# How often do you trial?



## MissMutt (Aug 8, 2008)

This year, I'm trialing in agility roughly 12 days out of the year, either over two-day weekends or one day of trialing. I'm doing 3 days of Rally trialing total, perhaps a bit more if I find something I like or my club offers another trial.

Barring any unforeseen setbacks, we'll be in Excellent agility by the end of this year or early spring next year, and once we get to the B class, can start accumulating MACH points. I think I'm going to have to beef up the amount of days that we trial; 750 Champ Points and 20 Double Q's aren't easy to come by! 

How often do you trial? What's considered excessive trialing to you?


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## Keechak (Aug 10, 2008)

Starting in Aug thru Dec I hit two to 6 trials per month and then 1-2 trials per month Feb-may


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## And (Apr 5, 2010)

1-2 a month. Generally if we do 2 in a month it is because there is a TDAA and CPE trial in the same month.


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## LynnI (Mar 27, 2010)

How much I trial has changed from year to year, in the past often depending on my health. Before I got sick, we use to hit 3-4 trials a month almost year around. Now that I am tech. in remission I am ok, but my boy is getting some age on him so we have back off. This year we haven't done much, one 3 day trial in January, and the Ontario Championships in May, nothing since then but I have been busy building a new training facility. I plan on doing some trials starting in Sept. Plus I am training my young dog (soon to be a year old, next week), hopefully she'll be ready to trial late winter or spring.


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## Squeeker (Dec 15, 2007)

I haven't started real trials yet, but we've been doing two fun matches a month and classes once a week. If I decide to put Libby in her first trial in September, we'll be doing 1 trial and 2 fun matches, plus weekly classes. I'm not sure if it's too much too soon, but at least the fun matches are low-key.


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## petpeeve (Jun 10, 2010)

MissMutt said:


> How often do you trial?


Hmm let's see. We do 1 trial in the fall, for sure. There are other fall events that we ocassionally do from year to year, and if we decide to do those as well, then and another 2 or 3 trials. 

In the spring there are 2 trials that we regularly attend, and 1 other that's "optional".

To keep them all "fresh" (especially the oldsters .. ) I only enter one dog per trial per day, Sat + Sun (Sun optional for oldsters), times however many dogs I happen to be working with. 

 I guess the number fluctuates, it depends on a lot on who and what.





MissMutt said:


> What's considered excessive trialing to you?


I think it depends largely on the handler's goals, ... and the dog's willingness and ability. (he always gets a voice and an opinion, too )


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## MissMutt (Aug 8, 2008)

> I think it depends largely on the handler's goals, ... and the dog's willingness and ability. (he always gets a voice and an opinion, too )


Definitely! Marge seems to do better with 1 day trials, so the only 2-day trials I do are the local ones (where we can usually go home in between runs). This fall, we're going 2 two-day trials, and two one-day trials, for six days total.

In the Spring, I'm going to try to find some three day trials at which I can do Friday and Sunday, to give her a break in between on Saturday. I think that'll be good for her, too.


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