Clean Run Magazine - February 2010 - 46

Strategic Agility: A Complete Approach to Agility Training and Handling By Steve Croxford, charts by author/PACE-Agility In the world of agility there is nothing to compare with watching the partnership between the handler and dog when it seems as if they are working as one. Emulating this skill is what people the world over strive to do at agility trials every time they step to the start line. You know when it happens to you: you are in a partnership with your dog, everything flows, you and the dog move seamlessly from one obstacle to another, you execute your handling strategy perfectly and cross the finish line with a fast, clear round. It is the greatest feeling there is and why we love the sport so much. During my years as an amateur agility trainer and handler/ coach, and later as a professional, I have had the opportunity to work with, coach with, and observe some of the best handlers in the business. I am fascinated by what makes them so successful and have spent a lot of time thinking about and analyzing what makes them tick, and I have applied this experience to my training and coaching techniques. Another avenue of great interest for me has been understanding and adapting coaching and sports science techniques used in a range of sports, canine, equine, and human. It is difficult to prove the successful crossover of techniques from this diverse background, but having studied and adapted these techniques I am confident that while the species and physiology may be very different, there is much to be gained from applying the techniques thoughtfully to our agility training methods. Many of the top handlers I know do this instinctively, particularly if they have a sports background or have come to agility via the equine route. I have found that there are two aspects to my training, dog training and handler training. As I started to evaluate the content of the lessons I gave to students it became clear the greater majority of my time was being spent with the handler, explaining the skills required and how and when to move in a given sequence of obstacles. It seems the dog training bit is easy. The hardest thing is developing handlers and their skills; if done effectively, training the dog is the least of my worries. Framework: The Agility Blueprint Many people start their agility career without a clear idea of the scope of what they are asking themselves and their dogs to achieve. As instructors we have a responsibility to guide them through the early stages of their development and with the correct guidance they may develop into competent trainers and handlers in their own right. I often run instructor-training sessions for agility clubs in the U.K. and the instinctive nature of what’s going on at club level is what usually strikes me first. Most instructors are volunteers and are simply passing on the skills and techniques they have picked up over their time in the sport. As part of my instructortraining approach, I try to put everything instructors do into context as a means of illustrating the depth and level of knowledge they already have; and I use a framework to show instructors where they may need to develop their training skills further. This framework comes in two parts. Skills Profile for the Agility Dog GENERAL MOVEMENT EXPERIENCES Provides Walking Turning Gait Stride Pattern Range of Movement Balance Stability Core Foundation For ACTIVITY SPECIFIC TRAINING Foundation Skills Specific Skills Running Stride Technique Jumping Jumping Technique Turning Turning Technique Contact Equipment Training Drills/ Sequences Weaves Stride Length & Rate Jumping Lanes, Grid Work, etc. Pole Work, Turning Grids Advanced Skills (for example) Equates to Sport-specific Conditioning Outcomes: • Improved speed • Improved ability to accelerate & decelerate • Improved balance & core stability Competition Training Handling Skills Independent Working Obstacle Discrimination See: “Skills Profile: Agility Handler” The first part of my framework, which is shown in Figure 1, sets out a broad range of components that go toward develClean Run | February 10

Clean Run Magazine - February 2010

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Clean Run Magazine - February 2010