be directed to Melissa Wallace at pagc.live@gmail.com.All payments for the IDAL should be directed to this page: https://www.ultimuttds.com/payment-processing. Bud Houston’s Book of Games is available for purchase at https://www.ultimuttds.com/product-page/houston-s-book-of-agility-games. All proceeds from the sale will go to Bud.

Continuing Improvements

Featured

Posted on May 4, 2022 by Bud Houston

The mission of the International Dog Agility League is

“… to provide an inexpensive, competitive, games-oriented agility venue for dogs of all sizes without regard to breed or pedigree; to facilitate broad-based league play competition; to facilitate skill development; and provide a shared experience that spans geographic boundaries.”

We want the league to be fun, fair, and friendly. At the beginning of the year, we began making pilot changes to the rules to help attain our mission. We continue to invite input from the field of competitors to keep evolving the league.

Fun

I think we are all having fun; agility at its core is “a game we play with our dog in the park,” (Bud Houston, Founder of IDAL). Competition is great; it serves an innate human need but having fun while competing is even better.

Fun is kind of relative though. If someone is a true novice, they may feel discouraged and left out because they do not have some of the advanced skills, or they earn faults, slow times, etc. We want all skill levels to feel welcome, challenged appropriately, and feel that they are contributing to their team’s success. That is why we began to divide out the more novice players and provide slightly easier courses for them. Additionally, those instructors who use the league courses as part of their classes, can make simple modifications to allow everyone to play.

Fair

There are certainly barriers to achieving absolute fairness. Some of the reasons are:

Inevitable variations in how courses are built even with maps. This can impact total distance, approach angles, distance to options, etc.
Not centrally judged. One could argue that one judge understands the rules differently, but all judges make errors, even within the same class.
Different skill levels of players
Different team sizes, especially with regard to LPP calculations and dropped scores
Different equipment sizes
Different field conditions
Others!

In our efforts to make the league as fair as possible, we are seeking ways to address some of those reasons. I may have gotten more gray hair as I researched different sports leagues and their organization, handicapping systems, different calculation possibilities, database portals, ISPs and web hosts…

So, we will continue to adapt our structure and processes. Please be patient and flexible. If you have comments or suggestions, let me know! I will not throw ideas away without giving them some consideration.

Friendly

I think friendly goes hand in hand with fun. Everyone’s agility journey is different, even with a new dog. Everyone may have a different agility goal. Everyone deserves respect.

Goals for the Year

Finalize team structures and rule changes
Get database online so that everyone has access to their own data
Create a couple of videos evaluating different aspects of league runs
Modify titles to allow for earning titles throughout a dog’s career

Stretch Goals

Have forms online so that registrations and run entries can be made directly into the database
Alternative storage and viewing method for videos
Get clubs to rejoin the league and invite new clubs

Conclusion

I hope folks enjoyed their patches, certificates, and flags. (We will also accept feedback on that.) I sent a few extras for your new members, but I am sure you will need more as you grow. I plan to send out certificates and flags at least twice a year. Unfortunately, it was VERY expensive to send items to Canada and Mexico. If anyone has ideas on that, let me know. One club gave me a US address to someone who regularly visits the other country.

I will accept suggestions on how to make the above goals possible. I will also accept any volunteer help!

I will be posting a new draft of the rules that breaks down club/team structure further. The new structure should help less experienced players and will hopefully provide an additional layer of competitiveness within each club. The effort to break down teams is primarily upfront and should not be difficult. I will help you with this if you prefer. We may not be able to fully implement the breakdown for this season, but we can try!!

Read our blog:
https://topdogagilityplayers.wordpress.com/

BLOG1634 IDAL

Questions, comments, snide remarks, and feedback go to Melissa Wallace, IDAL Secretary, at pagc.live@gmail.com.

March 60×90 Results

Posted on May 4, 2022 by Bud Houston

Below are the results for the 60×90 League for March 2022. The March course is the second standard type course for the First Season of 2022. The course was designed by Melissa Wallace, the league secretary. The March course is actually two courses. One is the normal league course, and the other is designed to be more friendly to the less experienced players. Having separate courses is currently in a testing phase to evaluate the implementation methodology, practicality, and utility for league players. However, players seem to appreciate the option. Thus, we will likely continue having two courses for each league.

If anyone would like to design courses for the league, let me know!!!

The efforts of dogs playing in March earn Lifetime Performance Points (LPP). The LPP is a measure of rank based on how each dog placed in relation to all the other dogs. The IDAL keeps a catalog of all the courses run since the league inception. When a course is run a second, third, fourth… time, the scores of ALL the dogs who have ever run the course are maintained in field. New runs are compared and ranked with the old runs. This ranking is a unique system in the agility world. It allows competitors to do such things as compare a current run to an older run by the same dog or visualize how handling has changed over the years. Honors (titles) are conferred based on the total LPP of a dog as well as the performance in each season.

60×90 Courses for March 2022

60×90 Regular Standings

Follow this link to view individual performance by dogs and their handlers. Most are graced with a YouTube link:

2022march_60x90_results Download

Top Dog

The Top Dog of all the clubs reporting in March is Kyria from Jumping C Crew. Kyria and Kathy Greenway burned up the course in 33.17 seconds with no faults. Kyria is Border Collie.

