Top Notch Canines
Image from Top Notch Canines website.
Three out of Five Paws
My last experience at this location was the Superstition Kennel Club AKC event co-hosted by Good Dog Agility Club***. The footing is very level, soft, and has great grip. The brand is Comfort King Matting. There are three poles in the agility ring, but one is so near the edge of the ring it hardly counts. The ring is not full-size, but rather 80′ x 100′. This is not a problem if you have a judge who understands indoor spacing well, but if not, you can end up with a judge who puts a dog-walk exit very close to a wall, and as someone with running contacts, this can be a challenge.
There is very limited space inside the building, so the owner of the building requests you not bring extra dogs (dogs not entered in the trial), but if you need to, they allow it, providing you stack your crates. Seating is also limited, so I oftentimes choose to work out of my car when attending trials at this facility. Because of the tight quarters it can also be challenging to warm-up your dog, and if you have a reactive or fearful dog, then you are going to have even more difficulty getting from your crate to the ring and back. Sound sensitive dogs may also have trouble at this facility as there are many semi-trucks in the area as well as a strong echo within the building.
For warm-up, they provide a jump under shade canopies on rolled out Comfort King matting outside in front of the facility. I also jog around the outside of the building on the pavement to get warm.
The building is evap-cooled which means a very chilly morning in the fall, winter, and spring, and a very humid afternoon in the summer. Personally, I do not care to attend shows at this facility in the summer as the humidity and limited warm-up space make it difficult for me to do my warm-up routine with my dog.
The parking is limited, especially on weekdays, as you are not allowed to park in the neighboring buildings’ parking lots. The potty areas are also limited as, again, you are not allowed to potty your dogs in any area that is not part of the Top Notch building.
Overall, I feel the footing is very good for the dogs, and other than during the summer, I would attend a trial at this facility.
***Read my review on Superstition Kennel Club here or on Good Dog Agility Club here.
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