Sniffing The Pole

 In AKC agility, there are several different kinds of faults. An off-course fault is somewhat obvious--the dog takes the wrong obstacle, or jumps a jump then jumps back over it. Elimination faults are more or less a failure to complete an obstacle--the dog knocks the bar off a jump, or fails to put a paw in the contact zone on one of the contact obstacles. AKC still uses the pause table in standard courses, so there are table faults too--the dog fails to stick the landing and slides off the table, or jumps on then jumps off before the 5-second count has finished.

Refusals are the most complicated fault type. There is a zone in which a refusal can be called for any obstacle that is based on distance between two obstacles, how close the dog is to the upcoming obstacle, and "refusal planes" defined by the edges of the obstacle and the angle of the dog's approach. Complicated. But some examples might help. A dog that runs up to a jump then stops will get a refusal fault. A dog that runs towards an obstacle but spins in circles instead of approaching the obstacle in a determined manner will get a refusal fault. A dog that runs around an obstacle will get a refusal. If that dog takes another obstacle before the handler can correct the refusal, the dog also gets an elimination fault. The faults can stack up fast! But a dog that runs up the Aframe, stops at the top to gaze around the arena, then continues down the other side will not get a refusal.

At the Masters level, where Archie competes, you can only qualify if you run clean, with no errors or faults. One error, no matter which type, means no Q, even if you finish the course.

At an agility trial this past weekend, I encountered a situation that I had never seen nor even heard about. Archie's run so far had been clean. We approached the weaves and in he went. His weaves are extremely solid, and he usually executes them quickly. Archie rarely makes errors in the weaves. Except that day, that day as he reached pole 8, he came to a screeching halt. Dust puffed up around his feet. He was stock still, every muscle engaged, sniffing the pole.

SNIFFING THE POLE.

I of course keep eye contact with Archie on the course so when he stopped, I screeched to a halt too. I stared at him, then started pleading, whining, c'mon, Arch, WEEEEEEEEAVE, WEEEEAVE! Arch! WEEEEEEAVE! Over and over. I tried to keep calm but I was starting to panic. ARCHIE! WEEAAVE! At the same time, my brain was endlessly looping, What is happening? What is happening! I was looking directly at Archie but the far peripheral vision of one eye was on the judge, trying to see if he raised his hand to call a refusal.

Archie just stood there, sniffing. He never moved his feet. It seemed like an eternity but it really was only about 8 or 9 seconds (actually, that is an eternity in agility). Finally he decided he had sniffed enough and finished the weaves without error. Somehow I managed to keep my plan together and we finished the course.

I ran out of the ring with Archie in my arms and people said, wow, that was incredible! I gasped, did the judge call a refusal? They said, no, he didn't!

A spirited debate ensued. Was that a refusal? Was that a failure to execute? He never left the weaves. He did all the poles correctly. We decided that although it was certainly unusual, Archie didn't incur any fault. The run was clean. Another Q.

I am so grateful for my crazy fox terrier. He never fails to amaze and amuse.