Clean Run Magazine - March 2009 - 71

during a sequence in a class. If he does not have the strength, his body will begin to compensate and the repetitive jumping may place stress on the bones and joints. For example, if a six-month-old Sheltie does not possess the strength in his hind limbs to continually propel himself over a 12" jump, he will began to compensate with his back to obtain extension. His shoulders, elbows, and wrists will also absorb the extra force for the lack of strength in the rear. Breakdown in these areas may start at a young age. the dog. It is primarily the speed of the dog that increases the kinetic energy when landing from a jump. So, if the young dog is very fast, control may be what you need to work on rather than starting to sequence jumps. Breed Breeds differ in their physical and mental maturity. The growth plates of large dogs will close later than in small dogs. Developmental orthopedic disease is also observed in larger breed dogs between the ages of 5 and 10 months. Panosteitis is an inflammatory condition that affects large breed dogs between 5 and 18 months of age. It is generally self-limiting. awareness. We have all seen young dogs go though their awkward periods: their legs are too long, and they are lean and lanky. The dogs are adjusting to their changing body and generally have poor body awareness. Experienced handlers and instructors know that rather than jumping, the focus should be on developing the puppy’s body awareness and building core strength. They also Experienced handlers and instructors understand structure so that they can assess the weaknesses and strengths of individual dogs. They also recognize proper jumping form . The development of a proper jumping style is essential for the dog and is much more important than getting the bars up to competition height. Jump bumps can be used to promote proper jumping style. These jump bumps are very low in height and encourage the development of body awareness and proper body collection. Only after foundation skills are in place and the dog has proper body awareness and control should height become part of jump training. Under no circumstances should you progress a young dog to a higher height if he cannot control his body going over a jump, if he exhibits any signs of lameness or pain with jumping, if he consistently refuses a jump or participation in class, or if he exhibits any problems outside class. And under no circumstances should a dog ever begin to practice jumping at Consider All the Factors Before you can decide when it is safe to jump your young dog, you need to consider the following factors: • Risk management • Breed • Experience of the handler and instructor • Injury potential • Maturity Experience of the Handler and Instructor Many experienced instructors and handlers have learned over the years that establishing a good foundation is more important than rushing to get the dogs on agility equipment and sequencing—in fact, they’ve learned that teaching the equipment is the easiest part of agility training. Foundation classes should focus on flatwork and building skills such as ignoring and working through distractions, recalls, sends, handling focus, working at the handler’s side, following the handler’s movement, turns on the flat, handling cues, play, tugging, retrieving, and body Risk Management Risk management requires you, the handler, to examine the speed and control of the dog. When a dog jumps, he places a significant amount of weight on the forelimbs. The dog’s weight may increase the amount of stress placed on the forelimbs, and certainly, an overweight dog will place undue stress on the limbs. But, you need to also look at the speed of March 09 | Clean Run Clean Run | March71 09

http://agilityjot.com http://agilityjot.com

Clean Run Magazine - March 2009

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Clean Run Magazine - March 2009