Clean Run Magazine - September 2008 - 21

Cue Motion Location Shoulders Hand Verbal Eyes Forward motion Variable Facing forward Inside Obstacle command Indirect while looking ahead Forward or Turning Cue Forward Forward 1 STANDARD CUE COMBINATION FOR NONTURNING OBSTACLES D1 D2 D3 T H1 H2 H3 Forward Forward Forward Forward Ideally, to cue a nonturning obstacle I am ahead of my dog, accelerating forward with my shoulders facing forward, using an inside hand, giving a verbal obstacle command, and eyes looking ahead (all forward cues). 2 D1 D2 D3 There may be situations where I want to cue collection on the approach to a nonturning obstacle, such as a difficult weave pole entry or a slippery table, so I may not always adhere to the standard cue combination. Ideally, however, my dog learns to make those decisions on his own, as his understanding of the expected performance on each obstacle deepens. H1 H2 H3 In this sequence, I was unable to be ahead of my dog so my location has become a turning cue. However, if my dog has obstacle name recognition, I can use that to release him to the tunnel. In the case of nonturning obstacles, I want my verbal command to override my turning cues. I use the verbal command to send to the nonturning obstacle to tell the dog to maintain extension toward the obstacle. I do not do this with turning obstacles. Turning Obstacles For turning obstacles, the standard cue combinations I use will depend on what is required by a sequence. There are three common actions I will ask of my dog at a turning obstacle: ● ● ● To land and go forward (extension), To land and turn (relative collection), or, To collect, jump with a round arc, land, and turn (true collection). a turn. I assume my dog understands that the idea is to get from point A to point B in the fastest way possible, so, without dictating his striding, I try to show him the way and let him decide how to get there. There are, however, times when I may need to be more precise if the sequence specifically requires extension or true collection. My dog won’t be able to predict this. To be able to cue my dog appropriately, my job is to decide what my dog needs to do and then determine the best combination of cues to help him achieve it. Remember that each basic cue can be modified as a forward cue or a turning cue (and in some cases, a collection cue). I must determine whether extension, relative collection, or true collection is appropriate for my dog and a given sequence. The following are standard combinations of cues I use to achieve these actions. When handling, most often my goal is simply to cue my dog to the direction he must go: forward, right, or left. I let him determine the best way to get there. Many times the spacing of the obstacles dictates the number of strides between them and that will be different for each dog, so I let my dog decide whether extension or relative collection is needed if there is Hand Painted Dichroic Glass Agility Beads 25 breeds currently available $25 September 08 | Clean Run Offered only through WWW.MENOPAWS.COM 21

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Clean Run Magazine - September 2008

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Clean Run Magazine - September 2008