Agility Competition Paperwork (2018 version)

EDIT: This post is now out of date. Please refer to the 2023 version.

Navigating the paperwork to enter your first agility show can be a bit confusing for an agility newbie. Today I’ll explain what you need to do before you’re ready to make your debut.

Requirements to Enter a Ribbon Trial

A ribbon trial is a small agility show, usually held on one day. The entry fees are cheaper than at championship events, and there are no cash or sponsor’s prizes – just a ribbon and a clear round certificate. They are intended to encourage newcomers into the sport, and often more experienced people will use them as a training opportunity. You can enter a ribbon trial on the day of the show, but you will need to:

• Make sure your dog is at least 18 months old on the day of the show
• Have your dog measured – I will cover measuring in a future post
• Optional: Obtain a permanent number from the Agility Committee website. This is not compulsory for ribbon trials.

Additional Requirements to Enter a Championship Event

A championship event is usually held over two days. The entry fees are more expensive than ribbon trials, although still very cheap compared to most sports. Winners will receive a prize as well as a ribbon and certificate – cash, petrol vouchers and dog food are common prizes. Results at championship events count towards earning titles with your dog.

If you are ready to hit the ring and there isn’t a ribbon trial near you, you can enter a championship event as your first show. You’ll need to tick off the requirements listed above for ribbon trials, plus:

• Join a Dogs NZ associated club, if you haven’t already
• Join Dogs NZ
• Register your dog with Dogs NZ (unless it came with papers when you got it)
• Obtain a permanent number from the Agility Committee website

Note that it’s OK to enter a champ show if you have paid for your Dogs NZ membership and registration but are waiting to receive the paperwork – just update your details in the Agility Committee database when you’ve got them.

Joining Dogs NZ

Dogs NZ (formerly the NZ Kennel Club) is the organisation which administers most dog sports in New Zealand. You can join online and pay by credit card or online banking – there is a link under the ‘DogsNZ’ menu item on their home page.

Everybody who wants to own or handle a dog at agility champ shows needs to be a Dogs NZ member. This means that if you will share a dog with your partner, child, parent or friend, you will both need to join up.

To join Dogs NZ you must belong to an associated club. Your agility club is probably associated – there is a list of clubs on the Dogs NZ website that you can check. If you have been paying training fees each term rather than an annual membership fee, you’ll need to check with your club’s treasurer to find out how to join.

If you are not training at a club, or your club is not associated, you will need to choose a club to join. The cheapest option is usually to join a specialist breed club (e.g. a Poodle club or a Goldie club). If you aren’t struggling for cash I would recommend joining your nearest agility club instead though – the club should have a newsletter or email list to keep you informed about agility matters, and you may be able to attend seminars or training days, even if it’s too far to go for weekly training.

Registering Your Dog

If your dog came with an NZKC or Dogs NZ registration certificate – and you can still find it – you can skip this step. Don’t be put off if the certificate says “Not to be Shown” – this restriction applies to conformation showing only, and your dog can still participate in agility and other Dogs NZ sports.

For dogs that didn’t come with papers, they can be registered on the Limited Register (formerly known as the Obedience Register). You can make up a fancy registered name for your dog, or just use its pet name. Two of the most creative show names I’ve seen are “Mya My Friesian” (for a black/white Border Collie called Mya that liked to chew grass) and “Sophabulus Diva” (for a dog called Sophie).

The registered owner of the dog must be a member of Dogs NZ (or be applying to join at the same time). It doesn’t need to be the same person who is registered with the council as the dog’s owner. If it’s not “your” dog but you are the one who will be competing with it in agility, either the owner will need to join Dogs NZ as well, or you can put your name as the registered owner.

You’ll probably want to register your dog at the same time as you join. This process can be a bit confusing, but I’ve checked with Dogs NZ’s clubs and membership manager Colleen Begg, and here’s how to do it:

1. Select ‘Dogs NZ’ -> ‘Official forms’ from the menu on the Dogs NZ home page. Scroll down to O for ‘Obedience/Agility Registration’.
2. Print out and fill in the form – unfortunately there is currently no fillable PDF version of the form.
3. The form suggests that you can’t fill it in until you have received your membership number from Dogs NZ. This is not the case – the Dogs NZ office will accept the form if you submit it at the same time as your membership application. Just leave the membership number field blank if you don’t have it yet.
4. Pay the registration fee into the Dogs NZ bank account. Colleen suggests using your surname or your membership application reference number as the reference.
5. Either post your form the old-fashioned way, or scan it and email it to accounts@dogsnz.org.nz. Explain in your email that you have just applied to join and when/how you paid, or write a wee note to the staff if you’re posting it.

Dogs NZ membership is an annual expense, but registering your dog is a one-off fee.

Getting a Permanent Number

From now on you will be dealing with the Dogs NZ Agility Committee rather than the head office. This website hosts the online entries system for dog agility, which you’ll use to enter shows.

Before you can enter a champ show, you’ll need to sign up on this site and get a “permanent number” for your dog. This can be done before or after you join Dogs New Zealand – if you do it first, just make sure you log into the AC website again and update yours and your dog’s details when you receive your papers.

If you have any questions about joining up or entering your first show, please comment below or get in touch and I’ll be happy to help you out.