2025 DACOF Quick Notes!

In a little more than a week, DACOF 2025 will be in the history books! Each year we have many newbies experiencing their first DACOF. As such, we thought it would be helpful to send out some brief information regarding the weekend. But even if you’re an “old hand” at DACOF, there is always new and updated information, so we ask that everyone please read these notes!!! If you need more information, most questions can be answered by visiting the DACOF.com web site (“Send a Team” tab), or the DACOF Facebook Page.

Agility Gate

Agility Gate will be used again for DACOF 2025. Most of us have probably already used Agility Gate at another Trial and the application is probably already on your Smartphone. For those who have not used Agility Gate, it is an easy-to-use Smartphone Application that allows everyone using the application to “check-in” their dogs, mark “conflicts” and see the current “real-time” running order of each ring, all from the convenience of looking at your smartphone. If you have not already downloaded the Agility Gate application to your Smart Phone, please do so BEFORE the event. If you already have Agility Gate on your smartphone, it is probably good to update the application (if you have not already sone so recently). Lastly, please remember to “check-in” your dogs on the Agility Gate application first thing in the morning Saturday and Sunday!

Leg Lifting / Urinating / Marking on Ring Corners, Walls, Support Columns, Garbage Cans, Etc.

There has been a lot of “Leg Lifting” during previous events, with dogs urinating on walls, and all sorts of things they should not have been marking on! It seems that after the first dog commits an offense, several others follow suit. It is NOT ACCEPTABLE for our dogs to be marking or relieving themselves on the arena walls, ring corners or ring fencing, brick columns outside the lobby doors, garbage cans, elevators, etc. If your dog happens to mark by mistake, please clean it up! Handlers allowing (or as occurred several times at previous events, encouraging) their dogs to relieve themselves in any of these areas may be subject to disciplinary action as if their dog eliminated inside a ring, may receive a zero score on a run, and may be dismissed from the competition. Please make every effort to potty our dogs in the designated areas of grass OUTSIDE the arena building!

AND PLEASE CLEAN UP AFTER OUR DOGS!!!

Please clean up after our dogs!

This usually goes without saying but we would like to ask everyone to please clean up after our dogs. ESPECIALLY at the hotels!!! Our Housing Committee Chairperson, Tamara Aull, works hard to secure lodging for our Members. We are generally very good at cleaning up after our dogs, but annually, Tamara has to address concerns of Hotel Management while trying to acquire housing for the current and future years. So, we ask everyone to please carry an extra poop bag (or three) so we might be able to help someone out who needs one. Let’s all strive to be extra good stewards for the dog community and clean up after our dogs!

Center Aisle / Tight Quarters:

We are all aware that squeezing three agility rings onto the surface at Silver Spurs creates “Close Quarters” and tight spacing in the arena. Especially the center aisle! Using the Agility Gate Application the last few years seems to help out, but we would like to reiterate and ask everyone to please keep the center aisle open as much as possible, and we ask that no treats be left on the tables around the rings. DACOF is a “Team” event/environment so there may be many “first-time” dogs and handlers participating. DACOF is a veritable “Three Ring Circus” with constant activity! It is very easy to become distracted and lose awareness of our dogs. We ask everyone to please remain cognizant of their dog and its spacing between other dogs. Some dogs may require extra space, and they may be wearing a bandana to signify this need. Additionally, “flexi-leashes” are prohibited inside the arena and should not be used anywhere around the arena. If we all try to remain aware of our surroundings, we can help avoid the possible conflicts that can occur in such tight quarters. Lastly, we should not be watching and cheering-on our friends from the center aisle. There are much better vantage points from which to watch, and it will help cut down on the congestion!

Concessions Stand:

The Concessions Stand WILL NOT be open at all on Friday and does not open until 10:00am on Saturday and Sunday. Every year the Board receives comments from people who did not know, so PLEASE let all your Teammates know too!  You may bring drinks/snacks for Friday and for prior to 10:00am Saturday & Sunday to be consumed discreetly.

The concession area will be open Saturday and Sunday from 10am to approximately 4pm. They will be offering regular concession fare but are also supposed to have “healthy choices” available as well.

Outside Food:

We NEED to be discreet with our Outside Food!!!

