PROTOCOL FOR EVALUATION OF AGILITY COURSE ACCORDING TO DIFFICULTY FOUND

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PROTOCOL FOR EVALUATION OF AGILITY COURSE ACCORDING TO DIFFICULTY FOUND AT THE END OF DETERMINATION OF AIA'S STANDARD LEVEL This protocol has the purpose to determine an evaluation of the difficulty

1 PROTOCOL FOR EVALUATION OF AGILITY COURSE ACCORDING TO DIFFICULTY FOUND AT THE END OF DETERMINATION OF AIA'S STANDARD LEVEL This protocol has the purpose to determine an evaluation of the difficulty level for the agility's courses ( agility and jumping).then one can set an Aia's Standard level according to difficulty of the evaluation. Definitions and/or preliminary abbreviations: SL = Standard Level, defines the characteristics of what is ideally representative to the difficulty's rank of an agility course that belongs to a certain level; standard is in fact an accepted norm, a reference model to which it relates. D = Difficulty is the unit of measurement storable in an agility course; this means the minimun detectable difficulty, over the difficulties that are the basis of Agility,which faces the dog during an agility course. ID = increase of difficulty, is a multiplier (or divider) of the unit of measure of the standard, in order to determine an increase or a decrease in the intensity of the same difficulties. ADS = Agility Difficulty Score, is derived from the sum of difficulties in an agility course. Passage = is the set of movements that dog must execute to overcome an obstacle in an agility course, or all the way between the passing and the overcoming of the next obtacle. A passage may have more difficulty to overcome and each with different ranks. (ID).

2 SL (standard level) is determined by ADS (Agility Difficulty Score). This protocol wants to define what are the encountered difficulties and their degree of intensity; only subsequently you can set the standard for a certain level which extends the application for ADS. It is understood that, the normal stresses at the base of agility are not counted, or do not counted as difficulties ( although there): necessity to stay at the start; normal jump in all type of angles ( excluded out). All the contact obstacles (zones) and penetration obstacles (tunnel, weave poles and tire jump) if not addressed in a special way (narrow angles ect... ). In fact, the ADS currency has only an increase in difficulty, compared to a normal linear course which contains obstacles in linear sequence. Standard Aia will not be an imposition or an unbreakable rule, however it helps to create the course to understand the degree of difficulty and evaluate its suitability for the level in which it was created.. We distinguish 13 D (main difficulty) with 3 ID (increase of difficulty) coefficients of multiplication and 1 ID division coefficient in order to define different levels of difficulty. In order to determine the ADS you can use the base board which contains the sum of the difficulties encountered in agility course: ADS (Agility Difficulty Score) D n ID sum BAR JUMP WITH MAXIMUM HEIGHT X 1 = 0 LOW STC ( STANDARD COURSE TIME) X 2 = 0 SLIPPERY BOTTOM X 3 = 0 CHANGE IN DIRECTION X 1/4 = 0 ANGLED ENTRANCE X 1 = 0 PREVENTED EXIT X 1 = 0 FORCED SEND X 1 = 0 OUT X 2 = 0 VERY ANGLED ENTRANCE X 2 = 0 EXTENSION X 2 = 0 CLOSE CHOICE X 3 = 0 DANGEROUS ENTRANCE X 3 = 0 NARROW GAP X 3 = 0 ADS 0

3 The first 3 problems are related to the whole course: bar jump at the maximum height; high speed required in relation to STC (standard course time); general condition of competition place in relation to how slippery the track is. Other diffculties are related to the positioning of the track by the judge, who combines the obstacle increases, significance, and overall difficulty. Aia (Italian Agility Association) will decide the Standard Aia level of difficulty for it's four levels: Beginners, Open, Elite. Champion Repeats that Standard Aia is not intended to be a tax burden or an unbreakable rule, also it may be subject to change overtime at the discretion of the commision of judges inside the National Governing Council.

