We’ve set aside a night here at Country Dream for fun runs and games. Last night was our first night. We had about 10 dogs in attendance. And, it was complete fun. I rather miss having the presence of a weekly schedule. I also miss the routine development of courses and training sequences. So, I’m back in the swing again.

The focus will be on some game or standard sequence for the run through; though I’ll also put a few training sequences together. For the first half hour we’ll do “skill sequences” where we get to practice something useful, like the Front Cross, or a Rear Cross. Or, we make take on some dog training issue, like contact bottoms or weave poles at a distance. Frankly the first half hour will be used for gathering as people will arrive late for an appointed hour. At the conclusion of the first half hour we’ll brief the course and have a 10 minute walkthrough.

I’ve also reserved a half hour after the run through for some break-down segments that might have given handlers and their dogs a difficult time. And, time permitting, we’ll all run the course again. Note that there will be two courses nested, one for Novice dogs and one for Advanced.

Photos published by permission of Cindy Noland

Standard Course

Advanced Course

Novice Course

Skill Sets #1 & #2

Black Numbers – We’d like to work for a Front Cross in this sequence. Frankly what many people are inclined to do (my students included) is to hold the dog on right and then bend the dog up onto the A-frame. While anything that works is right… the exercise is actually the Front Cross. Now the real question will be where to execute the Cross. If the handler is quick enough a simple Front Cross might be the ticket in the transition between jumps #4 and #5. However, if the dog is zooming out ahead of the handler a layered Front Cross on the landing side of jump #5 would solve nicely.

White Numbers – The opening transition is probably more difficult than it looks. The handler might simply keep dog on right from the dogwalk to the tunnel and stuff him in the tunnel. Though if the dog is faster than the handler (often the case) the handler might very well curl left after the jump. If the dog has a good sticky bottom on the dogwalk the handler can Front Cross through jump #2 and give another simple Front Cross into the pipe tunnel at #3. If the handler is required to attend his dog on the dismount of the dogwalk, then the performance is more likely to be a Front Cross on the dismount to a Rear Cross into the pipe tunnel. We would like to see one more Front Cross in the transition between jumps #4 and #5 so that the handler arrives with dog on left for the performance of the A-frame.

Skill Sets #3 & #4

Black Numbers – This sequence is intended for practice of the Tandem Turn in the transition between jumps #2 and #3. That means the handler will have dog on right through the first two jumps and then cross behind (the Tandem) on the landing side of jump #2. The team can finish the sequence neatly with dog on left. For our more advanced students I’d encourage a bit of bold distance work… sending the dog on from jump #4 to get into the weave poles while the handler layers to the opposite side of the pipe tunnel.

White Numbers – Our intention in this exercise is to practice a Tandem Turn in the transition from jump #3 to the tire at #4. That means the handler will have dog on left for the weave poles and jumps #2 and #3 to then cross behind (the Tandem) on the landing side of jump #3. The team can finish the sequence neatly with dog on right. The greatest difficulty in teaching the Tandem is for the handler to understand that the step is behind the dog and not in Front. Also, it’s quite the mission to teach the handler not to back-swing (or otherwise flail) in the arm signal to turn. Frankly, the Tandem is not an arm signal… it is a whole body signal: rotation, step, and point.

Advanced Course Breakdown

White #1 to #7 – Our opening in this course would be a great place to put a layered lead-out. It is rare in our game and a bit on the bold side. Mostly the handler can solve with a forward lead-out. The handler’s options for the #5 through #7 might be a Front Cross (as we practiced in the skill-sets) or a Tandem or Bend on the landing side of jump #6.

Black #9 to #14 – This sequence clearly calls for a change of sides. This might be with a Front Cross (presumably in the transition between jumps #10 and #11) or a Rear Cross (Rear Cross or a Tandem in the vicinity of jump #11).

Novice Course Breakdown

White #1 to #6 – this sequence clearly calls for a change of sides. This could either be a Front Cross on the landing side of jump #3, or on the descent of the A-frame. The handler might also use a Rear Cross on the dog’s entry into the pipe tunnel. You’ll note that many very novice dogs will refuse a pipe tunnel that turns away from the side that the handler is working.

Black #7 to #12 – This sequence might call for a couple changes of sides (though it’s not completely unrealistic to figure that the handler could hold the dog on right through-out… if he does so in the performance of the pipe tunnel at #9). Consider a Front Cross after jump #8 and possibly a Blind Cross while the dog is engaged in the performance of the pipe tunnel. What we probably don’t want to see is the handler presenting the pipe tunnel to the dog on his right side, with the intention of using a Rear Cross there.

 

Questions comments & impassioned speeches to Bud Houston: dogwoodbud1@earthlink.net. And Check out my new publication the Idea Book – Agility Training for a Small Universe available at www.dogagility.org/store.