Clean Run Magazine - April 2007 - 17

Introducing the Rear Cross I introduce rear crosses at obstacles other than jumps once the dog has mastered the desired obstacle performance and can be sent a few feet ahead to the obstacle. Multiple-stride obstacles, such as tunnels, weaves, and contacts, are ideal for introductory work on rear crosses because they don’t require the use of a cue other than body position for the dog to turn in the correct direction once he has completed the obstacle. The dog can see or hear that you have changed sides and he has multiple strides as he completes the obstacle to change his lead to turn in your direction. His drive and understanding to complete the obstacle will help him to accept your rear cross and help you learn about timing your cross to come after your dog is committed to the obstacle. At Tunnels Tunnels are ideal for introducing the dog to your change of side with a rear cross. Begin by sending your dog to the tunnel from about 6' to 8' in front and reward with his motivator about 6' beyond the tunnel. Repeat, this time making a very shallow rear cross once the dog has committed to the tunnel. Increase the angle of the send and the cross by following the “round the clock” method of entry work outlined in my weave article mentioned above; just substitute the tunnel for the weave poles. The round-the-clock training to teach the dog to find entries independently is very useful for all obstacles, although you won’t need to make the angles of approach as severe for the contact obstacles and the tire as you might for the tunnels, weave poles, and jumps. At Jumps Teaching the rear cross at jumps requires the dog to understand that he is to take the upcoming jump and land turned in the new direction. The dog needs the information that a turn away is coming up before he sets up to take the jump. I begin training rear crosses at jumps with a dog that has a good send to the jump, accepts rear crosses at tunnels, weaves, and contacts, has already learned how to jump and turn (see “Training Bend Work” by Susan Salo in CR January 2007), and understands the Right and Left directional cues. To start the rear-cross training at jumps, pick a turn you want to work on (to the left, for example) and stay with that throughout the session. First, warm up your dog with a couple of left turns away from you on the flat without a jump. With your dog standing on your left side, command Left, and after your dog begins his turn, pivot toward your left to finish with your dog on your right side and deliver the treat with your right hand. Next, work toward getting your dog to do his turn behavior around a jump upright. Position your dog very close to a nonwinged jump without a jump bar (a ground bar is okay) and very close to the left upright. Stand close to him and release with his jump command (mine is Up) followed by Left (Up, Left, for example). After your dog steps forward and turns toward the upright, rotate to finish with your dog on your right as you have been doing and deliver the treat with your right hand. You should not cross the plane of the jump as you work through the exercises. If your dog has trouble with this very first step, repeat a couple of left turns on the flat, away from the jump. Then set him up again in front of the jump (very close to the jump and also very close to the left upright) and try again. If he still has trouble turning left around the upright while you stand to his right, but will easily turn left on the flat (with no upright), try patterning him for one or two repetitions simply to turn to the left around the upright while you stand to his left so that he turns toward you rather than away from you. Then set him up on your left side and try again to have him turn left around the upright on the command Up, Left. Next position yourself and your dog so that you can take a step forward on the foot closest to your dog as you command Up, Left. Continue to follow through by stepping around with your right foot, finishing with your dog on your right. April 07 | Clean Run 17

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Clean Run Magazine - April 2007

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