Quote Originally Posted by agilityk9trainer
What level do you compete in? And, how does the AAC compare with NADAC or UDSAA? I have, of course, heard o the AAC, but don't know how the courses there compare. For instance, NADAC courses are quite simple compared with AKC courses. NADAC are much more open and flowy, but don't give the great challenges the AKC courses, which are more tight, do. And, in AAC, is the titling system set up so that it's you competing against the course or you competing against other dogs? In other words, do you have to win your class to get titles, as in Europe? I haven't been able to "talk" with someone who competes in AAC, and thought I'd find a bit out.

Thanks!
I'm currently working on my Masters titles with my lab cross and starters/advanced titles with my other dogs in AAC. As far as comparing it to the other organizations I would have to say that it is most like USDAA, only a tad easier. It has a variety of games (snooker, pairs, gamblers, and jumpers as well as steeplechase) and has some nice challenging courses that forces you to work with your dog as a team while still having some nice flow to it. I've found that AAC starters courses are about on par with NADAC Open or Elite courses depending on the judges of course.

The AAC titling system is set up so that it's you against the course and not against the other dogs. As long as you reach the requirements on the course to qualify like being clean and under course time for standard and jumpers you get the q, even if you don't place in the top four you can still q. So sometimes a course or one of the games can have tons of q's for each jump height or just a couple it all depends on the courses and the judges as well as how the handlers handle the course.

Titles in AAc also depend on the lever you are competing at. All 3 levels require you to get 3 standard q's but the number of q's needed in the games changes with each level. For example to get my ATCH which is the highest title you can get other then the lifetime awards I need to get 3 q's in each event at the masters level.