trials vs matches

for those out there that compete..... a few questions

what are matches vs trials??
matches are for fun and practice, they are usually run in a similar format as trials, but more relaxed. A trial is the "real" competioin, where you are entering for real titles and wins. There are matches for most every dog sport out there - hunting (for the sporting and hound breeds), obedience, rally, agility, herding, tracking, etc. Matches are also cheap - as they don't award you anything toward a title. They are valuable for practicing before the real thing , so highly recommended.
Also - conformation is called shows, obedience, rally, agility, etc. are called trials.

what are points awards for???
Points are many things. Most commonly in dog discussion, points refer to conformation. You need 15 points to be a show champion (CH). In each show, the number of points you can win are based on the number of dogs (same breed as you) that are shown. You can get 0 to 5 points at each show...based on entry numbers. A "major" is a bigger entry - and awards 3-5 points. Of the 15 points, 2 of the wins need to be "majors". This eliminates someone from going to a bunch of small shows and getting your CH - with virtually no competition
In other sports, you get points deducted for errors. In obedience you start w/ 200 points, and get deductions if errors occur. You need to have at least 170 points to get a qualifying score - and that is called a "leg". In rally and agility, it is 100 points. In rally, you need 70 points to qualify and get a leg. And for all these, you need 3 legs to earn the title you are trying for.

what do you do with the points????
see above!

how long did you train before trying to compete????
It varies a LOT, depending on the sport. Conformation is pretty easy - especially with pups. They can enter as soon as they are 6 months old. Of course by the time they are older and going for more wins, you better have a well trained and nice working dog to show to it's best advantage.
Obedience and rally depend on the person, the dog, and how much effort is being put into it. Basic rally novice could be 6 months if you really are dedicated, but Utility obedience is several years in the works to get to that level.
Agility is usually at least a year to competition level , and maybe closer to 2 yrs if the human and dog are both rookies!

what do most people compete in????
for OES - probably shows, but many are discovering the fun of obedience, rally, agility, herding and all that.

Did you volunteer at a few before starting???? I have never shown before and don't really know anything about what you do at a show or how they run.
I grew up doing shows and obedience trials and field trials (hunt trials - we had Brittanys). My parents were club officers, and my sisters and I were grunt labor our whole life! We also showed from pretty much age 10 on up.
But, agility was new. I went and worked at agility trials for many years. I loved the sport, but time didn't allow me to pursue it. Then when Chewie and I started training, the working was especially helpful to make me more aware from a competitor's viewpoint. I also learned what worked, what didn't work by watching people run their dogs. VERY educational.

Bella is a rescue so it is not for conformation. Do the point count the same even though she has a PAL number???
YES! For all the sports (except conformation, which she can't do) everything is exactly the same.
I have 2 PAL numbered dogs right now - Simon my basset is a rescue, and he did rally all the way from Novice to Excellent. Riley is a rat terrier without papers, and he just got his 1st rally title, his RN.

are there any books out there to show someone the ropes???
The AKC has booklets for the events. You can view them online or order your own. After you read them, go to an event and watch - or better yet - volunteer! Clubs are alway glad and need volunteers. I contacted agility trial volunteer coordinators before we were ready to enter and volunteered quite often - and they were thrilled