Clean Run Magazine - June 2007 - 77

around the table. I then did what I vowed never to do: I picked her up and walked slowly off the course. Most know it as the “Walk of Shame.” I felt it was the “Walk of Despair.” Because of this one problem, we had to forfeit the rest of the course. To communicate that we had to do everything as a team, we first had to do nothing. To do nothing, to remove fun from life, is a horrible feeling. Some braved my foul mood to tell me I did the right thing. If we wanted to develop as a team, we had to work as a team. Cider is a smart girl and she does not like to be escorted off an agility field. I counted on her understanding that no table meant no more play time. After only a couple of these walks, we began a dialogue that went something like this. I say Table. Cider stops in front of the table. She is barking her head off. Cider says “no.” I also stop at the table. I quietly but positively encourage her to get on the table. She continues to refuse. I move a few steps away and start another approach to the table. “Seriously, get on the table.” With the threat of being picked up bubbling to the forefront of her mind, she gets on the table. “All right, but I really do not like to sit still.” Because the refusal meant a non-qualifying run, once Cider was on the table I was advised to make her stay for only 1 second. This reinforced that the table was not punishment, just a short stop before the rest of the course. It was just like saying, “I know you do not want to stop here, but I insist. And once you do what I have asked, then we can do what you want and finish the course.” If Cider refused the table in the next Standard run, the conversation was repeated. This time we stayed for a 2-second count and so forth until a 5second count was reached on our fifth run. Because our progress was not without relapses it took us many more than five runs to finish the conversation. There were more episodes of dancing around the table, but thanks to some good advice from experienced handlers, we emerged from a few dark months as a better team. Healthy Again As suddenly as it started, the problem seemed to disappear. Running through a perfect pre-table half of a Standard course, we approach the table at high speed. I say Table and Cider is on the table. I say Sit and she sits. I am told that Cider looked surprised with our first perfect table in months. It was like the table snuck up on her. Before she knew it, 5 seconds went by and we were on our way. I prefer to think she simply did what I asked and felt a little surprised that it was not that bad—almost like being in our backyard. Ah, it is good to be healthy again. D Cider is Bill’s first agility dog. His first AKC agility competition was in Savannah, Georgia, in November 2003. That weekend they earned three blue ribbons in four runs. They would have earned the fourth ribbon if he had been a seasoned, competent handler. The theme of human error holding down the Q-rate has followed them closely since. In the four years since their first agility trial, he has improved significantly as a handler, but hesitates to conjure the notion of being competent, let alone consistent. Cider has humored and humbled him along the way and still found room to bless him with Novice, Open, and Excellent titles. Build your foundation on solid ground Flatwork isn’t about the obstacles; it’s about what happens between the obstacles. It’s about developing a communication system with your dog as you teach him each agility handling maneuver without the distraction of obstacles. As you follow this training program, you will develop a set of cues and movements that indicate speciﬁc behaviors to the dog, and you will become aware of exactly what your body is really “saying” to your dog. ® Written by Barb Levenson Published by Clean Run 80 pages, $15.95 www.cleanrun.com © CINDY NOLAND June 07 | Clean Run 77

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Clean Run Magazine - June 2007

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