Clean Run Magazine - October 2009 - 61

Distance and directional cues are key for any handler with physical limitations. forward motion becomes more lateral. The dog may want to move laterally with you and not independently go out to take the jump. To help your dog, you need to make sure that the three other pieces of the picture are in place. Your shoulders should be pointed at the jump you want the dog to take (not straight ahead). Your hand signal needs to be indicating the jump, and your verbal cue needs to be timely (before the dog takes the first jump) and with the correct words. See Figure 3. correct verbal cues. Another trick to make sure your shoulders are supporting the jump is to be looking at jump #2 as your dog takes jump #1. Your shoulders should naturally turn where you look. With the increased distance, run the pattern again, rewarding the first few times for successful distance at jump #2, then adding in a Here recall as you move to jump #3. If your dog is unsuccessful, examine your body movement and position to make sure all four signs the dog needs from you are being given. As more distance is added, handlers often feel it necessary to stand still when the handler’s running path becomes shorter. Stopping all forward motion will more than likely pull your dog off the jump and into you. Some forward motion needs to remain to keep your dog moving out away from you. You may need to move slower or take smaller steps to keep forward motion in play, but do not stop completely. You can eventually train your dog to move forward at distance to take obstacles while you stand still, but this can take quite a bit of training. Depending on your limitations, you may or may not want to train to this level. As you increase distance between you and jump #2, if your dog becomes confused, you may have to move in closer again to jump #2 to help your dog back into his comfort zone before stretching the envelope by moving farther away from #2. Your foundation work is in place… , Now it s time to advance your training 2 1 3 Out! For the first few times through the sequence when you’re working Out, you reward after jump #2, if the dog successfully goes out. After the dog has the idea that you want him to take jump #2 when you are 3'-5' away, you then call the dog with a Here cue for jump #3. Make sure your verbal Here is timely; it should be given as your dog commits to jump #2. Soon the dog will know the pattern at a 3'-5' distance. Now it’s time to increase your distance from jump #2 again by a few feet. You may find it helpful to put some sort of marker line on the ground to give you an idea how close to the jump you should be running. The main problem with using a marker line is that you cannot be married to it. It’s just a general guide to keep you from running too far in toward the jump. Again, make sure each of the other three signals are in play while you move laterally. You should continue to support jump #2 with your shoulders turned toward the jump, your hand signal indicating the jump, and timely and October 09 | Clean Run Available at www.cleanrun.com

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Clean Run Magazine - October 2009

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Clean Run Magazine - October 2009