Difficulty of AKC Invitational Courses

HopeShelties said:
A mach is something earned, something achieved, and when a team manages the requirements to get one, it should be celebrated, as regardless of what others may think, for each and every dog that gets one, a lot of hard work by both dog and handler have been put in to get there.
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Thanks for adding this. I wouldn't put down any title from any venue that someone earns with their dog. Never mind a MACH. They are not easy to earn.
 
Akc

k9kreationz said:
I was about to say, Nationals is in Vegas? But realized I'm sure you guys will drive (fly?) to Reno for it. I soooo was hoping to get to that level by then. Darn contacts. And next year its back on your side, meaning FAR!

If I had the money, I'd go watch. But then again, Nationals aren't best of the best though. It's whomever could get the points and QQ's. I train with a guy who's dog is VERY slow and he was only 25 points shy of going, but had hurt himself so couldn't trial for those last 25. I was bummed. I so wanted his dog to go. :) Just because she IS slow.
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OOPS Cheryl you are right I meant Reno.My friend moved to Vegas today and has invited me to stay with her.You are right to the extent of who can get the QQ'S and speed points but it is the best of the best and it is people who trained their dogs right and did their homework and are out there Qing I have a freind who has a pet store sheltie who just got her MACH and competed at the Nationals and qualified for next years and this dog is awesome.She is not the greatest sturctured dog but she worked through it all , did her homework and did not whine and she has prevailed.JMO but the Nationals is the creme of the crop and you are cometing against the big guns like Luka, Rush to name a couple.
 
HopeShelties said:
20qqs with 750 points isnt luck. Even if it takes 10 years and hundreds of trials, on those 20 occasions the dog and handler were working as a team, and were able to be not only perfect, but fast enough twice in one day 20 times to earn their mach. Perfection is not luck.
No mach is dirty. You may get a gimme every once in a while (judge missed a blown contact, or an off course, or a missed weave pole). You may have an ugly run that you eek a q out of anyway... but for the majority of the time, it takes skill to achieve it.
A mach is something earned, something achieved, and when a team manages the requirements to get one, it should be celebrated, as regardless of what others may think, for each and every dog that gets one, a lot of hard work by both dog and handler have been put in to get there.
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Totally agree. One of my friends had a sheltie who had his OTCH and was quite well trained. His wifes dog was a MACH/OTCH. SO they know how to train a dog.

He was a speed demon and just one thing here or there prevent the QQ. He would q in one and not the other. I think after years and years of trialing he only managed 10 QQ and more points for several MACHs. DOg died without ever getting it. My friend would not agreed with you that there was a dirty MACH.

I think you under estimate how really hard it is to earn those elite titles be it an MACH, OTCH or UDX.
 
Sharon said:
JMO but the Nationals is the creme of the crop and you are cometing against the big guns like Luka, Rush to name a couple.
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Yes, AKC Nationals is a much more competitive benchmark than the AKC Invitational.

Still, AKC's qualifying criteria on the one hand seems a bit liberal given the large number of non-competitive teams that turn-up, and on the other hand too restrictive for up-and-coming younger dogs or teams in geographies with fewer trials that are every bit as competitive as the best on display.

Compare this to how USDAA qualifies Finals participants: USDAA does not require you to have spent the amount of $'s to reach a certain level as necessary in AKC which, like for the Invitational can meet requirements often by trialing often enough.
Instead you qualify by a more appropriate and a more pocket $-friendly requirement through qualifying tournaments to meet a minimum level of performance.
 
k9kreationz said:
Just for comparisons. Here's a course map from Marq Cheek from last Nov. I was barely in Open so this was crazy difficult to me. Look at all those pinwheels.

I haven't seen anything like this since I moved up to Excellent. And never saw anything like that again in Open. Although it was hard, I am bummed I haven't gotten to do more difficult things like crazy pinwheels, backside jumping, threadles, 180s, 240s, etc.

Am I the only crazy one who wants all those things in a course?
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Pinwheels aren't an excellent level technique though. Sorry but I don't see that course as a difficult course at all.
 
Sealtainn said:
Yes, AKC Nationals is a much more competitive benchmark than the AKC Invitational.

Still, AKC's qualifying criteria on the one hand seems a bit liberal given the large number of non-competitive teams that turn-up, and on the other hand too restrictive for up-and-coming younger dogs or teams in geographies with fewer trials that are every bit as competitive as the best on display.

Compare this to how USDAA qualifies Finals participants: USDAA does not require you to have spent the amount of $'s to reach a certain level as necessary in AKC which, like for the Invitational can meet requirements often by trialing often enough.
Instead you qualify by a more appropriate and a more pocket $-friendly requirement through qualifying tournaments to meet a minimum level of performance.
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AKC has always been more focused on their revenue than anything else.
 
AKC Invatationals

k9kreationz said:
It's 20 dirty QQ's. lol.

"buying" a MACH would be the person who can trial a LOT and regardless of how good they are, because they do it so much, they eventually get a MACH.

"dirty" MACH means your dog really isn't good, you've just been lucky. I would think this one takes a long time to get too.

So, for example, let's say I finally get Koji's MACH in 2017 (when he's 10 years old).....I've either been trialing a lot (buying) or getting by with his crappy A-frame/teeter (dirty). People who have trained well, get their MACH's much faster even if they can't trial every other weekend.
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Are you for real on this?You smoking something?
 
ortegah said:
AKC has always been more focused on their revenue than anything else.
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I don't think this has anything to do with it. Pretty sure they are losing money on agility in this venue.

The Invitational is nothing but a breed showcase, and an opportunity for nonstandard breeds to have a shot at winning something. This is not the National Agility Championship. You don't get to add letters to your dogs name for winning.
 
ClantyreSheltie said:
I don't think this has anything to do with it. Pretty sure they are losing money on agility in this venue.

The Invitational is nothing but a breed showcase, and an opportunity for nonstandard breeds to have a shot at winning something. This is not the National Agility Championship. You don't get to add letters to your dogs name for winning.
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I was just commenting on this comment:
USDAA does not require you to have spent the amount of $'s to reach a certain level as necessary in AKC
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Not speaking of that event in particular.
 
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