Clean Run Magazine - May 2007 - 3

© Cover NUMBER 5 THE MAGAZINE FOR DOG AGILITY ENTHUSIASTS MAY 07 VOLUME 13 PHOTOS © MARCY MANTELL, FOTOPUP, CLEAN RUN 34 Spy Kids: Refining Behaviors and Adding New Criteria The pups are now four and a half months old. This month we’re going to challenge the pups by adding new criteria to behaviors that we have already been practicing. By Nancy Gyes 42 Saving 1/10 of a Second Can Earn a Q Does your team often end up just over SCT? Fractions of seconds of wasted time add up over a course. Convincing your dog to run faster isn’t the only solution. Try these strategies. By Cindy Buckholt 54 Bring It to the Table Having table trouble? You can add speed, efficiency, and enthusiasm to your dog’s table performance by taking the time to build the value of this obstacle and make it fun for the dog. By Mary Champagne 16 Bridge and Target Training for Agility, Part 1 An intermediate bridge tells the dog that he’s doing the right thing and should keep on doing it. Learn how to use the intermediate bridge and a variety of targeting skills in your agility training. By Francoise (Sassie) Joiris 20 Trainer’s Forum Can a supersize dog be trained to hit contacts, deal with tight jump spacing, and run agility safely? You bet! By Brenna Fender Features 5 Editorializing: Is “Dabble” a Dirty Word? Whether agility is a full-time obsession for you or a casual hobby, there should be room in the sport for all of us. By Sheila Foran 67 Sticky Situation on the Dogwalk An agility competitor shares a humorous on-course moment. By Crystal West 73 Your First Trial Nothing can replace the experience of competing in a trial yourself, but you can prepare for your first competition by taking advantage of other aspects of the trialing process. By Rick Parry © DOGHOUSE ARTS 10 On Course with Rob Michalski Meet a handler and instructor known as “Mr. Nice Guy” to most everyone on the agility circuit. By Therese Backowski 46 Alphabet Drills We say adios to the alphabet with this last article, which includes a review of each letter as well as an index that recommends letters for practicing various skills. By Nancy Gyes 51 My Dog’s Best Friend Perhaps our accomplishments cannot truly be measured in titles or ribbons, but in the feeling that we have at the end of the day that we did well by our canine friends. By Glenda McLarty 62 Joint Protective Agents for Performance Dogs Administering joint health supplements to all performance dogs, not just to those that already have osteoarthritis, provides protection and helps slow down damage to the joint cartilage. By Sherman O. Canapp, Jr., DVM, MS, Diplomate ACVS, and Debra A. Canapp, DVM, CCRT, CVA (pending) 25 Beyond the Backyard Learn how to use handler deceleration as a cue for your dog to collect and turn, and teach your dog to respond to your body language. By Mary Ellen Barry 29 Tug: The Controversy There’s tremendous pressure on agility teams to develop this presumably muchneeded tugging skill. Is tug in fact a requirement for excelling in agility? Or, are there other factors to consider? A look at the pros and cons of tugging. By Leslie Renaud Columns 6 7 8 Tip of the Month By September Morn Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Agility… Backyard Dogs By Karen Holik 13 In Cider By Bill Gates 39 Distance Challenge By Jane Simmons-Moake 58 The Judge’s Debriefing By Karen Paulukaitis 69 Review By Martha Faulk 76 Nested Courses for a Busy World By Judy Zelenewych 81 Letters 82 Course Diagram Keys Cover Dog MACH5 Slydrock’s Solar Power ADCHSilver, MX, MXJ, RS-O, JS-O, OAC, OJC, CGC, a.k.a. Suni, an Australian Shepherd owned by Elicia Calhoun of Texas. July 3, 1995 - January 25, 2007. Although Suni’s list of accomplishments is long, she is probably best remembered as the little Aussie who beat the Border Collies and represented the USA for five consecutive years at the FCI Agility World Championships. Photo by Doghouse Arts, www.doghousearts.com Clean Run (ISSN 1089-8506) is published monthly by Clean Run Productions, LLC. Principal ofﬁce: 35 N. Chicopee St., Chicopee, MA 01020. Periodicals postage paid at Chicopee, Massachusetts 01020-9998 and additional ofﬁces. © Copyright 1995-2007 Bud Houston and Clean Run Productions, LLC. All world rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission is prohibited. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Clean Run, 35 N. Chicopee St., Chicopee, MA 01020. May 07 | Clean Run 3

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Clean Run Magazine - May 2007

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Clean Run Magazine - May 2007