Clean Run Magazine - June 2008 - 31

By Nancy Gyes Number Six handling ideas and options for changing the dog’s path on the same drill. With number six I would work on the timing and quality of my turns. I would do practice send-outs using the three-jump diagonal line and lots of front and rear crosses on the star pattern. In the exercises, when I say, “Take a short lead-out and move with your dog on the release,” it means that you can leave your dog in a stay, but only go as far as necessary to move easily to the first handling position or side change. If you are fast enough to keep up with your dog, you could start at his side or just a couple feet in front of the first jump. If possible, start next to your dog. You could restrain him by the collar and get him excited and take off and run, or you could send him over a jump not included in the drill, then move into position with him at jump #1 of the exercise. Don’t start all your jump drills from a sit-stay. You can break up your training as follows: One-third stationary lead-outs, one-third running with the dog, and one-third leaving the dog on a stay, but moving with the dog the moment you release from just forward of the first jump. When you practice lead-outs, go all the way to the positions I have diagrammed for you in the drills. With front crosses get as close to the next obstacle as possible—unless you are doing a 180° front cross—then you will want to be close to the obstacle or you will not get a good tight turn. When you line up your dog at your side to start the drill, reward the line-up often enough that your dog really enjoys lining up at your side. Reward your stays some of the time and never let your dog do a jump after he has moved. Go back, fix the stay, release the dog from the stay (not to the jump), and then set him up again. Keep a toy with you on course to reinforce send-outs or tight turns with a game of tug. Keep some cookies in your pocket for the same, or to reward your dog if you have a mayday emergency moment. Give him a treat to get restarted after the muck-up. Toss your toy to the dog at the finish, or better yet, toss your toy forward of the last jump before you start and it will be waiting there for your dog when he finishes. Have fun with the number six. Every month I say, “These letter and number drills are fun and great setups for practicing various skills.” I will say that again this month, but this time it comes from someone who could be happy with jumps made from sawhorses and sticks pushed in the ground—me! In 2002 I prepared for the FCI Agility World Championships in my parents’ backyard, without one real piece of agility equipment. My father was sick and I couldn’t leave for something as trivial as agility. I got very creative with the three jumps I built from odds and ends and placed around the yard. I continuously changed how I used those jumps: bouncing, lengthening, side changes, push-outs, three-quarters of a box drills, and everything else in between. Riot and I took a 1st place in the Standard class a month later at the Championships. No kidding! I really do like this setup because there are so many different ways to handle each exercise. I could leave this pattern up for a week in my yard and not get bored with the drills. In many of the “Power Paws Patterns” articles I have given you 1 2 1 7 3 1 7 2 6 FC 2 6 3 5 5 LOP 3 4 4 Take just a short lead-out and move with your dog on the release command. Do a front cross from #5 to #6. Do a lead-out pivot close to #3 and then run the drill with the dog on your left. June 08 | Clean Run 31

Clean Run Magazine - June 2008

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