We cannot emphasize this point strongly enough! Our agreement with Silver Spurs allows us to bring in small amounts of personal food items in small personal coolers! Think items like apples, bananas, yogurt, cheese sticks, crackers. At the 2019 Event, several Teams ordered Pizza delivery or brought in fast food for their entire Team(s) to the Saturday Evening Annual Meeting/Awards Ceremony. Pizza boxes were passed around during the awards ceremony (which was not very discreet!) and then sadly, making matters even worse, pizza boxes, bags of fast-food garbage and drink containers were left in the stands for the Silver Spurs custodians to clean up. Thankfully, several DACOF Members who were last to leave collected most of the garbage but the Pizza Boxes did not fit in the trash receptacles and had to be stacked on top of the garbage cans. We received stern admonishments from Silver Spurs regarding the “Outside” Pizza being passed around, all the garbage left behind, and that we pushed the boundaries of the “Outside Food” agreement too far. Profuse apologies and sincere assurances that it wouldn’t happen again allowed us to keep our “Outside Food Privileges” for future years, with annual warnings that Silver Spurs will continue monitoring the outside food policy closely.

We understand Saturday is a very L-O-N-G day and that Teams would like to have dinner together –

but going out for a Team Dinner after the awards ceremony would keep most of us awake too late, so we highly recommend ordering the personal pizzas from Silver Spurs.

Cheese Pizzas will be $12.00 each (plus tax) & Pepperoni Pizza’s will be $13.95 each (plus tax). We have until 11:00am this year to place “Team Orders” (Silver Spurs would like to receive “Team” orders instead of individual orders) and the Team Orders can be picked up between 12:00 noon & 5:00pm Saturday evening.

Payment will be due when ordering!

However, if Teams do decide to bring in “Outside Food” for the Saturday Meeting or any time during the weekend we respectfully request that everyone:

1)      Bring the food in DISCREETLY! The Papa John’s delivery person bringing pizzas inside the arena to your crating area IS NOT discreet!!! Meet the delivery person OUTSIDE the arena, hide the food underneath dog blankets or some other covering, and inconspicuously bring the food to your crating area.

2)      Distribute and eat the food as invisibly as possible. (No buffets or setting out all the food)

3)      PLEASE bring all “Outside Food” garbage out of the building with you when you leave. Pizza Boxes in the stands or on top of garbage cans, or Fast-Food bags/cups overflowing from the garbage cans are RED FLAGS to the staff at Silver Spurs that we are bringing in significant amounts of “Outside Food.”

Please remember, our agreement with Silver Spurs allows us to bring in small amounts of personal food items in SMALL PERSONAL COOLERS ONLY! Items like apples, bananas, yogurt, cheese sticks, etc. If bringing in any other types of Outside Food, it should be hidden from plain sight, and the resulting garbage should NOT be left behind for the Silver Spurs staff (custodians or others) to find.

Bring a Sweater and/or Sweatshirt and/or Scarf:

The Silver Spurs Arena is airconditioned and some may find that it is quite cool inside the arena. Please be prepared by having an extra layer of clothing (or two)… just in case!

Parking Pass:

Silver Spurs will be hosting another event on the same weekend as DACOF in one of the other buildings on the property.

• That event will have a $10 parking fee.

• Without this pass, you may be charged the $10 parking fee.

·         Please print out and bring a copy of the parking pass (or two) in case you or one of your Teammates may need one!

Safeguard all valuables:

Please be sure to safeguard your valuables while inside the Silver Spurs Arena. The agility community in general, and the DACOF Family especially, is a very trusting and trustworthy group! Therefore, it is easy for us to let our guard down when it comes to protecting our valuables. We would like to remind everyone that there will be outside workers and other outside visitors moving through the Silver Spurs Arena. Unfortunately, through the years, cell phones and other valuables have gone missing. We would like to remind everyone to please remain vigilant protecting our valuables.

Personal Photography / Video:

Personal Cameras (excluding cell phones) will NOT be allowed on the arena floor during the competition on Saturday or Sunday. Additionally, Professional, “prosumer” or professional-like cameras (any camera with a detachable lens) will not be allowed for taking pictures or video from the seating areas during competition. Anyone seen with a camera on the arena floor, or with a professional-like camera in the stands will be asked to please leave the arena. However, Members will be permitted to freely take pictures/video in the arena during the practice run-thru’s on Friday, with whatever photography/video equipment they may have.

But please remember, Flash photography is NEVER allowed!

Run Thrus and Crating on Friday: Friday will again be the day most people arrive at DACOF to setup and catch a practice run. PK Lichtenberger and her team will start designating crating areas on Thursday. ALTHOUGH WE HAVE ALREADY POSTED THE CRATING ASSIGNMENTS - Please do not move any crates or personal items into crating areas until after PK has completed taping out the designated crating areas!!! (Thanks PK and the Dog Training Club of St. Petersburg!)

Remaining ring and course building (if any) will begin at 8am Friday.

Hint! Arrive at 8am to help! Regarding run-thrus; we will start them as soon as the rings are built. This has been around 9am the past few years. We will have all 3 rings running AS LONG AS WE HAVE VOLUNTEERS TO STAFF THEM! Volunteers will earn a free run thru for each hour worked.

