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Our agility program has levels of achievement that work similar to Karate.
We have 6 band levels with white being the entry band level. The rabbit and handler team take tests to advance to the next level.
White Band: Rabbits will learn socialization skills as well as leash walking skills, foot, and verbal cues. This is the most important level as it lays the foundation of listening.
Yellow Band: Intro to Agility obstacles. Rabbits will learn to hop over 4″ jumps and negotiate short tunnels and the A-frame.
Green Band: Rabbits will be introduced to the bridge and curved tunnels. Jump height and spread increase. Emphasis on more voice cues and less use of foot cues.
Blue Band: The tire jump and teeter are introduced. Continued emphasis on verbal cues. Jump height and spread continue to increase.
Purple Band: Reliability is stressed. Rabbits learn to recall to handlers from distance and discrimination of obstacles by name. Water jumps and other complex obstacles are introduced.
Red Band: Off-leash reliability is stressed. Obstacle sequencing is more complex.
These tests were put together by Dell Robbins a decade ago and are very obstacle specific. Over the last decade our program has evolved with emphasis on control and running courses instead of specific obstacles. The tests no longer fit our program so I am currently in the process of rewriting all the tests to match what is currently being taught and emphasized. I am also adding the often talked about Black band, no leash allowed, but never officially defined before test.
Links to the original Dell Robbins's syllabuses, and tests plus the current tests and an instructors manual.
Dell also wrote a book on rabbit agility it is call "Rabbit Agility! What's that?", I have read it, it is a decent read. Last I looked it can be found on Lulu in three different versions downloadable PDF $2.50, Black and White paperback $8.18, and Color paperback $18.60
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