Clean Run Magazine - July 2007 - 49

By Nancy Gyes Pinwheel middle jump and in achieving a smooth return without the dog’s jumping long at the middle jump. Figure 4 shows how changing the angle of the middle jump even slightly can create a totally different picture for the dog and change how the pinwheel is handled. The severer the angle of approach to the middle jump, the longer the dog’s body will remain over the jump. Usually this means the dog will take a longer jump in overall length. Figures 5 and 6 show how a pinwheel can present different challenges when taken in different directions. In Figure 5 the pinwheel has a ﬂat, steep angle out to the middle jump. Sometimes the dog will not carry out easily to the second jump in a setup like this and the handler will need to work the middle jump carefully. In Figure 6 the middle-jump approach is nice, but the line is sharper coming back to the third jump. The handler will need to work the return to #3 carefully so that the dog does not go wide around the jump as shown by the orange line. Compare the green shaded areas in Figures 1 through 6 to see how these different pinwheel conﬁgurations affect the dog’s approach lane to the middle jump. 3 2 Pinwheels are everywhere in agility. They are not really complex if your dog will carry out each time to the middle jump of this pattern. I like my dogs to see the middle jump on a pinwheel as the next logical obstacle and I want them to take the jump without a lot of help from me. I train them to stay out on the circle and not come in unless I turn my shoulders into them, such as in a front cross or threadle cue. Symmetrical pinwheels are reasonably easy to handle. Figure 1 is the simplest conﬁguration to handle because the dog has a wide “approach lane” to all the jumps. As the dog lands from the ﬁrst jump, the second jump is very visible and logical. He has a straight approach to each jump and does not need to jump at a severe angle, giving him a smooth arc around the pattern. In Figure 2 jumps #1 and #3 are more angled. You will notice that as the line to the middle jump ﬂattens, the dog may not send out as easily. He has a narrower visual picture of the middle jump and will probably jump slightly longer to clear the jump. In Figure 3 jumps #1 and #3 in the pinwheel have still more angle and could present more of a challenge in sending the dog to the 1 In this pinwheel the dog has a wide approach lane to all the jumps and can take a smooth arc around the pattern. Jumps #1 and #3 are more angled in this pinwheel. As the line to the middle jump flattens, the dog may not send out as easily. Jumps #1 and #3 are angled even more in this pinwheel pattern, creating even more of a challenge. 4 5 6 Changing the angle of the middle jump even slightly can create a totally different picture for the dog. In this pinwheel the dog has a flat steep approach angle to the middle jump. When you reverse the direction of the same pinwheel, the approach to the middle jump is nice, but transition from #2 to #3 is more difficult. July 07 | Clean Run 49

Clean Run Magazine - July 2007

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Clean Run Magazine - July 2007