4 GENERAL PRINCIPLES FOR THE EVALUATION OF DIFFICULTY 1) when in doubt better to give a difficulty: The standard is not rigid or inflexible as too adapt to any event, the idea is to minimize subjective judgement but precisely part with what always remains. If there are doubts in evaluating a passage, one must advantage the competitors, therefore keeping in mind that the passage is undoutedly a difficulty. 2) the general conditions of the competition increase all the difficulties: This is the reason why if field conditions are difficult (synthetic, rain, etc...). Staying in the standard is necessary in order to decrease the other problems such as: height jump, average speed (STC), and passage difficulty. In view of the fact that is principle as a great influence on the welfare of the dogs ( possibility of trauma), it is even more respected. In addition, this principle much further applies to lower the level of the competition: in the first level, in the case of rain (carpet), the other difficulties will nearly non-exist. 3) if a difficulty leads to an inevitable elimination it signifies it's difficulty This is the reason the ID was created, the multipling and dividing coefficient, is to distinguish various degrees of difficulty. If this difficulty is not surpassed and leads to elimination, it has the maximum of the ID and signifies for 3. These are: CLOSED CHOICE DANGEROUS ENTRANCE NARROW GAP 4) the difficulty refers to the dog not to the leader: For the difficulty of the course intends a particular metting of difficulty of the dog and not the conductor, or do not assess the difficulties of CONDUCTION that are dependent on factors not related to the dog and his training ability but captured by the conductor. Examples: In the case of FORCED SENDING it isn't a difficulty for the conductor that doesn't move but a difficulty for the dog that has to understand what they have to do in base of the command of the conductor, from a distance, is giving him, for this reason it is considered a difficult route, the ID of this difficulty is low 1 because its not running normally only leads to a rejection, not elimination.

5 THE CUT BACK, despite being a difficulty for the dog (who need not worry about what does the conductor), is first and foremost a choice to run (almost always in this case the handler can choose another path) and as this is not valued as difficulties along the way. 5)Passing a step may involve a sum of difficulty: It may happen that, in order to overcome an obstacle, the dog needs to address more difficult at the same time, in which case the difficulties validated all add up (see examples).. WAY 1 WAY 2 WAY 3 WAY 4 Out 1 x 1 = 1 Narrow gap 1 x 3 = 3 Tot 4 Out 1 x 1 = 1 Narrow Gap 3 x 3 = 9 Angled Entrance 1 x 1 = 1 Angled Entrance 1 x 1 = 1 Narrow Gap 1 x 3 = 3 Tot 4 Out 1 x 1 = 1 Narrow Gap 2 x 3 = 6 Bait Dangerous 1 x 3 = 3 Tot 11 Tot 10

6 DEFINITION S OF DIFFICULTY IN THE TABLE ADS (Agility Difficulty Score) BAR JUMP AT THE MAXIMUM HEIGHT (ID 1) = this means that the height of the bar jumps to the best measure allocated of the various categories of height of the dogs (for Aia there are five categories): Single jump 1) Toy: until 30,0 cm to the withers (max jump height 25 cm). 2) Small: from 30,1 cm to the withers up to 35,0 cm (max jump height 35 cm). 3) Medium: from 35,1 cm to the withers up to 43,0 cm. ( max jump height 45 cm) 4) Large: from 43,1 cm to the withers onwards (max jump height 65 cm). 5) Maxi: for all the dogs with a superior weight of 30 kg (max jump height 50 cm.). LOW STC(ID 2) = corresponds to a more HIGH SPEED 'journey: it is meant that for the categories elite and champion the path is necessarily to be done with greater speed, because STC in these categories will be determined by increasing the time 15% to the first place, so they will always have this increase in difficulty. SLIPPERY BOTTOM (ID 3) = means that the slipperiness of the bottom generally makesthe full path more difficult, the slipperiness can be given the type of ground (carpet, ground very hard, sitetico etc..) Or the weather (rain etc.). DIRECTION CHANGE (ID 1/4) = means that every four changes of direction of the dog are a difficulty, it does not count when the dog goes from a curve to when it goes straight, but only when the next turn is in the opposite direction and also if there is a straight part in the middle. This difficulty is very low therefore it's considered valid on a path every four times this happens: if the dog changes direction three times it does not count as a difficulty because it is believed to be part of the minimum effective difficulties, this as no appreciable difficulty. Therefore you add up all the changes in direction of a path and divide it by 4 by default (no decimals). 3 = 0, 4 = 1, 5 = 1, 6 = 1, 7 = 1, 8 = 2, 9 = 2 etc..etc.. Clarifications regarding the tunnel for the change of direction: the tunnels in turn may constitute a change depending on where you enter (see figure). When the choice is not required the change before the tunnel should not be there. Normally you trace the path with as few changeovers as possible (with respect to the tunnels if there are free entrances), then you pretend that there are no tunnels (only ideally) and you can see the changes in direction of the dog.

