Clean Run Magazine - August 2009 - 13

Bonnie Calhoun McDonald Slamming into the A-frame going up and coming down can certainly be worrisome and a cause for concern about potential long-term damage. I see this fairly often since I have the privilege of judging all over the U.S. I liken it to a bug hitting the windshield of the car. For the bug it’s “a done deal.” Lucky for the dogs that engage in this behavior that the results aren’t so immediate! I have a few suggestions that may help. Unfortunately, since I believe the behavior is self-rewarding to some extent, it has likely become a habit for your dog. This means it will probably take at least a month of daily work to reprogram your dog to a new way. One technique involves a ground bar or something that will change where your dog takes off. This is something I used to teach my last GSD to break her stride to get her to hit the up contact. It was not completely effective since I continued to run in two venues with different height A-frames. As with most retraining, it’s best to discontinue competing during the process. You can use a pool noodle of a contrasting color with the ground bar. Experiment with where you position it in front of your A-frame. Clearly you don’t want to miss the up contact. You just want to change the launch point so the dog is hitting the contact with less force. This method is not the most effective; but if it works for your dog, you do not have to go through lowering the A-frame. Another idea is to move the A-frame down to about half the regulation height or lower. Fashion a temporary jump bar at the apex. It should be enough so that your dog has to make an effort to jump it (about 4"-6" works). Your dog will have to exert effort to jump the top. Because the A-frame is lower, the splat noise will probably be less pronounced. You could lower it until there was no more splat. This method is similar to what is used when teaching a running A-frame. Experiment with both the height of the A-frame and the height of your hurdle on top until your dog is anticipating the jump at the top and no longer slamming into the A-frame. Once you get this established, you can gradually increase the height of the A-frame and decrease the height of that hurdle. You can combine this method with the first by using the noodle with the top hurdle. You could also try fashioning a half circle out of a large Hula hoop and have your dog run through it as he starts up the A-frame. He will have to duck or at least not launch onto the A-frame. I’ve heard of having the dog run through a tunnel to the base of the A-frame, but I’ve not actually used this method. Clearly the dog cannot launch when coming out of the tunnel. Be sure you start with a lower A-frame; you don’t want your dog to end up with a concussion because he doesn’t know the A-frame is coming. Remember, it takes roughly a month to form a habit. That’s when you do something Bonnie judges AKC, USDAA, and UKC agility, WWKC obedience, and WWKC rally. She is the chief trainer at Bonjon Training School, LLC, in Tampa, Florida, which she founded in 1992. Bonnie has earned MACHs, UDs, HXs, Schutzhund titles, and more, with GSDs, Mals, and Shelties. Visit Bonnie’s website at www.BonjonTrainingSchool.com. each and every day, maybe several times a day. I know it’s much harder to change a habit that’s already firmly established. It is also difficult to change a self-reinforcing behavior. The dogs that I have witnessed slamming into the A-frame seem to enjoy hitting it with gusto. You have the difficult task of replacing that behavior with a safer, more desirable one. It is a worthwhile project and one that will no doubt spare your dog potential injury down the road. Tracy Sklenar There is so much information available on teaching the end position on the A-frame that we often neglect to teach the dog how to safely get on the obstacle. To improve your dog’s approach, try the tactics listed here. Re-visit your dog’s hind-end awareness. It sounds like he is flinging himself onto the A-frame. Have you taught him how to use his hind end? Shaping simple things August 09 | Clean Run Tracy, an instructor at Leader of the Pack in Smyrna, New York, and Say Yes! Dog Training in Ontario, Canada, presents seminars throughout the country. She competes in agility with her Border-Jack, Export, and Rat Terrier, Rebound. Her puppy-in-training Matrix is a Border-Staffy, and her two Dalmatians are retired from competition. Contact Tracy at agilitydals@yahoo.com like backing up, perch work, and balance discs will help him engage his rear more effectively. Try jump grids and jump bumps. Teach your dog Susan Salo’s jump grids, using her jump bumps (we should all be doing this anyway). This will also help him engage his rear for proper striding and will teach him how to negotiate jump bumps, a very useful tool. Susan’s system is explained on her DVD, available at www.cleanrun.com. Use jump bumps to develop striding onto the A-frame. Start by lowering the A-frame. Place a jump bump 6' before the up contact and another jump bump 6' before that. This makes the up contact into a mini grid and will help the dog to stride properly onto the A-frame. It is important to keep the dog’s head low on these drills, so reward him when he drives over the bumps and safely up the A-frame. Reward him before he reaches the top of the A-frame; don’t wait 13

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Clean Run Magazine - August 2009

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