New Titling Class, Time 2 Beat, Offered by the American Kennel Club

Agility is an exciting and fast-paced sport for both you and your dog, and arguably, the fastest growing dog sport in the country. Dogs and handlers enjoy plenty of challenge negotiating obstacles such as dog walks, weave poles, hurdles and seesaws in a timed course. The American Kennel Club (AKC) offers exciting competition for dogs and handlers to compete for titles and bragging rights in both the Regular and Preferred Classes.

If you've been competing in agility for any amount of time, you know that there are plenty of titles your dog can achieve. The American Kennel Club has introduced another new title for your dog: the Time 2 Beat agility title, guaranteed to make agility more exciting.

In AKC agility, dogs compete in Regular and Preferred classes in Novice, Open and Excellent levels. In this new optional class, Time 2 Beat, the fastest times in each jump level becomes the Time 2 Beat course time. The new course is a Jumpers With Weaves (JWW) course with one or two added contact obstacles to provide challenge. A JWW course has hurdles, tunnels and weave poles only, thus making it a very fast course.

Any AKC registered dog of any skill level, Novice, Open and Excellent, may compete in the Time 2 Beat class against each other. Regular class dogs compete against Regular class dogs and Preferred dogs compete against Preferred dogs. Dogs must be faster than the Time 2 Beat time to qualify. Fifteen qualifying runs and 100 points will earn the dog either a T2B or T2BP (Preferred) title. When the dog earns his T2B or T2BP title, the points and qualifying runs reset and the dog and handler may work towards another T2B or T2BP title. The dog's title will have a numeric designation for T2B or T2BP for the number of times the title was achieved, such as T2B1, T2B2, T2B3, etc.

Currently, the Time 2 Beat courses may be run as a special attraction before July 1, 2011. After this time, the club must apply to hold this event. The Time 2 Beat courses may be run once a day in addition to the other competitions. The clubs are not required to hold Time 2 Beat competitions, but it will add an extra level of excitement to the agility trial.

References

Agility "Time 2 Beat" Titling Class Launches

Time 2 Beat Regulations

Introduction to Dog Agility 2^nd Ed, Margaret H. Bonham, Barrons Educational Series, 2010.