Work That Line! How to Plan the Perfect Gamble By Kristy Netzer Now let's tie together all the gamble skills you've been working on over the last few months. Once you and your dog have a good understanding of the directional commands discussed in this series, the next step is working on the gambles themselves. We'll review the different types of challenges typically found in gambles and decide how to handle each one. Then we'll review some gambles from start to finish. 1 2 2 2 Out! 3 1 3 1 Go! Recall: Watch the gamble line to be sure that you have enough space to move toward the correct obstacle. Use your "Out" command and step toward the obstacle while applying pressure with your foot and arm. Send: Apply steady forward pressure, raising the arm closest to your dog. Don’t wave or move very much. • Send: A send configuration on a course includes obstacles set straight away from the gamble line. See Figure 1. When handling this type of gamble, remember to apply steady forward pressure, raising the arm closest to your dog. Don’t wave or pump your arms because this can distract your dog and cause him to look or turn back to you. • Recall: A recall is when you need to push your dog to one side or the other as he is moving toward you. A common place where we see a recall is after the dog takes a tunnel. See Figure 2. When handling this type of gamble, make sure you allow space on the gamble line so you can move in the direction you want the dog to go. This is a situation where you would use your Out command. 15 January 11 | Clean Run