Clean Run Magazine - December 2007 - 3

© Cover NUMBER 12 THE MAGAZINE FOR DOG AGILITY ENTHUSIASTS PHOTOS © MATT ALLISON, CLEAN RUN, LESLEY MATTUCHIO DECEMBER 07 VOLUME 13 38 Being Black and White, Part 3: The Contacts Have you created an inconsistent obstacle performance by accepting different behaviors than the one you really want? Being black and white in your training will help you end your dog’s confusion. By Elaine Coupé 41 Converging Lines: Pushing Your Dog Toward the Correct Obstacle Has your dog ever refused or run by an obstacle that was directly in front of him for no apparent reason? Learn how to use your motion to keep your dog on the path to the obstacle you want him to take. By Anne Andrle 52 Evaluating Structure in the Performance Dog By becoming knowledgeable so that we understand structure and how it pertains to the agility dog, we can improve the chances that the dogs we choose for our sport are able to compete for many years. By Nina Plail 13 How Rude! The Ins and Outs of Trial Etiquette Sometimes civility gets lost in the agility vortex. Here are some helpful hints to make all the “togetherness” that’s part of any trial experience more pleasant for everyone. By Roxanne Hawn 20 Games for Thinking Dogs Your dog’s mental fitness for agility can be improved by challenging him with games that are fun for both handler and dog. By Kelly Kehoe Features 5 Editorializing: Are We Driving the Common Sense Out of Our Dogs? Has our concern with breeding dogs for drive caused us to forget all the other qualities in the dog’s personality that make for a good companion as well as a great competititor? By Lori Westling 59 Spy Kids: Planning for the Future It’s time to focus on the varied skills that need to be in place to start weave, contact, and jump training. By Nancy Gyes 73 No Not That One! Here’s a light-hearted look at some of the human default behaviors endured by our dogs when we’re under stress. By Lynne Stephens 81 Mental Management®: Handling Disappointment Handling the disappointment you feel when things don’t go your way at a competition can be difficult. But you can learn other valuable things from the experience. By Lanny Bassham © CLEAN RUN 16 On Course with Webb and Leslie Anderson For most of us, the idea of traveling the world with our spouses and dogs while competing and training is little more than a dream. For this couple, it’s their passion. By Robin Whitsell 23 Help! I Can’t Keep Up: Jumping Odds and Ends Some jumping sequences may require dedicated attention and separate training to fix a barknocking problem or to train the dog to respect the handler’s space. By Lyn Kahn 30 City Dogs Train your dog to assume his proper position on the end of contact obstacles regardless of where you are on course. By Karen Holik 34 Trainer’s Forum Do you have a dog that stresses easily in any new environment? Here are some suggestions for training and proofing him so that you are ready for competition. By Brenna Fender 55 Power Paws Patterns: Number Two Tunnels comprise 15% or more of the obstacles on many courses. Take the time to teach sends, pulls, and side changes so that your dog goes in with speed and comes out tightly. By Nancy Gyes Columns 6 7 8 Tip of the Month By Judy White Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Agility… Backyard Dogs By Mary Ellen Barry 46 In a Blink: Visual Thinking in Dog Agility Being able to negotiate the course and watch your dog’s reaction to every cue so that you can make split-second handling adjustments is a critical skill in agility. Learn how visual thinking affects your ability to make those rapid handling decisions and how you can improve your skill. By Carol Mount 63 Case Study: Teeter Trouble After a young Cavalier has a bad experience on the teeter that creates subsequent obstacle performance problems, it’s time to come up with a plan for retraining. By Deborah Jones, Ph.D. 27 In Cider By Bill Gates 69 Distance Challenge By Jane Simmons-Moake 76 The Judge’s Debriefing By Ann Croft 84 Master Plan By Claudia Bates 87 Agility Organization Update Compiled By Brenna Fender 90 Course Diagram Keys Cover Dog CH MACH Stirling Blackstone Spitfire CD, a.k.a. Callie, an Airedale Terrier owned by Susan Le Vasseur of Rhode Island. Photo by Lesley Mattuchio, www.lesleymattuchio.com Clean Run (ISSN 1089-8506) is published monthly by Clean Run Productions, LLC. Principal ofﬁce: 17 Industrial Dr., South Hadley, MA 01075. Periodicals postage paid at South Hadley, Massachusetts 01075-9902 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, 17 Industrial Dr., South Hadley, MA 01075. December 07 | Clean Run 3

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Clean Run Magazine - December 2007

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