Rule Suggestions:
Get rid of or make longer up contacts, at the very least for big dogs. My 26 inch dog can stride right over up contact on DW, even when approaching it straight on. This is not a safety issue. Allow the judge to fault unsafe performance if dog hops on sideways. I have to slow my 26 inch dog down to hit the up contact and once I loose that speed, it takes those long legs a few strides to get up to top speed again. Unfair for big dogs. Small dogs cannot stride over it. Medium sized dogs might also stride over, but it is the big dogs it hurts the most.
In steeplechase and snooker, do something different than lumping 26 inch dogs in with 22 inch dogs when there are not enough 26 inch dogs. Unfair for long strided dogs to be judged against dogs with shorter legs and backs who can turn tighter. Even more unfair because it takes longer to get over a 26 inch jump. At the least, allow the 26 inch dogs to jump 22 inches in a situation when they are being judged together.
Change the cut off to jump 26 inches to 22 inches. A 21 inch dog jumping 26 is asking too much over the life of the dog.
Most importantly- make 24 inch spaced weave poles mandatory. If you are concerned for the lifetime health of your dog, the weave poles are the only obstacle the competitor has no control over. I can jump my dog lower, I can run only jumpers and avoid the contacts, and if a course is too tight and twisty I can pull my dog. But the weaves are unavoidable. 24 inch spacing hurts no one and helps all dogs. Weaving is the only unnatural aspect of agility. Please make it as healthy as possible by making the spacing 24 inches.
Give all non-Border collies a three second advantage and any dog outside the herding group a five second advantage. Ok- I am just kidding on that one!
For those who know that I currently do more AKC than USDAA, I expect to even it out a bit more after the qualifying period for the 2010 AKC Invitations end...
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