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PAPILLONS IN AGILITY

By Barbara Cecil

(From the 1995 PCA Handbook)

Agility is discovering Papillons, and Papillons and their owners are wildly enthusiastic -- with good reason -- about this new sport. Agility requires a dog that is athletic, intelligent, fearless and fast: that, of course, is a Pap! If you want to win, you better have one!

In agility, a handler directs his dog through a series of obstacles in a race against the clock. While the handlers -- such as Jacquelyn Taylor, Gerianne Darnell, Shannon Chenault, Pam Bates, Jane Attaman, Barbara Ruland and Barbara Cecil -- of top Papillons can make it look easy, agility is a challenging sport, and it takes a great deal of dedication to become competitive.

In the world of dog sports, agility is brand-new. Based on horse show jumping, it began as novelty entertainment at England's Crufts International Dog Show in 1978. Agility was introduced into the United States in the mid-1980's, where its growth has been phenomenal. Four different agility organizations now sponsor competition year-round across America for thousands of dogs and handlers.

The two organizations who first introduced agility in this country are USDAA, the United States Dog Agility Association, and NCDA, the National Council for Dog Agility. In 1995, NCDA became the United Kennel Club's agility program; all their competition is now sanctioned by, and titles awarded through, the UKC.

NADAC, the North American Dog Agility Council, and the American Kennel Club's agility program are the new kids on the block. The Australian Shepherd Club of America also offers competition for all breeds at its agility trials; ASCA adopted NADAC'S program, so dogs can earn titles from both organizations when competing in joint NADAC/ASCA sanctioned trials.

"Kizzy"

When the American Kennel club adopted agility, the sport was opened to a whole new group of dog fanciers. In fact, since its introduction at the AstroHalI Dog Shows in Houston, Texas, in the summer of 1994, agility has become the most popular and the fastest growing performance event in AKC history! Agility is truly a contest of fun, a fact more and more Papillon people are discovering every day.

Titling, rules, and equipment in USDAA, UKC, NADAC and AKC are similar. In AKC, for example, agility dogs compete in three ascending levels: Novice, Open, and Excellent. The corresponding titles are NA (Novice Agility), OA (Open Agility), and AX (Agility Excellent). After the AX, a dog can earn an MX (Master Agility Excellent) with 10 qualifying runs at the Excellent level.

"Zack"

In AKC, there are five jump height divisions at each level of competition. Papillons are found at the 8 inche jump height, for dogs 10 inches and under at the withers, or the 12 inch jump height, for dogs 14 inches and under at the withers.

The complexity of the course, including the length, handling challenges, and number of obstacles, increses at each level of competition. An Excellent course, for example, would probably include 20 obstacles, be 200 yards long, and require the dog to negotiate the course at 2.25 yarsd per second. Though that sounds fast, many Paps can negotiate 3+ yards per second.

Agility obstacles include the A-frame, dog walk, see-saw, open tunnel, the cloth collapsed tunnel (which the dog must push his way through), weave poles, a pause table (where the dog must sit or down for 5 seconds in mid course), and a vatiety of jumps, including a tire and double and triple spreads. Every course is different, so in addition to knowing obstacles "names," the dog must be able to execute directional commands, such as "out," "go on," "left," and "right" at high speed to be successful.

Papillons and their handlers have been competing and winning in agility from the earliest days of the sport, long before many of the rest of us became active through AKC and joined the fun.

Camille

The Papillon who earned most of the sports' "firsts" was Camille, (Irvine's Petite Camille, AAD, EAC, AX, AgII, ADC, UD), owned by Jacqueline Taylor of McKinney, Texas.

Camille's story, by Jackie:

"Camille competed in agility from March, 1989, through April, 1995. She spent those six years teaching me how to handle an agility dog and proving that small dogs are legitimate agility competitors. In the early days, when dogs of all heights competed against each other, the small dogs were not taken seriously. Camille proved the doubters wrong. While she could not outrun many of the larger dogs, she would put in a good solid performance, and if they made any mistakes, she would win. All the small dogs competing in agility today owe her thanks for forcing a place to be made for them in a sport that -at first - really didn't want to let them in."

