Road to AENC:Part 1 of 4–Agility Spotlight

Kris & Clark Osojnicki (Kiva and Roxy)

Bernese Mountain Dog Handlers

Agility is such a great sport for dogs and their handlers. They always make it look so easy out on the course. I’m so excited to be featuring an agility professional on the blog for you today. Learn more about MACH speed, how different breeds compare in agility, and what it takes to train an agility dog, whether you are striving to be a champion or simply want a fun hobby to enjoy with your furry family member. Enjoy!

Q: I believe you handle your own dogs, can you tell me about them? Their breed, names, ages, personalities?
• Yes we do handle our own dogs. I run a Bernese Mountain Dog named Kiva. Kiva turned 4 years old in June. She is incredibly sweet, incredibly willing and incredibly athletic. If in the house, she loves to chew bones and hang out with me. If training treats and toys come out, she starts barking and is ready to go do ANYTHING! She has a great on and off switch. This is very nice for a performance dog, as it means she is always ready to train when an opportunity arises, but very easy to live within day- to-day life. She LOVES training activities of any kind.

Q: What age do dogs start with agility?
• We start our dogs when they arrive in our home. Kiva arrived at 6 months of age and Roxy at 8 weeks of age, so, they started at slightly different ages, but both of them got started with things that would contribute to future agility training from day one. We start shaping behaviors that will help with training later in life, and they start with safe little puppy work right away.

Q: What’s the first step with agility – if I wanted to get my dog into agility? What do I do at home to get started?
• We start with the dog getting used to various surfaces and walking along planks slightly elevated off the ground. This allows you to start the puppy off early with a tiny teeter that will move under her feet, and that the movement is not a big deal. This can help immensely when they get older and are introduced to a larger teeter totter so they’re comfortable with a moving object under their paws.
• Teaching them to go through tunnels at a young age is also helpful, especially with a larger breed dog so they see going through the tunnel as a fun activity! Teaching them that learning is fun is a very good first step towards any future competitive activity.

Q: What’s involved for training a champion agility dog?
• A champion agility dog needs to be part of a champion agility “team.” Much of the success of a canine/human agility team is handling on the part of the human. The clearer the human is with the information they give to the dog, the more successful the team will be.
• A champion agility dog generally needs to be consistent AND fast, not Border Collie fast, but fast enough that they are running through the courses, with a clear understanding of the handler’s intentions. Most dogs are faster if the handler is good about giving early information to the dog of what is coming next. Seeing we (as the humans) are the ones that know where the course goes next, it is our job to successfully and SAFELY help the dog maneuver her way through the correct course on an efficient path.

Q: Usually you see smaller, compact dogs in agility but you handle Bernese – tell us about that. How is the course and sport different for a larger dog than smaller?
• Agility is a sport that can be played by all breeds. AKC agility is designed to offer success to all sizes of dogs. This is one of the really neat aspects of the Eukanuba Invitational, as it allows all breeds to succeed. Unlike other agility championships, where the Border Collies and Shelties excel, the Eukanuba Invitational only allows one of each breed per jump height to make it to the final round. This allows all breeds to have a much more equal chance at succeeding at this event. Truly, a Bernese Mountain Dog cannot typically beat a Border Collie. Each dog and handler team is always competing against the clock and their personal goals.

Q: What is MACH speed?
• A MACH is awarded to a dog that earns 750 speed points (MACH speed). A speed point is obtained for every second below standard course time that your dog completes a course in. So, if standard course time for a course is 65 seconds, and your dog completes the course in 58 seconds, your dog would earn eight MACH points for that performance.
• Standard Course Time is determined by the judge when they measure each course. Dogs of different heights are expected to run different yards per second throughout the course. So, each height has a different “time to beat” for that heights Standard Course Time, in obtaining MACH points.

Q: What is your favorite part of agility? What do you think is the dog’s favorite aspect?
• My favorite part is the teamwork and bond that develops between my dog and me from all of the time spent training and traveling together. My second favorite would be the social aspects of an agility trial. You develop wonderful friendships with people due to all of the time spent at agility trials together. Everyone is always rooting for everyone else; a beautiful run is appreciated by everyone who witnesses it.
• My dog’s favorite part? Probably the food rewards that they get for a job well done! And, the praise and connection that they get from me throughout the course.

Q: How do you reward your dogs?
• With whatever the dog finds rewarding! This is different from dog to dog. It is the job of the trainer to learn what is most rewarding to the dog, and then to use that reward wisely! My puppy goes nuts for a tennis ball. Kiva prefers string cheese! However having a large tool chest of things a dog finds rewarding is most helpful in your long range training. Nobody wants the same thing all the time! So, a “higher” value treat or toy is best used when asking for a tougher behavior.

We would love to hear your comments!