Quote:
Originally Posted by SEVEN_PETS
Thank you. He's not consistent on his contacts or weaves yet, so we would only do the steeplechase or jumping classes. He's good at the jumps and tunnels and he is really fast. I think I may do a NFC for a few shows and then maybe think about competing.
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At KC shows, you can't run NFC unless you're entered in the show, so you have to enter and pay. If it costs the same to run NFC or to compete, why not compete? NFC you've got no chance of a place, and often they don't even time your run. Compete, and though you may well get eliminated, at least you're in it! There are dogs running in the high grades who miss contacts - if you miss one, make sure you hold him back on the others. My dog got a lot of weave faults for the first 2 years of competing but it didn't stop me. No-one thinks badly of you if you mess it up, it's supposed to be fun! I've you miss contacts or mess up the weaves, all you get is 5 faults per missed contact and eliminated if you can't complete the weave, not put up against a wall and shot!
As to when you're ready; when your dog stays in the ring with you; when you can get round the course in something like the 'course time'; when you can more or less weave most of the time; when you know how to direct the dog around the course. Club trainers will advise you. Does your club hold internal competitions?
At my first competition, my dog couldn't weave and we got E'd. So what?