Clean Run - January 2016 - 31

Getting the Most Out of Your Class Time
If you are in a class of eight students that meets for one and
half hours, your share of the time is 11.25 minutes. But it takes
5 minutes (at least) to get in and get ready for class and then
you have the walk-throughs. Let's say you run four sequences
and have approximately six minutes to walk each of them; that
is 30 minutes used up. This means you may be working your
dog for a whopping 7.5 minutes each week. Wait! Don't drop
out of class just yet. Let's look at how to make the most of that
precious time. I'm not even going to mention getting to class
a bit early to empty all relevant bladders and set up your gear;
and, of course, you would never waste precious class time chatting about who did what at the trial this weekend. Heck, cell
phones, headsets, and freeways are for that.

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Here are some dos and don'ts for being efficient in class:

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DO have your treats cut up before class. String cheese lovers, this means you. That stuff can't be broken up, it's string.
Chicken lovers: firm squares only and remember that pork
is the other white meat and it cooks and cuts way better
than chicken. If you can't roll it between your thumb and
index finger without it crumbling, nix it.
DO stay connected to the class flow. Students in efficient
classes are Johnny/Jill on the spot when it's time to set
bars, and the next handler knows who they are. If you're
an instructor, run your class as much like a trial as possible
including a holding area for the next dog, if possible. Use a

January 16 | Clean Run

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dry erase board to post the class running order and jump
heights; it makes a huge difference.
DO pay attention to the instructor even if it is not your
turn. If you pay attention to what a classmate is being told,
you too can follow those instructions. My social butterfly
classes choose to be that way and they spend their time getting the same feedback in each sequence when it is their
turn because they missed it the last seven times I said it. My
classes with students who all pay attention are getting more
information presented to them.
DON'T be afraid to bring the subject up of class efficiency
with your classmates and/or your instructor. Keeping a
chatty class focused is sometimes a team effort. Deciding if
you want your class to fulfill more of your social needs or
training needs is a great first step. I have students who keep
class focused on agility and then hit a cafe after class, the old
"have your cake and eat it too" in play.
DO use your walk-through time wisely.

Here are some specific tips for your walk-throughs. I think of it
being three phases:

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Phase 1, The "Easter egg hunt": take one minute to quickly
follow the numbers, without doing any "air handling." Just
get the lay of the land.
Phase 2, Decision making: figure out exactly how many
real decisions you have to make. This usually boils down

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Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Clean Run - January 2016