(Thank You Erica Benson, Ashley Escobar and Jill Potter!)

!!! Run thrus will end at 4pm !!!

However, ticket sales for run thrus will end by 3pm.

Being in possession of a Run-Thru Ticket may not guarantee you a turn!!!

Please make sure to get your run in before 4:00pm!

We may request handlers move to a different ring as time runs out near 4pm.

An online worker sign-up sheet is available at:

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/60b0a44adae2fa5fd0-runthru1#/

Packets and Course Maps: Team packets may be picked up on Friday afternoon between 3:00pm –5:00pm and on Saturday and Sunday morning. Course maps for Saturday may be picked up Saturday morning from 6:40 – 7:15am and Sunday’s courses can be picked up during the same time period Sunday Morning. (Thanks Cindy Little and DTCT!) Please send one person to pick up your team’s packet and course maps. They will not be given out individually! Since Course Maps will be available on Agility Gate, only one set of course maps per Team will be available.

Outside Noisemakers: DACOF is proud of the team spirit that makes this competition exciting! However, in the past, comments in our post competition survey complained about outside noisemakers that disturbed dogs running in the rings. In the spirit of consideration for our fellow dog/handler teams, we ask that no outside noisemakers be used while dogs are running. And in the same spirit, please be considerate of our fellow competitors at all times!

Awards Ceremonies: As we did last year, we will have the awards for Saturday’s competition on Saturday along with the Annual Meeting and the presentation of the Randy Reed Memorial Award. A Cash Bar will be available for those who may want to enjoy an adult beverage or soft drink. This year we will also have some pretzels, potato chips with dip, and vegetable platter for light snacking. So, bring the team and cheer on our Members, then gather with all your friends to celebrate! After the competition ends on Sunday, the awards will begin only after all the equipment trailers have been loaded. The more people we have helping with ring breakdown and trailer loading, the sooner we can start the Awards Ceremony.

Raffle: The DACOF raffle is famous for the AWESOME “baskets” that each team brings to help ensure DACOF can continue financially. Please remember that each team, not each organization, is required to bring a basket for the raffle. When completing Team Raffle Baskets, please attach an ITEMIZED LISTING of items that are in the Basket so everyone will be able to know what wonderful things are included in the baskets! A team without a basket is a team without a score – so please make sure that the Raffle table checks in your baskets (thank you Marie Ouellette and the Endless K-9’s Teams!) Baskets will be accepted on Friday from 2:00pm – 5:00pm and on Saturday morning through 9am. Tickets will go on sale after that point. Ticket sales will end approximately 11:00am on Sunday and the numbers will be drawn shortly after noon. An announcement will be made after the numbers have been drawn.

ONLY WINNERS WILL BE ALLOWED IN THE RAFFLE AREA AFTER TICKET SALES CLOSE!!! Any baskets that have not been picked up by the beginning of the awards ceremony will be re-raffled at that time so keep your tickets!

DACOF CATCH: CATCH stands for Crating Area Team Challenge. Our esteemed judges will do a walk-thru of your crating areas on Saturday Afternoon during the Awards Ceremony! Sound may be used during the CATCH Judging. Please be considerate of your neighbors though! Four teams (2 winners and 2 runners-up based on team size) will win entry discounts to Next Year’s DACOF Event! Please remember, no tape on the walls or arena surfaces and if a Team’s decorations include a pop-up tent, regular tent, covering or enclosure, a fire extinguisher must be provided, present and visible at all times!

Outstanding Sportsmanship Award: During the event weekend, if you see a competitor or worker do something “above and beyond” to show outstanding sportsmanship, we would like you to nominate them for the Outstanding Sportsmanship Award! Nominations cannot be made for someone on your own Team and current Board Members are not eligible to be nominated. This is your opportunity to help recognize someone on another Team for their Outstanding Sportsmanship.

Written Briefings: Please be on the lookout for the DACOF Updates email blasts and check the DACOF Facebook Page, and the dacof.com web page for the current briefings on the events offered at DACOF. A BIG THANKS to Tracy Hanna who compiles these each year. These briefings explain the games and their scoring. Please share these with your whole team.

Golf Cart Parking: A few of us have opted to rent Golf Carts for the weekend while some may be bringing our own from home. Please DO NOT park under the entryways. In previous years the carts made things very crowded trying to get dogs and people in and out of the arena. Typically, there is a "Designated" parking area for the Golf Cars away from the main entrance doors.

Automobile & RV Parking outside the arena: We are not allowed to park any vehicles on the brick pavers in front of or behind the arena. Please park on the paved areas ONLY!

Thanks everyone -see you all VERY soon!

Your DACOF 2025 Board of Directors