Mutterings

Mumble mumble...

The Inbetweeners
From Elizabeth Saggers

I would like to call people's attention to something that happened to me recently. My first reaction was to throw down the gauntlet to other handlers doing agility but, as I wrote, it became something different. This is what happened...

My sheltie Ziga (Obay Tiz Magic) was measured into Small at the Thames show in 2009 at age 15 months. We had a really wonderful first year, going to Grade 5 at Mid Downs (March 2010) to Grade 7 at the RVA show (July 2010.) Ziga qualified for the Olympia Semi finals. It was my bad handling which cost him a place. He qualified for Crufts 2011 in the DFS Agility Challenge and DFS Agility Knockout which he won. It was a wonderful day and experience.

Then it was the time to think about his second measurement. There was to be a session near my home so I booked in. After several tries, he was pronounced Medium.  I would need a third measurement.

It was one of those strange experiences which suddenly turns everything upside down. What do I do now? I had booked into a lot of shows with my two Small dogs. I didn't know if I should start to train Ziga to jump Medium hurdles or wait until the height was confirmed. I had up to two months to obtain a third measurement, but I felt very uncomfortable - almost guilty - at having been competing in Smalls.

We went to Shuttleworth show after our second measuring session where I was told there would be measuring at the show. Now all I needed to know was who the measurers were as they had to be different from any of the previous ones. They were. I could have waited, but it no longer felt right to run in Small and yet I couldn't start to train for the new height because I wasn't sure about that either.

I had to have it sorted. Ziga did his two Small runs in the morning and got a place. At lunchtime, he was confirmed as being medium. He had two Medium runs in the afternoon and managed a place in the Medium agility.

With hindsight, I wish he had always been in Medium as I now have a three year old Grade 7 dog that has to change everything that he has been doing for nearly two years. Anyone who owns a dog that is very near the top height limit will have to go through the anxiety of the second measure. The sport that we enjoy probably added to his fitness and may have even been responsible for that little extra height.

This year will be spent regaining his confidence, enjoying what we have and teaching him the new job. This is just another game for us to learn. Whatever we achieve is a bonus, and I love him to bits. I am lucky to have a lot to look back on.

I don't really know what the answer is except to wonder if it would be possible for dogs near the maximum height to get another measurement within the first 12 months of the first measurement. This would give the dog the chance of going to a new height category earlier in it's agility life. I feel sure there would be opposition to this suggestion but maybe it could be opened for debate.

I realise that we are not alone. Most of us just go quietly to our new categories and get on with it. But I wanted reassurance. I needed to know there were others in my position. I suddenly felt wrong everywhere. I no longer belong with Ziga in Smalls and yet we had not won anything in mediums so I don't really feel we belong in Grade 7 Mediums either - although officially, we do.

So to all you silent people who have been in the same situation, I offer you reassurance, a verbal cuddle, and look forward to meeting you around the rings. Please come and chat to me. (22/04/11)

From Jo Fraser - Crazymaesy Agility
Something is going wrong with measuring. The hoop is obviously not a foolproof way to measure. I have a Medium collie who has been measured three times with the hoop. She is on the measure but definitely keeping the hoop firmly on the ground. At UKA, she has been measured four times as I wanted to make sure that she definitely was in the right height. She is also Medium at UKA.

Now I have a club member with a young collie who has been measured Standard at UKA and only competed at UKA for the last year. Two weeks ago she was measured for KC shows and she was measured as Medium. As there isn't much difference between my collie and hers, I suggested she have her measured again at UKA to see if they had got it wrong. Greg measured her again this weekend and confirmed that she really is bigger and that, in his opinion, she would be measured out on her second measure with the KC as he couldn't see how she could have measured in the first time.

I have since used my Medium hoop measure on her and also on my collie. Mine fits underneath easily but hers doesn't keep the feet nicely on the floor and I can actually put my hand underneath one of the feet.

Now we don't care what height she is. She will have to train on both heights now, as she would if she was Standard and full but then, in a year, she might be back to full height in KC again, just when we have made a good transition to Medium. If that's how it happens, that's how it happens. We will deal with it. By then we will  also have had a good collie going up the grades in Medium, transferring to a high grade at full height. She has already won her first Medium at her first KC show last weekend. We are very happy with this. To be honest though is it very fair on dog or handler to have such a confusion and surely there shouldn't be a doubt if measuring is working properly. (29/04/11)

For the Record Books
From Tina Longland

I recently lost my dogs' record books when they were stolen from my bag at a Kennel Club show. I was assured that the measuring information would be held by the Kennel Club and that all I had to do was to contact the KC and ask for it.  I currently compete with three dogs, so I asked for the information.  Unfortunately this information could not be found on the KC database. I was given reasons various reasons why this had happened but, as I had three dogs measured between 2006 to 2008 by different measurers at different venues, I am concerned that others may find themselves in the same position.

I strongly advise that you copy or scan the measuring details in the Record Books and hold that information separately as it is possible that the Kennel Club may not have have your records on their database. 

I am currently in the position of having to wait while they look for my measuring details to see if they can find them. The Activities department is a small, very busy team without the resources of the Breed section, and I have no idea how long I am to wait nor what will happen if they cannot locate them. Luckily my dogs are Border Collies and have measured Large so there probably won't be a problem, but I think everyone should be aware of the situation.

From Kim Bailey, Jade, Opal and Pearl...
I would just like to say a Big Thank You to the Kennel Club in Particular Joanna Nosalik and Debbie Deuchar, I had lost both Jade's and Opal's books and within 24 hrs they had replied with details of both my girls measurements, thank you ladies for being the angels that you are, such a fast response was brilliant and much appreciated. (28/04/11)

From Brenda Tenten...
A message to Tina Longland and anyone else whose measuring details go missing. Most measurers keep their own records. If you can remember who measured your dog or dogs, you  should be able to resolve it via those records. (12/10/10)