Among Camille's achievements:

USDAA - AAD (Advanced Agility Dog). In Sept. of 1991, Camille became the fifth dog of any breed to earn the AAD. That same month she earned her first Masters leg in Snookers at the first USDAA Masters event ever held. She earned all of her Masters games legs, but was not able to make the fast course times required for the standard legs, often missing them by just fractions of a second.

USDAA'S Pedigree Grand Prix of Dog Agility. Every year from 1989 to 1995, Camille placed in or won regional competitions. Three of those years she placed in placed in the semi-finals. the national finals, the other five years she placed in the simi-finals.

NADAC - EAC (Elite Agility Certifcate), earned in July, 1994, when she was eight years old.

AAC (Agility Association of Canada) - ADC (Agility Dog of Canada). plus two advance legs.

UKC - AgII (Agility II). Winning High Combined at her first trial, Camille earned her Agility I and Agility II titles in four trials in 1994.

AKS - AX (Agility Excellent). In March, 1995, Camille became the first Papillon to earn the AX.

In addition, the talented Camille has an AKC UD (Utility Dog) obedience title even though, according to Jackie, "I'd probably still be trying to get her confidence up enough for her to qualify if we hadn't started started agility!"

"Nicky"

Nicky

When Camille retired, Jackie already had a winner waiting in the wings. Nicky (Aerien Beausoleil de Cadaga, MAD, AX, NAC, NJC, RS-N, JS-N), littermate to Barbara Cecil's Bebe, started his USDAA career in the fall of 1995, when he was eighteen months old. Within six months, Nicky had earned his Master Agility Dog title. Only two Papillons - and precious few mini dogs - have earned the presigious MAD; Shannon Chenault's Papillon Kizzy was the first, and Nicky was the second. After placing in four and winning two of the Grand Prix regionals in the spring of 1996, Jackie and Nicky went to Ventura, California, for the National Championships, where they won the 12" jump height division with one fast and flawless run after another.

While winning everything in USDAA, Nicky was also competing in AKC and NADAC agility trials, quickly earning his AKC AX and NADAC NAC (Novice Agility Certifcate) and NJC (Novice Jumpers Certificate) and ASCA RS-N (Regular Standard -Novice) and JS-N (Jumpers Standard - Novice) titles.

"Kizzy"

Shannon & "Kizzy"

Shannon Chenault of Turner, Oregon, is the owner of multifaceted Kizzy (U-CD Flying Tiger Swallowtail, CD, MAD, JM, GM, RM, EAC, EJC, OGC, AX, CGC). On November 12, 1995, four year old Kizzy became the first Papillon in history to earn the USDAA MAD (Master Agility Dog) title. Kizzy also has three of the four games titles - in Jumpers, Gamblers, and Relay -to put her just one Snooker leg away from her USDAA Agility Championship.

In NADAC, Kizzy has her Elite certificates and is accumulating points toward her NATCH (NADAC Agility Trial Champion). In addition, in January of 1996, Kizzy became the sixth Papillon (and seventh Toy dog) to earn the AKC AX.

In earning her AKC and UKC Companion Dog titles in obedience, KIzzy's scores were high enough to qualify for a Gaines Regional

Kizzy according to Shannon:

"I don't know if I should reveal the deep dark secret and disgrace of where 1 got Kizzy. She was purchased-dare I say it?- from a pet store. There, it's out. I didn't know any better! I was very green; nobody had told me about the hazards of buying a dog from a pet store. I have another agility Pap, Zoe, who was rescued from the Humane Society, though we have learned she, too, originally came from the same 'fine establishment' as Kizzy. We like to call Kizzy and Zoe 'Miss Missouri and Miss Kansas'."

Kizzy, Shannon's first agility dog, was entered in her first trial in the fall of 1993, after just two months of classes. Agility was so new, no dog in the state of Oregon had yet qualified in a trial; Shannon was so new, she didn't even have a copy of the rules. All she knew was that she and Kizzy had to run clean and under time.

"I walked the course with great trepidation. How would I ever remember it? HOW would I ever get through it without tripping over my dog or losing my breakfast? Luckily, I was in the midst of sympathetic competitors who helped me memorize the course and plan my strategy. Armed with this crash course in handling, Kizzy and I made our agility debut. At 18 months of age, and after 10 weeks of training, Kizzy qualified in her debut run. In those days, you could earn the "Agility Dog" title with only one qualifying score, so with this one run, Kizzy became the first Oregon dog to earn the AD. She would later go on to become the first dog in Oregon to earn the AAD, as well."

