In the photos below you can see the obstacles each dog needed to maneuver over, around, on, and through during a timed performance. Each dog was directed by a person that ran near the dog on the course, using both hand and voice signals to tell the dog how to run the course. In agility competition, points are deducted if the dog misses any obstacle, knocks down a bar while jumping or does not follow the correct course order.
Here a collie is going over a hurdle. Note the calibrated markings on some of the obstacles.
Climbing up and down an A-frame and walking a dog balance beam are some of the tests of height agility.
Another obstacle was going in and out of a series of stakes. Dogs took this part of the course with lightning speed, weaving between the stakes in just a few seconds. How a dog is trained to weave his body back and forth through this particular part of the course is hard to imagine.
In this dog show, the breed of the dog did not matter. Dogs competed against other dogs the same height, with height being measured from the shoulder to the paw. Even little pups like this miniature dachshund ran the course, with the jumps being set on the lowest calibration.
Across the entrance road from the dog show were the local ham radio operators. During the last weekend in June, ham radio operators from all over the world compete in a 24 hour competition to see how many points they can rack up. Points are earned by who the operator communicates with either by voice or by Morse code based on country and the person's hierarchy. In other words, if they talk to an officer in a radio club in Germany they will earn more points than talking to a German farmer who holds no office in the local radio club.
One of the men Paul talked to said that he was hoping to talk to ham operators in at least 30 countries during the competition. The radio towers that were erected looked impressive.
Until next time ...
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