VMO is someone who will measures your dog for AKC agility, so you are placed in the correct jump height class. The V stands for volunteer. Unfortunately, AKC has deemed only AKC Agility Judges can be a VMO. Kinda makes the " volunteer" part questionable, doesn't it?

At trials I've been to, it's usually the person judging who has to cover all the measuring, making everyone in a hurry & taking time from the judge who could be catching up on paperwork. Considering exhibitors, especially novices, are a bit on the nervous side, hurrying the process doesn't always make for a happy experience.

I've had 4 dogs in for measuring & since they are always going to jump 24, it's kind of a moot experience. It doesn't matter if someone measures them taller than they are, but could be a real bone of contention in lower heights! In fact, someone did measure one of mine at 26 1/4" when she is actually a hair under 26". The person did not measure her at the withers, rather up on her neck. I started to correct the person, but I was in a hurry & it didn't matter what the height was in the final outcome.

"Oh, yeah, so what makes you the expert"?, you ask. Well, my qualification is that I am an AKC judge of 3 measurable breeds, so I was taught the correct AKC method of assessing height.  We do use a fixed wicket, which other agility venues use, too. NADAC & ASCA simply use a fixed wicket & either you measure in a jump height or you go into a higher one. AKC uses a sliding wicket, which should give you a true height. Why they chose this, I don't know. Seems the other would be sufficient and faster to me.

Anyway, before I was told I would have to be an agility judge to be a VMO, I wrote to them, asking for an application to be a VMO. I'm already at a trial, so I'd be happy to help out & I'm really good at calming dogs down to be measured. :-)

I did write them back & asked them to reconsider that rule, especially for someone like me.