Clean Run - August 2017 - 19

As the

World
TURNS:
The Three C's:
Commitment
By Mary Ellen Barry, photos by Kelly Bove Photography

Over the last three years, "As the World
Turns" has covered most of the techniques from the OneMind Dogs method.
These techniques can be adapted to fit
into whatever handling system you are
using because they are based mainly on
the dog's natural understanding of the
seven handling elements combined with
some basic training.
There are seven essential elements of handling: movement, position, connection,
chest laser, feet, arms, and verbals. These
play a critical role in your communication
with your dog. Please refer to my previous
articles for more information.
The three C's are at the heart of the OneMind Dogs method. They are: Connect,
Commit, Cue. In this article, I will cover
the basics of connection. Connection
means you are visually connected with
your dog throughout the course. This includes over obstacles as well as between
the obstacles. A common error in handling is looking at the obstacles instead of
the dog which causes the dog to look at the
handler instead of the obstacles, and leads
to lack of commitment on the dog's part.
Commitment means the dog has looked
at the obstacle and is beginning to move
toward it. Once the dog is committed he

August 17 | Clean Run

should not break commitment and should
allow the handler to cue what is next on
course. This means if the dog is turning,
the elements of handling are no longer all
showing forward/extension, but instead
are cueing the dog to turn. In many cases,
the handler is moving in a different direction than the dog. It is critical that the
handler still maintains visual connection
with the dog during this time so that the
dog can keep the commitment to the obstacle (see my article in last month's issue).
The earlier the dog can commit, the easier
the job is for the handler as she is free to
move toward the next part of the course.
For the handler to know the dog is committed, she must see the dog's eyes and
face at the point where commitment happens. If she is looking at the ground, or
looking forward, she will be late seeing
the commitment and will therefore be late
with cueing and/or moving ahead. For
the purposes of this article, I will focus
on how and when to commit the dog and
how to see and trust the commitment.
Cueing will be covered in the next article.
In most cases on an agility course (aside
from Snooker or unusual distances on
course), the dog should be committed to
the next obstacle at the moment he lands
from the previous obstacle. As the dog's

front feet are landing, the handler should
be looking at the dog in order to see the
commitment. Many techniques start with
a step to the takeoff point (front cross, reverse spin, lateral push, false turn, backside send); therefore, this article will focus
on a step to the takeoff point to commit
the dog.
When the dog lands from the previous
obstacle, the handler should be looking at
the dog's eyes. She should then step to the
takeoff point (as if the dog was jumping in
extension) with the elements of handling
as follows:

* Motion: Toward the takeoff point
* Chest laser: Toward the takeoff point
* Feet: Leg closest to the dog toward
the takeoff point
* Position: Varies depending on
technique
* Eyes: Looking directly at the dog
to see commitment
* Hand: Hand closest to the dog
points to the jump; arm should be
low enough that the dog can see it
* Verbal: "Jump" or "Go" command
if needed

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Clean Run - August 2017