SheltieChe
Forums Sage
article from BadDog agility on the subject
http://baddogagility.com/the-moneymaker-effect-in-dog-agility/
http://baddogagility.com/the-moneymaker-effect-in-dog-agility/
Westminster Agility
- Thread starter Sharon
- Start date
HopeShelties
Forums Enthusiast
The difference IMO between the poker event, and this is that the man playing poker was actually good. It should inspire the everyman. The majority of what was shown at this agility 'championship' was not good. It showed a bunch of really mediocre teams mostly who failed miserably. It made an even more pronounced line in the sand between the amateur and the professional. There was a huge gap in quality, and I find in general there are a lot more amateur handlers out there doing a better job than the majority of the amateurs shown here. And lest we forget, Roo! is run by a professional 
k9kreationz
Forums Celebrity
The difference IMO between the poker event, and this is that the man playing poker was actually good. It should inspire the everyman. The majority of what was shown at this agility 'championship' was not good. It showed a bunch of really mediocre teams mostly who failed miserably. It made an even more pronounced line in the sand between the amateur and the professional. There was a huge gap in quality, and I find in general there are a lot more amateur handlers out there doing a better job than the majority of the amateurs shown here. And lest we forget, Roo! is run by a professional
This is exactly how I felt about the whole show.
And just curious, what do we define as the difference between amateur and professional? I mean, in the world of sports, the difference is getting paid to do what they're doing. I'm assuming these "pros" that you're speaking of, aren't literally getting paid to compete.....are they? Is sponsorship coming up next? hehe.
HopeShelties
Forums Enthusiast
By professionals, I mean people who are paid to do what they do. They make their living in the sport of agility. They are the ones who LIVE for agility. Where as the amateurs are those of us who train and compete with our dogs but we do have other jobs that limit us more so than the ones who's lives are more entwined with the sport.
k9kreationz
Forums Celebrity
The bolded section is kind of contradicting the rest.
So, I want to clarify. You literally mean people get paid money to do agility? I don't mean top competitors who train and get money or anything like that. And I'm not talking about the people who have the income to do it all the time, train all the time, don't work, and agility is their life. I mean, they run a trial and someone says, "here's your paycheck"?
Because that's what the bolded section means. The rest, I get if that's what you're claiming "professional" is. Then it's not the same meaning as in "professional sports". Just clarifying the meaning.
HopeShelties
Forums Enthusiast
Some of them are actually paid to handle others dogs, but from what I have seen, it isn't all that common. By professional I think most of us mean someone who has their own training facility, teaches agility, and because what they do with their dogs in the ring is largely how they advertise themselves they generally spend a lot of time and put in a lot of effort training their dogs. After all, who is going to want to go take agility lessons from someone who isn't successful?
I don't mean professionally in the sense of your typical pro football player, but I do mean it by agility is how they make their living.
I don't mean professionally in the sense of your typical pro football player, but I do mean it by agility is how they make their living.
I generally agree with this description.
Yes, there are handlers who are paid to run others dogs... you see them with a gazillion labels on in AKC... I'm thinking these handlers are more likely to be running dogs for whom breeders are seeking agility titles in their line.
All those pros are trying to get into Finals & to win so they can add it to their bio when they try to sell themselves or there services for seminars and such.
They are definitely making money by competing directly or indirectly.
Note: often they are also deducting entry fees against their income taxes - a clear differential indicator that they are pros and not in pursuit of a hobby like the majority of us - so the IRS clearly recognizes the distinction.
Given the hundreds or thousands of $'s we spend on entry fees, travel, lodgings etc every year, wouldn't it be nice to deduct all of that? Well we legally cannot, but the pro's can.
I've known several handlers who stopped taking classes from certain trainers simply because they had gotten their MACH & didn't feel the trainer was any more experienced than them... they would switch to another trainer that had either been in a national Finals or placed there or in a WT.
Pros know this happens which is another reason why they are driven to succeed at all costs.
Take any of the big names in training materials, DVDs, seminars, online stuff, books... how many of the rest of us would give our $'s to these people if they did not have something to brag about in quantitative terms?
While there are some amateurs who do have the time & resources to travel the country entering as many big events as possible by far and large it is the pros that do this -- it increases their odds of adding another success to their list.
Clearly not everyone will share the same perspective of what the dividing line should be. From my viewpoint, if you are earning money from others for agility related services directly you are in my definition a professional - no question about it.
The grey-line I would accept that might be a bit controversial is if you are an employee at one of these locations but not directly teaching an agility class yourself but perhaps you are assisting or are teaching some other dog training services. In this instance you are still a professional in the business, perhaps in an intro position, but you are still a pro, have access to all the facilities when not otherwise in use & you are learning from your more senior pros.
Not all professionals are at the peak of their career, but we must still recognize them & give them the due respect of their chosen profession.
The thing about agility is that it is not just about theory -- it takes a dedication to train, and to practice. The more practice, the better you should become as a team. Or, as in my case, the fewer opportunities to practice becomes a limiting factor in our ability to consistently compete at the same level as those who are.
HopeShelties
Forums Enthusiast
Thank you Sealtainn. That is a much better description of what a professional is in the agility world than I could put together.
ClantyreSheltie
Forums Sage
Sure, but again, this happens in all venues.
Conformation has professional handlers.
Herding has professional trainers and handlers. The HC is based on dogs defeated, just like conformation.
In obedience you have to beat the OTCH dogs to get points.
At least in agility, the CH is based on your ability, and not you ability to defeat another dog.
Conformation has professional handlers.
Herding has professional trainers and handlers. The HC is based on dogs defeated, just like conformation.
In obedience you have to beat the OTCH dogs to get points.
At least in agility, the CH is based on your ability, and not you ability to defeat another dog.
Hurtseverywhere
Forums Enthusiast
This is exactally what I would consider to be a professional agility person and most often these are the ones that you will see on most national teams and running large training establishments, traveling giving agility seminars Ect, ect,. examples in my area would be Susan Garrett, Kayl MaCann , Jess Martin and a few others, these people teach and train daily with their dogs and others pretty much 24/7 and for the most part agility is there main source of income. IF that's not Professional then I don't know what is.