Clean Run - April 2020 - 19

A Poor Plan
It is good to know if your plan did
not work because it was a good plan
with poor execution (handling problem) or if you did not come up with
the best plan for you and your dog.
I question conversations ringside
about the best way to handle a sequence when the back and forth does
not include specifics about either
team's abilities. I'm referring to the
dog in the ring that just either blew
it or nailed it ("it" being the sequence
in question) versus the dog whose
handler is trying to decide what to do
based on what others are doing.
We all have strengths, as do our
dogs. News flash: just because a plan
does not work does not mean there
was a better plan for you to try. That
is why we are looking at so many different influences.

Obstacle Sequence
I know some dogs that are mentally
affected by certain obstacles. Here's
a simple example: They don't love
the poles or teeter, or they really dig
tunnels. These dogs can be affected
by where in the course those obstacles come up. I also know a few dogs
that are bummed out if the opening
of the course is tight or tricky, and as
a result, they may never get going.
You can train to tip the scales for
your dog regarding what he thinks
or feels about those obstacles that
cause you grief. At the same time,
you can accept the fact that those
obstacles may influence the outcome of your run.

Just a "Fluke"
Storytime. At the last Cynosport
event, I had a wonderful five days
of competing. Tux and I were "in the

zone." In the Grand Prix finals, I had a
bobble at the very end of the course
and incurred a refusal with a big price
tag on it. I went to my open-minded analysis phase and could not find
a reason for the mistake. There were
some contributing factors, but they
did not add up to what had happened. I took everything into account
that I could and decided it was "just a
fluke." Stuff happens, right? I was fine
with that analysis for about a day.

Just because a dog CAN jump...
doesn't mean that he knows HOW to jump.

I watched the video a million times.
What he did was so odd, but it was
absolutely deliberate on his part. He
looked so sure of himself that I could
tell he thought he was doing as he
was cued. What he did was actually
much harder to do than what I wanted him to do! That was when this
next factor to consider was born.

Learning History
What happened in the finals was that
I cued a turn to be taken on the exit
of the tunnel. He made the simple
turn and was headed directly toward the on-course jump. Then, with
amazing effort, he went past the inside wing and headed to the backside of the jump. I stopped him and
got him back on course, but it was
clearly a refusal.
The next week I was showing a class the
courses we had run over the five days
at Cynosport. Light bulb! There were
many courses where the logical jump
out of tunnels was not the on-course
jump. Tux and I had such a great competition because I had been working on
those skills before going to the event.
His learning history tipped the scales
against that Grand Prix finals course.
I made an adjustment in my training. I have cues that only mean take
the bar first, and cues that only mean
take the refusal line first before you
take any bar. D

Sandy Rogers has been teaching obedience and agility since 1991. Her career switched to focus solely on agility
in 1999 when she founded ACE Dog Sports in San Francisco, California. Sandy's specialty is helping the average
handler get to the next level and getting the most out of non-traditional breeds. Her students' accomplishments
are a source of pride in and out of the competition ring. With her Border Collie Brink and JRT Quill Sandy is a
four-time National Champion and has proudly represented the USA at the World Agility Open in 2011, 2012,
and 2013 where "Quilly" brought home gold, silver, and bronze medals. Sandy has written for Clean Run since
2009, teaches seminars in person and online, and has two DVDs available.
April 20 | Clean Run

Susan Salo
Jumping
DVDs

www.cleanrun.com
19

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Clean Run - April 2020

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