Clean Run - March 2013 - 42

Front and rear crosses are fundamental, a skill set that every dog
and handler need to have to navigate through any agility course.
A dog that understands the mechanics and handler cues for
crosses will be more confident on
course because he is quite clear
about where he is being directed
to go next. Crosses are also very
easy to train and practice in your
living room since they don’t require any equipment and can be
done in small spaces. Practicing
agility in nonagility environments
also has the benefit of helping
the dog to generalize skills, solidifying his understanding of the
desired behavior.

Living
Room
Agility

Front Cross
Use small, easy-to-swallow treats.
Ideally you want to be able to
hold several treats in your hand
at once, doling them out one at a
time. Begin with the dog on your
left, standing parallel to you,
his head in line with your leg in
the basic recall to side position.
Before adding any movement,
make sure the dog is able to stand
quietly next to you without a lot of
fidgeting or “tap dancing.” Keep
your left hand directly in front of
the dog’s nose, letting him nibble
on the treats. With your right foot,
take a lateral step away from the
dog, turning your foot 90° from
your original position. Step back
with your left foot to bring it in
line with your right foot. As you

Front & Rear
Crosses

By Frankie Joiris, photos by author

move your left foot, lure the dog in
toward your left leg, bringing him
in so that he is facing you. Switch
the treats to your right hand. Take
a lateral step with your left foot,

again turning your foot 90°, and
then follow with your right foot,
luring the dog with your right
hand into position parallel to your
right leg. Reward.
To practice a right-side to leftside front cross, start with the
dog on your right standing parallel you, your right hand in front
of the dog’s nose, letting him
nibble on the treats. With your
left foot, take a lateral step away
from the dog, turning your foot
90° from your original position.
Step back with your right foot
to bring it in line with your left
foot. As you move your right foot,
lure the dog in toward your right
leg, bringing him in so that he is
facing you. Switch the treats to
your left hand. Take a lateral step
with your right foot, again turning your foot 90°, and then follow
with your left foot, luring the dog
with your left hand into position
parallel to your left leg. Reward.
When you and the dog can execute these movements smoothly, you can start to send the dog
around random objects in your living room; for example, a chair or
a book or a large vase, whatever
happens to be handy. Begin with
the dog parallel to you, head in line
with your leg. Take a lateral step
away from the dog, turning your
foot 90° from your original position. Lure the dog forward around
the object as you bring your feet
together. You can give a verbal

A dog that understands the mechanics and handler cues for crosses will be more
confident on course because he is quite clear about where he is being directed to go next.
42

Clean Run | March 13

Clean Run - March 2013

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