I had never before started agility training with such a young dog, and I was a little unsure of what to expect. Dogs must clear the full height of the jump without knocking a bar off. To perform these obstacles correctly, the dog must get at least one paw in each contact zone when they mount and dismount the obstacle. The contact zone rule is for safety considerations. They must not miss a pole.
Handlers walk the course to familiarize themselves with the layout and flow of the obstacles.
Most handlers will walk or run the course several times looking for potential challenges for themselves and their dogs. Based on their previous experiences, handlers will plan their own strategy to handle the challenges set forth by the judge. The Judge usually tells the handler when they may begin the course. The Timer starts the stopwatch as soon as any part of the dog crosses the start line and stops when any part of the dog crosses the finish line. Sitting next to the timekeeper is a Scribe who records any faults the dog may have which have been signaled by the judge with hand signals or through a walkie-talkie system.