If you don't like something, change it...

If you could change just one thing about agility, asked Jo Asher on Agilitynet Facebook, what would it be? Hers would be the early 8.30am starts! We liked your answers so much that we've put then altogether. Serious or cheeky, what are your niggles?

The times we have had to get up at 4am and not had a run till 10 or 11am I do wonder why it has to be so early?
Janette Anton 

Me, too. Afternoon/evening agility for night owls!
Susan Herbert 

Prefer not to have to walk four courses first thing ! My dream is to actually have no classes ' first in ring.'
Beryl Brander 

Somewhat later starts, and not having to hang around for six hours because your second run is at 10:00am and the third class you're in doesn't start till about 3 or 4pm. Especially when the last run, that I've hung around for ages to do, is a helter skelter and he knocks three fences.
Ken Ricketts 

The waiting around and it always happens you end up running and walking two many courses at once.
Helen Mumford 

Slightly later starts and more rings so that, if you're only running one dog, you're not sat around for hours between each run.
Gina Colton 

Earlier starts. Hanging around until 8.30 is a waste of time. Could have show opening at first light and course walking 6am.
Mike Jackson 

Clashing runs. There are so many, many shows where all the Medium runs of one grade happen all at the same time.
Joyce Turner 

Have my dog go clear on the first run of the day instead of the last, so that I don't have to wait around until 6 o'clock to find out if we were placed.
Eddie Hawkins 

People being at the ring and ready to go and not holding things up.
Janet Carrick 

The way the queue happens.
Nicola Ayres 

No more than 10 in a queue
Liz Stedman 

Booking in at the right end of the queue - and definitely a rain ban.
Jacqui Watts 

More helpers!
Brenda Ellen Tenten 

Less moaning and more help !
Andrea Rooqui Russ

Everyone to do their bit on the rings. Soon much easier if we did.
Lesanne Mitchell 

All competitors taking the time to help as it's always the same people helping and the same people not helping.
Carolyne Tranquille 

Daft people with sharp dogs who don't keep an eye on them and allow them to ruin things for others.
Rachel Newall 

All rings to be fenced.
Mark Bunyan & Beth Wilson 

Ring ropes. I would like to see all rings fenced, would help keeping inexperienced dogs in the ring. At nearly every show I go to, there is a loose dog ruining someone's run.
Glen Chance 

The ring size. Change to same as Europe, longer and thinner rather than square so we can let the dogs stretch out more 
Helen Anderson 

To win occasionally.
Sharon Hill 

To get a clear round even if you have time faults.
Elizabeth Barclay

To have all shows less than half an hour's drive away. We don't camp.
Sally Grant 

Free fuel for all travel to and from shows - and possibly training, too.
Kate Cook 

To have different weaves for different sizes - bigger dogs with longer gaps and smaller dogs with narrower gaps so they were all challenged relative to size, as with jumps.
Elin Drevsjø Iversen 

I'd get rid of weave poles. If we're going to mess up, it's usually the entrance to the weaves, or there's a monster half way through the course.
Brenda Moore

Cloth tunnel.
Ann Watt

Get rid of dropped tunnel or make it much shorter.
Lesley Pearson Simmonds

I'd make the contact points bigger so my dog never missed them - perhaps the full length of the down ramps.
Helen Smith 

Bigger contact areas for Large dogs as, in order for some to get the contact, they have to break their stride.
Wendy Tilly-mint 

No up contacts.
Bridgit Gilmore 

I would like to see electronic contact sensors.
Pat Last 

To bring in a proper 4th height as a separate class for those that have suitable height dogs, not confuse the whole issue yet again - I like simple and competition should be like for like.
Shelley Christmas 

Be wonderful if all dog heights could run at the same time. Bad enough having a Large and Medium. Must be horrendous having all three.
Pauline Homer 

An increase in the minimum distance for Large dogs.
Nicola Wildman 

Smaller courses for smaller dogs -especially mine.
Lesley Lloyd 

Inconsistent courses, especially when it comes to safety issues like contact approaches or chute angles!
Niki Drage 

No sheep, rabbit or horse poo on the course.
Ruby Tuesday 

Remembering where the rings are when I go to run! And most defiantly no sheep, horse or bunny poo!
Lisa Parsons 

To cut down the number of obstacles in the any size classes to a maximum of 18 and to make the maximum course length in these classes 100m.
Pat May

Cap number of competitive dogs at indoor venues unless the venue can accommodate plenty of space for queuing and distance between rings.
Valerie McDonagh 

To change how measuring is done. There must, by now be a more accurate way so that dogs are in the correct height. Too many so called Mediums.
Rachel Newall 

Not fearing that if I make a mistake when judging 400 dogs it will be on Facebook before I get home!
Mark Evans 

The weather needs to be just warm enough and dry. I loath wet weather!
Sally Mackenzie 

No rain allowed.
Linda Hill 

No mud guaranteed.
Karen Stubbs 

People with picnics around the ring.
Kathia Underwood 

To have someone drive, set up camp and hold dogs while I queue and take back and bring dogs to me, video runs, break down camp. Hang on a minute that's what I had at Easter. Good old hubby only started coming to shows since we got motorhome last year but it is great!
Alison Milner 

The bun fight for camping pitches.
Debs Fawcus

All shows to have allocated camping!
Jo Daniels 

Hook up at all shows for camping - makes such a difference!
Davina Duffield 

Nice, cheap, dog friendly hotel on site.
Jan Smith 

Free bar would be great.
Claire O'Connell 

Nearer parking to the rings.
Jane Rees 

Parking milessss away from the rings!
Gill Clark 

Entries on the day at KC shows.
Sally Aldworth 

Having to enter KC shows so far in advance.
Lauren Todd

My inability to run and think fast enough to keep up with my collie!
Helen Soper 

To change the direction agility is going to biggest mistake taking the word 'fun' out of the description!
Suzanne Morrison 

Moaning. That's it. Love everything else.
Emma Conlisk

Nowt.
Emma Dainty 

Nothing, I love it all.
Marianne Hatwell 

[bottom.htm]

© Copyright Agilitynet