7 ANGLED ENTRY (ID 1) = means an obstacle angled entrance with entry angle from 60 to about 90 degrees (with the exception of the jump obstacles). The angle is calculated by tracing the line of shortest path of the dog from the previous obstacle and measuring the angle that goes between this and the zero angle (equal to zero) that the dog would do without a angle or directly. See the side screen The figure below shows all cases of angled entrance PREVENTED EXIT (ID 1) = means that at the end of the obstacle (tunnel, contact zone, weave poles etc..) The dog finds himself in front of another obstacle that greatly limits the exit (also applies if the exit is prevented by the edge-ring)

FORCED SEND (ID 1) = It means that the conductor must

is executed from the opposite side with respect to the

8 FORCED SEND (ID 1) = It means that the conductor must send the dog having an obstacle between them without being able to be alongside the dog. Example: see figure be OUT (ID2) = It means that the jump is executed from the opposite side with respect to the direction the dog is traveling. The dog has to approach the jump with turn direction of 180.

9 VERY ANGLED ENTRANCE (ID 2) = this means a very angled entranced of the obstacle from 90 degrees up to about 180 degrees. The angle is calculated by tracing the line of the shortest route of the dog from the previous obstacle, and measuring the angle that goes between this angle and the zero angle (equal to zero) that the dog would do without any corner or directly. See diagram opposite The figure below shows all cases of very angled entrance EXTENSION (ID 2) = This means that more obstacles in a row (about 15 meters total) with forced choice at the end; the extension can not contain the weave poles or a contact zone that actually slows down the dog and allows the conductor to arrive more easily than in other cases.

CLOSE CHOICE (ID 3) = this means tools very close (less than a meter and half from the outer limit of each obstacle) with forced choice.

.. DANGEROUS ENTRANCE (ID 3) = It means an explicit invitation to an obstacle within 3 meters (small-medium) 4 meters (large), which should not be done.

NARROW GAP (ID 3) = It means a necessary step of the dog,at the cost of a course longer between two obstacles (under 2 meters from the outer limit of the

10 CLOSE CHOICE (ID 3) = this means tools very close (less than a meter and half from the outer limit of each obstacle) with forced choice. Example: dogwalks-tunnel, tunnel-weave poles etc... DANGEROUS ENTRANCE (ID 3) = It means an explicit invitation to an obstacle within 3 meters (small-medium) 4 meters (large), which should not be done. For example: two straight tunnels lined 3 or 4 meters apart where the second tunnel must not be executed. NARROW GAP (ID 3) = It means a necessary step of the dog,at the cost of a course longer between two obstacles (under 2 meters from the outer limit of the obstacle) which must not be carried out, for example: one has to go between two bar jumps to make an out. In case there is a chance for the dog to pass somewhere less difficult, but with loss of time because the path is longer, the difficulty should be assigned equally. The purpose of this sport is too choose the shortest path even if it's more difficult.

11 APPROVED BY PARMA, ITALY MAY CGFAIA (COMITATO GIUDICI FORMATORI AIA) IN

D E S I G N I N G C O U R S E S

D E S I G N I N G C O U R S E S D E I G N I N G C O U R E BY JOE REEE EB., 2007 e-mail: jsreese3@comcast.net Designing courses for agility. When designing courses for 4-H agility you need to consider the level of your 4-H members. Designing