Where success is measured
by teamwork, not jump height...
 The
North American Dog Agility Council (NADAC) was founded in the early 1990s by
Sharon Nelson. Now it is coming to the UK bringing a less intense and more games-oriented brand of agility with the option to earn titles at
your own pace. Murrelet Halterman, the American NADAC representative for the
UK, sent us a bit of history to share with the wider agility community about the
origins of NADAC and why NADAC made the choices they did when they did.
In the
1990s, Sharon
Nelson was an active competitor and judge. In addition, she has a strong
background in equine training and sports. She
would
select prospective dogs for the military and have them tested at a military base
in Washington state. Leg lengths and body measurements were done first to see if
they could even be tested for temperament and work ethic. If they didn't meet
the requirements for leg lengths and axle tests, they weren't even considered
for working dogs.
In that
same timeframe, there was an extensive study done at Lackland Air Force Base
with the military dogs using pressure plates and repetitive jumping. They were
trained over higher and lower jumps. It was noticed that there was a substantial
difference in how the dogs changed form between 75cm and 60cm jumps.
A
separate study showed the negative impacts of repetitive jumping at the
greater heights. There was also a leg length study done in conjunction with that
study showing that the dogs should not jump more than 1.93 times the measurement
from the bend of the carpal joint to the elbow for repetitive jumps.
From the
studies they did for testing military dogs, it was obvious that the current
agility programs were not using the best safety choices for our dogs.
At the
time. agility In
general, wasn't interested in changing the jumps heights,
so Sharon started her own organisation. NADAC was formed as a result of that
study when other governing bodies wouldn't lower their
30in jumps to 24in until a decade later.
NADAC was
built upon those studies for the safest jump heights for dogs doing repetitive
jumps. It is also why breed exemptions were started for dogs with shorter leg
lengths. Sharon used scientific data and extensive studies from valid sources to
formulate jump and A-frame heights and distances between obstacles to keep
dogs as safe as possible. She later made additional changes such as rubberised contact
surfaces, increased weave pole spacing and banning closed (soft/collapsible) tunnels
- all aimed at keeping the dogs
safe.
Sharon
also introduced two new agility obstacles – hoops and barrels which now have
their own organisation in the UK. All these added to the groundspeed and
resulted in a variety of fast fun, and challenging courses.
NADAC's
philosophy:
Teamwork between a dog and handler cannot be measured by jump
height.
 About
NADAC
The North American Dog Agility Council (NADAC) was formed in 1993
to promote North American dogs and their handlers with a fast, safe and
enjoyable form of the sport of dog agility. NADAC sanctioned agility trials
are sponsored by affiliated clubs. Currently, there are about 58,000 people in The
States, Canada and Australia doing NADAC.
Speeds,
measured by yards per second, are tighter than some other organizations, but
there are lots of opportunities for dogs to advance without needing to be the
fastest.
The
purpose of a NADAC agility trial is to demonstrate the ability of a dog and its
handler to work as a smoothly functioning team. With separate class divisions
for Veterans and Junior handlers and a variety of games in addition to agility, NADAC
offers something for everyone. Everything from your first clear round at
introductory level to achieving Championship status is celebrated.
For more
information, go to
http://www.facebook.com/nadacukshows or contact Murrelet by
email
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