Because Kizzy is such a character, Shannon has a wealth of stories about her. One of the best concerns Kizzy's hunting prowess. "All too often, we forget that our little Papillons were bred from spaniels. Spaniels are hunters, and occasionally those primal hunting instincts can surface even in our little fluff muffins. And so it was with KIzzy. At this particular trial, we were having a wonderful run when suddenly I realized that the 'we' in the equation had been reduced to a 'me'. Alone in the ring, I turned to find my mighty hunting dog pointing and about to flush a hotdog from a crowd of spectator."

Delightful person, delightful dogs - Shannon Chenault is one of the up and coming bright stars in Papillons and agility!

"Zack"

Zack

It is fitting that the first Papillon to earn an AKC agility title is the most titled dog in AKC history: Gerianne Darnell's Zack (Am/Can Ch & Am/Can OTCh, U-CDX, U-AgII Loteki Sudden Impulse, UDX, TDX, MX, NAC, Can UTD) of Council Bluffs, Iowa. Zack was not only the first Papillon to earn the NA, (Novice Agility), he was the first to earn the OA (Open Agility), the second to earn the AX, and the first to earn the MX!

Zack according to Gerianne:

"Zack attended his first agility class in June, 1994 and though he had accomplished everything I had ever asked of him in obedience and" tracking, and at age six and a half was still in excellent physical shape, when we started agility training I soon realized that in many ways agility was going to be harder to excel at than competitive obedience. However, agility is a sport in which it is easy to become obsessed. We attended classes, I made many of my own obstacles so we could practice at home, I read all the agility training books, attended seminars and camps, even subscribed to the agility forum on the Internet.

Zack earned the first leg on his NCDA (now UKC) AgI title before the end of his beginners agility class. He followed that with the first leg of his NA in September of 1994 (going High In Trial and High Combined at the all-breed show the same weekend.) In October of 1994 he became the first Papillon to earn an AKC agility title.

By then Zack was seven years old, and I wondered whether he could make the faster times of AKC Open and Excellent. I needn't have worried! He finished his OA in March of 1995 and his AX the following August. He then surprised me by earning his ten MX legs in just 13 shows. Of course his three flunks were all handler errors. Zack continues to amaze me. Who says YOU can't teach an old dog new tricks?"

Zack's agility arena has expanded to include USDAA and NADAC, and he is close to finishing his UKC Agility Championship.

"Bebe"

Bebe

One of the first AKC MX dogs in the country, Barbara Cecil's Bebe (Aerien Cadaga Bocca Baciata, AAD, OAC, RS-N, NJC, JS-N, NGC, TD, MX) of Houston, Texas, is rising quickly through the ranks. She earned her first title, the NA, in one week when she was 15 months old. In another two months she had her OA; a week later she had her AX - three AKC agility titles in less than four months. Out of 12 qualifying scores in Novice, Open and Excellent, Bebe earned 10 firsts and 2 seconds, averaging 21 seconds under Standard Course Time in Novice, 20 seconds under in Open, and 18 seconds under in Excellent.

Bebe began USDAA competition when she was 19 months old and before she turned two, had earned her AD and AAD. Out of eight qualifying runs, she had eight firsts, averaging 21 seconds under Standard Course Time. Also before she was two, Bebe tried a weekend of local NADAC trials; in two days she was in the ring seven times, and earned four firsts, two seconds, one third, five perfect scores, and two more titles, the NAC and RS-N.

In the FRONT & FINISH agility rankings for 1995, Bebe was top Toy dog.

Bebe according to Barbara:

"I've been in dogs for almost 20 years, and I've never had a dog like the Beebster. To be honest, I don't think I've ever known anyone - canine or human - with such a delightful personality. She is a wonderful ambassador for the breed, making Papillon converts wherever she goes. Bebe even has her own agility groupies, who start cheering as soon as she runs into the ring!

Her specialties are the weave poles, which she bounces through at lightening speed, and the contact obstacles. In fact, she can be moving so fast over the A-frame she will literally fly over the apex. It's breath-taking - and scary - to watch, even though I know Bebe is in complete control.

I'm delighted to have discovered agility. What fun! Great sport, great people, great dog: my athletic angel, Bebe."