# Your agility trial site preferences



## MissMutt (Aug 8, 2008)

If you could pick the TOP THREE things that matter to you most about an agility trial site, what would they be?

Some examples:
- indoors
- outdoors
- parking (ringside, nearby, etc.)
- location (distance you have to travel)
- food vendor on site
- bathrooms nearby (as opposed to Port-A-Potties)
- surface (level, free from rocks, etc.)
- amount of foot traffic/spectators
- nearby distractions (low flying planes, construction, playgrounds, etc.)
- access to trails, wooded areas, lakes, ponds, etc.

and dozens more.

Lately there has been this whole thing about comfort at agility trials and it's starting to irk me.. I really think that some people expect to park next to the ring, walk 15 feet to the bathrooms, and have food vendors hand them their food as they leave the ring.. maybe it's because I'm younger and more able-bodied than most agility veterans, but I just feel like one should expect a certain level of physical exercise when going to a trial. Why does parking need to be so close? Is using a Port-A-Potty for one weekend that big of a deal? (and it's as though like the parks that have bathrooms have really clean and beautiful bathrooms, either.. they're all dirty and they all smell, Port-A-Potty or not) These things don't bother me, at all... and I really don't hear any one complaining while we're actually at the trial... (especially if there are Q's involved)

There is talk in my club about moving our trial to a new location and I am NOT happy about it. One possible new location would involve the club members having to pay a toll and crossing a bridge. They like the site because of the ringside parking and running bathrooms. Yet, I don't think they're acknowledging the fact that they are going to get NO volunteers for set up, because seriously, who wants to pay money to volunteer somewhere? 

I also think it's sad to move trials out of this area, even if it's only a bit farther (literally 15 mins from the current site, but in a different state altogether). It's nice to be able to have the pet owners that have gone through our classes attend the trials and learn, it's nice to be able to announce the trials in our local newspaper, get people involved, etc. 

There are some alternatives nearby that may be imperfect in one way or another (Port-A-Potties as opposed to real bathrooms, slightly farther parking, etc.), but I feel like people are losing sight of the fact that we are a community that wants to have fun with our dogs and should want to share that fun, responsibility, and discipline in training with our fellow community members.. maybe it's just me.


----------



## So Cavalier (Jul 23, 2010)

The most important thing to me is the condition of the field. Next is ease of parking, meaning being able to get my set up and dog to the field as easily and safely as possible as I go to trials by myself. Port-a-potties don't bother me if there are enough and are cleaned from one day to the next. (I went to one trial where the pots were dirty to begin with and never cleaned throughout the trial....disgusting). I prefer trials on private property as I feel more comfortable leaving my dog crated to walk courses or work a ring. That being said, I have run trials in the rain, in public parks, and under the flight pattern of large urban airport. We have always had a good time even though I may have grumbled a bit about one thing or another.


----------



## RaeganW (Jul 14, 2009)

#1 is location to me. With a Novice dog, I'm not going to drive more than an hour to get someplace. I am lucky that I don't have to, and still be able to find a trial maybe 3 out of five weekends. After we finish AKC, if I drive up to two hours I can get to just about any venue.
#2 is crating space. I know one club I won't be showing at anytime soon, just because the crating is too tight. 
#3 is how hectic the space away from the trial is. I need a relatively calm place to warm up the Gatz.

I like vendors, but I like to get food from the club and my solution to port-a-potties is to just not go to the bathroom. Running water is a huge plus, but not something I strike trials for.


----------



## Shaina (Oct 28, 2007)

(1) Condition of the ring/equipment for safety purposes.

(2) Location, since I'll only travel SO far for a normal show

(3) Crating space. I think it stresses out both dogs and handlers to be fighting for space and on top of each other beyond a certain point.


----------



## So Cavalier (Jul 23, 2010)

> #2 is crating space. I know one club I won't be showing at anytime soon, just because the crating is too tight.


Where I am, ALL the trials are outdoors. The closest thing to an indoor trial that I have ever been to is inside a horse arena. I have a 10X10 canopy that I have to lug everywhere, but we always have lots of room and space for ourselves just "to chill". The down side is that we just spent last weekend's agility trial "singing and laughing in the rain". It also started raining during our class last night.


----------



## LynnI (Mar 27, 2010)

1) excellent footing and equipment is a must.

2) prefer parking close by, so I am comfortable leaving my dogs to volunteer.