First-Place Team – 400 LPP

The first-place club in March is Jumping C Crew. Kyria and Kathy Greenway took the club’s top spot. They ran the course in 33.17 with zero faults.

Second-Place Teams – 372 LPP

Second place was close one this month, but Jumpin’ K-9’s pulled in to second by 1 point. The Mighty Quinn took the top spot for the club. Quinn, an Australian Shepherd handled by Kaye Fitzpatrick, nailed their top spot in 36.73 seconds with no faults.

Third-Place Team – 371 LPP

Third place this month goes to Cloud Nine from Minnesota. Navi the Border Collie, handled by Ali Kuschel, took the club’s top spo. They completed the course with zero faults in 33.86 seconds.

Fourth-Place Team – 274 LPP

Bennie, a Poodle handled by Nancy Mersot, continues to jet through courses for POTC Thunder Pawz. They finished this course with zero faults in 37.03 seconds. This club hails from Brimfield, Illinois.

Fifth-Place Team – 226 LPP

Our fifth-place club was Sport Dogs Jalisco from Mexico. Spyke, a Miniature Schnauzer handled by Mirasol Rivas took their top spot. They finished this course with zero faults in 44.27 seconds. Schnauzers are pretty impressive agility dogs; I have known quite a few running in different venues.

Results for Initiates

Follow the links below to view individual performances by dogs and their handlers. Most have YouTube links:

2022march_initiates_60x90_results Download

Top Dog

The Initiates this month ran the full course rather than the somewhat easier one. Their scores were added to the LPP calculation for the regular course. However, I am listing them separately here to compare like skill levels.

The Top Dog for the month of March is Mutya, an All American handled by Felipe Zanartu. They took the Top Dog spot be running with zero faults in 37.08 seconds.

Second-Place Dog

The second-place dog is Milo. Milo is a Terrier handled by Talena Campbell. They ran the course with zero faults in 44.18 seconds.

Third-Place Dog

The third-place dog was Lilly, an Australian Shepherd handled by Mike Biel. They had zero faults and completed the course in 46.37 seconds.

BLOG1633 IDAL

May 2022 IDAL Courses (Update 2)

Featured

Posted on May 2, 2022 by Bud Houston

The following courses are for May 2022 IDAL play. This year, we are alternating between standard type courses and games. The league seasons will be 4 months long so that each season will have two numbered courses and two games. Additionally, each season will be a discreet unit. Results will be tallied for the season rather than an entire year; however, end of year results will also be reported.

Instructors, if you have some specific skills, scenarios, and/or obstacles you want to work when using the IDAL courses in class, please let me know. I will try my best to get them included. If anyone would like to request a specific game to play, let me know.

Folks are always welcome to try their hand at designing league courses!

Briefing for May 2022

This month we are playing a game designed by Melissa Wallace in Grand Bay, Alabama. The May 2022 courses are all similar. They are based on a game that was originally played in TDAA in 2018. This month we get to play “What’s My Line.” This is a popular game in TDAA. It is simple in concept…

The objective is to perform every obstacle on the field as quickly as possible without repeating or omitting any.

You may start and end by crossing either side of the Start/Finish line. All obstacles are bidirectional. Each obstacle is worth 1 point. The numbers on the obstacles are only for the judge and score table. You will hear the judge calling out the number associated with the obstacles after you successfully complete each one.

If an obstacle is performed more than once, the judge calls the number, but the team loses a point. The dog may continue on course.

Performance faults will be indicated by the judge calling “Fault.” No faults will be added to your time. However, a faulted obstacle earns no points and is counted as completed (but zero points). If the faulted obstacle is reattempted, the dog would earn a fault for repeating an obstacle. No refusals on the up contact will be faulted. Continue on the course.

If the handler opts to use food, a toy, or a training aid, please indicate that fault on the roster (that fault will adjust the score).

Time starts and stops when the dog crosses the start/finish line. It would be helpful if you yell “Done” to the timer because they may not have kept track of what obstacles you took.

Scored: Points, then time. Time is a tie breaker.

NOTES: If you do not have a judge (i.e. you run by yourself), the video must be reviewed to ensure that the run is scored correctly. All levels will compete on the same course, but Initiates and Dabblers will be divided into their own teams.

Course Maps

Maps with Coordinates

An Open Invitation to New Players

New clubs and individuals are always welcome to join us and play these courses. Download the scorekeeping worksheet below. Contact the League Secretary to help with the details at pagc.live@gmail.com.

40×85 League

scoresheet05012022_40x85 Download

50×60 League

scoresheet05012022_50x60 Download

60×90 League

scoresheet05012022_60x90 Download

Existing league franchises will be emailed their scorekeeping worksheets set up with their current rosters. If you would like multiple scoresheets, just let me know.

Read our blog:
https://topdogagilityplayers.wordpress.com/

BLOG1632 IDAL

Questions, comments, snide remarks, and feedback go to Melissa Wallace, IDAL Secretary, at pagc.live@gmail.com.