Explanation: "Q" = qualified = the dog did the course as required, obstacles and time. The rules are complex: at novice levels a dog is allowed to knock down a few bars, but not at higher levels. Sometimes penalty points are added if the dog takes longer that the required time, and if the penalty points are not over a certain value, the dog still "qualifies," but at higher levels, the dog must complete the course in the specified time, otherwise it's an "NQ" = not qualified. Most people who do agility are looking to get a "Q" because that is what advances a dog up to more difficult levels. Coming in first-second-third is mostly regarded as an incidental bonus. It's "how is my dog doing" not "i want to beat the other dogs." A dog always gets a ribbon for a "Q" plus potentially a separate blue-red-white ribbon for 1st, 2nd, 3rd in its group for that particular run.