Clean Run Magazine - March 2007 - 83

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week set up four stations, one for each of the exercises described below,
as shown in Figure 8. Divide the class into pairs again. Have a pair of
students at each station and have them work through each exercise for a
minute or two with each dog then switch. 8 » Grid work with spread jumps
By now your students dogs are quite keen on grids and it’s time to toss
in some spread jumps. Set up a grid in a 6'-6'-6'-9' pattern with four
single-bar jumps and the double at the end as seen in Figure 9. You may
choose to lower the jump heights. Have the student handle the dog the same
way she has been: Put the dog in a sit-stay, lead out past the last jump,
then release and reward the dog. As you progress, vary where you put the
double jump as illustrated; for example, for the next run add another
double, then put the triple jump in, next add a double and a triple, and
so forth. As the dog progresses, increase the jump height and vary the
distance between the jumps. Jump grids are endlessly changeable, but at
the same time they can be complicated for you as an instructor since you
have to troubleshoot for each individual dog to make it work. Different
body types, sizes, breeds, and the drive of the dog, all are factors that
you must consider when evaluating each dog. Set up four stations as shown.
Divide the class into pairs again. Have a pair of students at each station
and have them work through each station for a minute or two with each dog
then switch. of the tunnel by throwing the motivator in the opposite
direction before he takes the jump. Raise the jump bar. Continue this
until the jump is at full height. While the dog is in full stride,
whipping through the tunnel, he has to collect himself to bend over the
jump and then he gets immediately rewarded with another tunnel. You can
also play this game with a table in place of the jump. » The tire
Introduce the tire this week. Have students shape the tire just as they
have every other obstacle. Let the dog choose to find the correct hole. If
the dog is having difficulty, have the handler lure by tossing the
motivator through the tire a couple of times. Then wait and let the dog to
offer the behavior without the lure. Once the dog is offering the behavior
consistently, raise the tire gradually but quickly to full competition
height. Make sure that the dog can take the tire from all different
angles. Unlike the bar jump, the dog can get away with hitting the tire in
most venues and not knocking it down. While shaping the dog to take the
tire, it is vital not to reward the dog for touching or “banking” off
it. I want the dogs to understand early on that they cannot touch the
tire. This training can help to avoid potential injuries from
“hang-ups” later when the dog is sequencing and running courses at
full speed. 9 6' 6' 6' 9' 6' 6' 6' 9' 6' 6' 6' 9' Set up a grid with four
single-bar jumps and the double at the end. As students progress, vary
where you put the double jump as illustrated. Then introduce a triple at
the end of the grid. » A fun collection game Note: I learned this game
from my good friend, Anne Andrle. This is a fun exercise that I find
tunnelloving dogs really go crazy for. Put a tunnel in an almost complete
circle and then add a jump between the two openings as seen in Figure 8.
The distance between each tunnel opening and the jump is roughly the same
as the length of the dog. Set the bar low to start. Put the dog in a sit
in front of the jump, release the dog, and send into the tunnel. The
handler stands on the outside of the jump. When the dog reappears from the
tunnel, send him back over the jump, and back into the tunnel. Do this a
few times in both directions until the dog is keen and knows he is just
going around in circles. Stop the dog when he comes out » The broad jump
Continue progressing with the broad jump by increasing the length of the
obstacle. Make sure the dogs are jumping it correctly by staying inside
the marker poles and not touching wood. Have the handler vary her body
position and the dog’s position. Progression for Future Classes From
this point, teams can move forward to learn more handling maneuvers and
handler movement while dogs go over jumps. They will learn these from one-
to three-jump exercises and double-box jump exercises in the next level of
classes. I have been lucky to have worked with some great agility handlers
and have combined some of their exercises to teach my students in a short
six-week session. I often have to modify their exercises along the way to
meet the needs of each individual dog. Jump training is never complete and
I encourage students as they move forward in classes to continue to refer
to their foundation jump training for maintenance. D Mary Champagne, who
has been involved in agility since 1995 and teaching agility for the past
eight years, has trained several dogs successfully in agility and competes
locally and nationally with her two Border Collies, a Pomeranian, and her
new Australian Cattle Dog. By day, Mary works as a canine rehabilitator
and emergency veterinary nurse. She is also co-owner of Criterion Agility
located in the Hartford, Connecticut area. Contact her at
mary@criterionagility.com or pawpower6@sbcglobal.net. March 07 | Clean Run
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Clean Run Magazine - March 2007

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