AARRGH! Tangled In The Chute!

Congrats on Trudy's very first Q!!!  All in all, it sounds like you did very well, and learned something along the way...beware of windy days when planning your course, and try to "heads up" your course spotter ahead of time if it's windy...there's nothing wrong with that. 

Thanks for the congrats!  It really was a fun trial. Yes, we learned something and that was a plus, too. 

I don't know how I could have planned the course any different. Your dog goes into the chute and hopefully comes out the other end.    It's straight forward at that point.   I think that it was OK when I started, but the wind came along at just the wrong time and wound that fabric around her when she entered.

To be honest, it wasn't her very first Q.  She has her Novice Standard Title and one previous JWW leg.  It was her first Q outdoors, though.  I was really happy that she focused in on the course and not on the birds and bunnies, especially on a windy day.  I will, from now on, be wary of that darn chute, though. There should be someway to weight that thing down so that it doesn't flap around in the wind.  

I've heard of a dog suffocating and dying while tangled in the chute so your concern about getting your dog out fast is certainly valid- dog's safety is much more important than finishing the run. On windy days I've seen judges pull the chute off the course for safety.

mudpuppy

I've heard of a dog suffocating and dying while tangled in the chute so your concern about getting your dog out fast is certainly valid- dog's safety is much more important than finishing the run. On windy days I've seen judges pull the chute off the course for safety.

I am actually surprised that they did not pull the chute if the wind was that bad.  I have been at trials where they've used open tunnels instead of the chute because of wind or rain.

I'm glad that she was ok after it and continued to run well for you.  What venue was the trial? 

mudpuppy

I've heard of a dog suffocating and dying while tangled in the chute so your concern about getting your dog out fast is certainly valid- dog's safety is much more important than finishing the run. On windy days I've seen judges pull the chute off the course for safety.

That was my thought exactly!  I left my commitment to that course when I went to untangle my poor girl from the chute.   I was mildly hoping she would allow me to start again lif for any other reason, to get Trudy through that chute successfully,  but really really stunned that she told me to keep running! 

Now that I know that many times they substitute the chute with a tunnel on a really windy day, I'm ticked.  We were the only mishap of the day, but we were dealing with flapping tents and start boards propped up against tables so not to blow over all day.  

We were Echo in Buchanan, MI.  It's usually a great outdoor venue. Not huge. Lots of nice people, lots of space and the area where the course is run is completely fenced.  I know the crew there was a bit upset with this judge.  She was slow - very slow.  The first day dragged because of the course changes.  This was the second day and she probably didn't want to take the time to change equipment. 

My absolute favorite AKC judge is a woman by the name of Dewey.  Her courses flow and accommodate, with small changes, all the levels.  She is concise and pleasant.  I went to a trial up in Spring Grove, IL where she was judging.  The venue was TIGHT with lots of dogs.  It ran like clockwork and she tried to make it smooth and never lost her sense of humor.  I have to say the crew there did a great job, but the crew at Echo does, too.  Lots of standing around trying to figure out what this judge was doing

I have to admit, though, that I learned a few important things because of this all. 

I should add that this judge's courses were pretty nice to run - especially the JWW!  

At a USDAA trial 2 weeks ago, the afternoon breezes off the bay were really strong. The judge flipped the chute for Gamblers (making a mess of my plans but understandable as it made the chute much safer. In the Standard run the chute was pulled and a tunnel substituted. So I can understand your frustration that the judge in your run did not take the wind into consideration!!

 I also agree that your dog's safety is your very first concern so I think you did just the right thing in getting Trudy out of the tangle. You also don't want her to end up frightened of the chute! Ask to have the chute included in your next training session, and do some positive reward work with her to be sure she is still confident with it. When Twix fell off the dog walk, my trainer had me run him over it a few times before we started our training runs, to give him lots of praise and yummies. We wanted to be sure to get it back to being a positive thing for him.

When the AKC asked for exhibitor's input, I specifically requested that they allow a straight tunnel subsitutuion for the chute on windy days.  (Where I live 30+ mph winds is not uncommon.  40-50mph winds won't set records either.)  To my knowledge they did not.   I once stood on the end of the chute fabric and had to jump out of the way as the dog entered.  Never again.  I really enjoy the knees I have.

I would encourage everyone to write to the AKC about their safety concerns. 

Here's what the rule book says:

Thanks for this input!  I will most certainly write! 

BTW, I worked with Trudy and the chute yesterday evening during our handlers class with lots of happy cheer leading and tons of yummy reinforcement (ROAST BEEF!) and she was fine. 

agilebasenji

When the AKC asked for exhibitor's input, I specifically requested that they allow a straight tunnel subsitutuion for the chute on windy days.  (Where I live 30+ mph winds is not uncommon.  40-50mph winds won't set records either.)  To my knowledge they did not.   I once stood on the end of the chute fabric and had to jump out of the way as the dog entered.  Never again.  I really enjoy the knees I have.

I would encourage everyone to write to the AKC about their safety concerns. 

 

Here's what the rule book says:

 

At the judge’s discretion, the length of the fabric chute

may be reduced to six feet in length in severe weather conditions.

Severe weather includes rain, sleet and snow, but

does not include dew, or windy conditions.  p31

Bleh.  Glad I can't compete with them.   

So unreasonable of the AKC - the dog's safety should come first!

I'm adding the chute to the many reasons I prefer CPE and USDAA to AKC agility.

 Well, I did write to AKC about my experience with the chute, urging them to allow the supstitution of a tunnel instead of a chute on windy days.

I have to say that they wrote back quite promptly, telling me that on windy days, the ring steward is suppose to hold the edge of the chute fabric down so that it doesn't get tangled and that the fabric on the chute is only suppose to be 6 ft. long to prevent tangling.  She respectfully thanked me for my letter and suggestions but......after all rules are rules. .

I guess it could be a real bag of worms trying to figure out what is windy enough and how important it is having a chute in the course, etc., etc. 

Live and Learn.

 

diane303

 Well, I did write to AKC about my experience with the chute, urging them to allow the supstitution of a tunnel instead of a chute on windy days.

I have to say that they wrote back quite promptly, telling me that on windy days, the ring steward is suppose to hold the edge of the chute fabric down so that it doesn't get tangled and that the fabric on the chute is only suppose to be 6 ft. long to prevent tangling.    

  

 

 

The above is what I meant earlier by checking in with the person prior to your run.  Make sure the person standing there is paying attention and willing to hold the chute for you, or get a volunteer to do so. 

  telling me that on windy days, the ring steward is suppose to hold the edge of the chute fabric down so that it doesn't get tangled

I wouldn't want to be that poor ring steward- probably get mowed down repeatedly by hard-charging dogs who can't see him until too late.

bad decision AKC. Yet another reason why I'm not getting an ILP and trying that venue.

mudpuppy

I wouldn't want to be that poor ring steward- probably get mowed down repeatedly by hard-charging dogs who can't see him until too late.

I have been that ring steward and while I was never mowed down, I will never do that again.  Even if I'm the only person available, they can cancel the trial.  Just to dangerous for dog and person IMHO.  Thankfully most of the AKC trials in this area are indoors.  The high winds in NM and CO can be brutal on chutes and sandbags or staking the end of the fabric down is just not adequate.  And if the chute is in the wrong direction and the fabric is doubled up, not even the largest dogs would be able to make it through on windy days.  I do remember a nonAKC trial out on a NM mesa where all the tents were toast.