I am lucky, I can travel 2 hrs and find a trial on just about any given weekend, so traveling great distances isn't an issue.
Some people complain about some venues not having fully fenced rings, personally I believe that if you can't keep your dog with you and on course (or at least in the ring with you), then you shouldn't be trialing yet.
It is nice if there is a food vendor on site, but as long as I know there isn't, I can bring my own food.
PT are the norm except for the indoor trials which often have indoor facilities, again I don't care as long as they are clean.


----------



## MissMutt (Aug 8, 2008)

All of our trials are outdoors, so crating space isn't an issue. 

Apparently some people dislike the surface at our current site. I'm sorry, but I ran 4 times over the weekend, and had not a single problem. It's grass! It's a little barren in some areas, but I really don't think it warrants changing sites. I really don't think it's about the surface at all.. it's about the fact that there is a short walk across the parking lot to get to the real bathrooms (yet there are Porta Potties nearby which I always opt to use) and you can't park on the grass. Some of these people are HELL BENT on being able to pull their car up, park it, and take their stuff out. 

I really really despise the new site and won't be trialing there if that's where it moves to. It's right in the flight path of a MAJOR airport, the planes were EXTREMELY low, and the surrounding area is industrial so there's all sorts of stuff going on. The park itself is quite nice, but the surroundings are not (bothers some dogs, doesn't bother others). And, like I said, it would involve our own clubs' members having to pay tolls to get there, which is fine if that's the only option, but we can have trials where we don't need to deal with that. I just think there's something wrong with a NY club having a trial in NJ. I enjoy being able to go home between runs, get there right before my first class, etc. And they'll get a LOT less trial volunteers IMO for set up and stuff.

Seriously, if you want all the amenities of an indoor trial site, just go trial indoors.


----------



## RaeganW (Jul 14, 2009)

The toll thing is a deal breaker for me. Even though I'm a supporter of toll roads in general, I wouldn't pay one to volunteer or trial my dog if there was another option.



LynnI said:


> Some people complain about some venues not having fully fenced rings, personally I believe that if you can't keep your dog with you and on course (or at least in the ring with you), then you shouldn't be trialing yet.


LOL, I was joking once that in order to trial Gatsby, I'll need a 6ft privacy fence, please. XD


----------



## MissMutt (Aug 8, 2008)

REALLY upset, as there is apparently a very good chance of this happening. SO SO SO stupid.


----------



## LynnI (Mar 27, 2010)

RaeganW said:


> The toll thing is a deal breaker for me. Even though I'm a supporter of toll roads in general, I wouldn't pay one to volunteer or trial my dog if there was another option.
> 
> 
> 
> LOL, I was joking once that in order to trial Gatsby, I'll need a 6ft privacy fence, please. XD


Ha!!! one time my dog left the masters ring on me and racing to the food vendor, he ordered a burger, came back to me yippy skippy, turned around and went back!!! (doing equipment as he went/came/went....) Everyone said he forgot to tell them he wanted a cheese on it  Brat.
Another time, he wouldn't go down on the table. I had been advise by my instructor to pick him up, excuse ourselfs and thank the judge, carry him to his crate and leave him in it. Yeah THAT worked, next run, we got to the table, he jumped up on it, looked at me and took off to his crate!!!!

When I stated that, I was thinking of a few people that I know and their dogs typically leave the ring and one of them attacks other dogs outside of the ring. Dog has had one warning, if they get a second one, I would expect they wont be allowed to compete any more. Of course it is that dog's owner that complains the most about unfenced venues.......


----------



## MissMutt (Aug 8, 2008)

> Another time, he wouldn't go down on the table. I had been advise by my instructor to pick him up, excuse ourselfs and thank the judge, carry him to his crate and leave him in it. Yeah THAT worked, next run, we got to the table, he jumped up on it, looked at me and took off to his crate!!!!


:laugh: :laugh: :laugh:


----------



## Kyllobernese (Feb 5, 2008)

I think there are always people who are going to complain about something. If they really enjoy doing Agility, I think other than being sure it is a safe surface and the equipment is safe, there is not much of anything else I would not put up with. It is not easy to always get the most perfect trial site. As most of the trials I go to are outside, there never seems to be a lack of space, sometimes there is only a rope around the ring and the weather can be a problem sometimes but not much you can do about that. Most of my trials are at least two or three hours (or more) each way but if you enjoy Agility, it is no problem.


----------



## So Cavalier (Jul 23, 2010)

I think if I posed this question to my dog....she would say "I want a faster partner".


----------

