I guess I am one of the few who really didn't like X-hoopers. First, for my cattle dog, who is 9, she just really didn't like it. There was no "challenge" to her. If she can't be "doing" something, it just isn't fun to her. Just running is NOT her thing. Was she good at it, yes. She was able to do it pretty well. But did she like it. No. I can tell by her body language that she is doing it because I asked her to do it. But, she also is not all that fond of tunnelers for the same reason. My little guy, is fast and furious, but he is so small that with the gates he couldn't see me and he got frustrated. It was much better with the gates, but we were only in novice level. I am not sure what would have happened at the upper level. And my beagle, who has very little distance skills because we run for fun got lost within the circle many times. My baby dog, who will be starting this year, was trained with the pens, might have liked it, so I am a little sad for her, but there are plenty of other events to have fun in.
Second, running multiple dogs in multiple events, adding X-hoopers (up to 8 events a day) is hard on MY body. I simply cannot do it in certain environments like indoor soccer arenas. It is too hard on my surgically repaired knees and ankles. Also, since we didn't see X-hoopers much, we didn't have the time to gather points, that was the one that was cut. My dogs are older and to start in novice and try to work up at this point in the careers was not something that I really cared to do simply for a title. I was going to run it this year to qualify for Champs, but that was really going to be it. Again, the baby dog might have been a different story.
My third point is, when there are so many classes already offed at a NADAC trial, the costs to run all of the events becomes prohibitive. I run 3 dogs and am adding a 4th. Even with picking and choosing which events to run, I have well over $300 per trial in entry fees alone for the 3 dogs. If I have to pick and choose, I will go with the events that lead me to my NATCH and V-NATCH and also ones that my dogs like. Yes, I know the dogs don't know about the titles, but since the dogs don't really care for the event either, I choose to not do it and cut costs. IF I have to choose, I would run tunnelers instead with 2 of my dogs because they both LOVE it. They have a TON of points in it, but they love it. If I have to cut an event, I cut weavers for one of the dogs because she doesn't like it, I cut tunnelers for another, etc. It really is about finances at times. Especially, since in our area, there are only a handful of local trials, so I have to spend money on hotels, food, gas, etc.
