Clean Run - February 2012 - 3

Cover
THE MAGAZINE FOR DOG AGILITY ENTHUSIASTS FEBRUARY 12 VOLUME 18 NUMBER 02
PHOTOS © ISTOCKPHOTOGRAPHY, CLEAN RUN

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Write-Offs for Hobbies and Tax Businesses Few agility trainers or judges realize that Uncle Sam stands ready to pick up part of the expenses of many of their activities. Play your cards right and Uncle Sam may allow the losses from extracurricular activities to reduce the tax bills on income from wages, self-employment, business income, or investments. By Mark E. Battersby

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How Much of a Handicap Are You Giving Your Dog? Our dogs are supposed to be athletes. When have you ever seen a track and field competitor that was flabby? Chunky? Or pleasantly plump? If, when you look at your dog, does the thought come to mind that it could lose a pound or two? If it does, then he could probably stand to lose a little more. By Donna Somers

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Conditioning the Young Canine Athlete Conditioning the canine athlete and when to start the process has been a topic of some controversy. Learn how you can help prevent injuries in your young agility dog and also begin some general exercises that are designed to help build symmetry, balance, and strength in your future competition athlete. By Audrey DeClue, DVM

11 Table Manners: Training a Reliable Table Start To Finish The table should be a happy place! This article will give you a step-by-step program for teaching the table and making it an obstacle you both enjoy rather than dread! By Kathleen Alles

Features
5 Editorializing: Is There a Perfect Dog for Agility? It’s easy to see why people choose to train and compete with herding breeds. They possess physical and mental attributes that make them naturals for agility. The sporting group is also well represented on the agility playing field. But is it necessary to have a herding or sporting breed to excel in agility? By Jamie McKay, 53 Control Unleashed Solutions and Answers: The Disconnecting Dog Do you have a dog that runs perfectly in training, but frequently disconnects from you in the ring? One minute he’s brilliant and the next you’re not on the same team any more? Here are some ideas for dogs that get stressed in the trial environment. By Leslie McDevitt 62 Building Blocks: Stays Without a clear understanding of which cue ends a stay behavior your dog cannot be expected to hold that position until he is released. Therefore, teach the verbal release cue first. By Rachel Sanders 65 Agility Mind Gym: Goal Setting Have you ever had that special moment when everything went perfectly and you felt completely connected with your dog? Would you like to be able to do that more consistently? Here are exercises designed to help you get to that special place more often. By Kathy Keats

27 I Tore My Meniscus— Now What? With the increasing di culty of courses and the physical demands that current handling strategies place on the handler, it isn’t surprising to hear about injuries occurring on the agility eld. Rotation of the knee resulting from sharp directional changes, coupled with compression of the joint as the handler accelerates out of a turn, place the supporting structures of the knee at risk. By I. Martin Levy, MD 47 Knowledge Equals Speed! The Pros and Cons of Running Contacts vs. Stopped Contacts There is a lot to think about when deciding on the contact behavior to teach your dog. Here are some of the pros and cons of both types of contacts as well as additional points you need to consider before embarking on a training plan. By Dawn Weaver 58 Design Trends: What’s Happening on Our Agility Courses? It seems as though the possible con guration of obstacles has been broadening through the years. But has it? Are our agility courses in the US really changing that much and, if so, what factors are in uencing those changes? By Sally Silverman

CPDT KSA

21 Awesome Paws Drills: Skills Checklist These drills will challenge you to perform a variety of cue combinations. For each drill, you will be directed to perform a specific skill or combination of skills. The skills required are very basic at first, but quickly progress to an advanced level. By Linda Mecklenburg 33 Cross-training for Confidence No matter what may be going on with your dog at any given moment, introducing new activities can improve your dog’s agility performance and confidence by leaps and bounds. By Julia Kamysz Lane 42 Analyze This! Challenges from international courses are making their way into U.S. courses with increasing frequency. Here we look at a Jumpers course with challenges seen in upper-level European courses, the UKI Masters Jumping Final from the UKI U.S. Open designed by Dave Grubel. By Laura Manchester Derrett

Columns
6 7 8 Tip of the Month By Rachel Sanders Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Agility… By Brenna Fender Backyard Dogs By Mary Ellen Barry

Cover Dog
Goldmedal Jusjazzy UDX, MX, MXJ, a.k.a. Marty, a Miniature Pincher owned by Patrice Delehanty of New Hampshire. Photo by Lesley Mattuchio, www.pbase.com/lesleylou.

26 From Hoof to Woof: What Riders Can Teach Handlers By Holly Newman

Clean Run (ISSN 1089-8506) is published monthly by Clean Run Productions, LLC. Principal o ce: 17 Industrial Dr., South Hadley, MA 01075. Periodicals postage paid at South Hadley, Massachusetts 01075-9902 and additional o ces. © Copyright 1995-2012 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.

February 12 | Clean Run

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Clean Run - February 2012

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