Clean Run - July 2019 - 28

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Establishing fast, independent, and solid stopped contacts when you're at a distance from
your dog is a many-faceted project. However, it is a relatively straightforward process, and
when approached methodically, pretty much any dog can have awesome results.

Did You Do It Right?
If	you	can't	look	back	at	the	way	you	rewarded	the	contact	
and	say	to	yourself,	"Wow,	I	was	awesome,	that	was	
super	fun!"	then	you	are	probably	aren't	doing	enough.	
So,	after	slapping	yourself	lightly	on	the	wrist,	"bad	
trainer,"	go	give	it	another	shot	and	be	fun!

To Build Independence First Understand
the Contact's Sweet Spot
If	I	could,	I	would	not	only	bold	the	text	in	this	section,	
but	I	would	also	add	confetti	and	strobe	lights-it's	that	
important. It's	one	of	my	little	secrets	to	success.	Without	
this	little	gem	of	information,	it	will	be	much	harder	to	
create	the	distance,	speed,	and	confidence	we	are	going	
to	begin	in	the	next	article.
Did	you	know	that	each	contact	has	a	sweet	spot?		
"What	the	heck	is	a	sweet	spot?"	you	ask.	The	sweet	
spot	is	an	area	on	every	contact	obstacle	that	when	used	
with	correct	timing,	will	significantly	speed	up	your	dog,	
whether	you	are	running	right	next	to	him	or	are	working	
at	a	distance.
The sweet spot on the A-frame is its apex, for the
dogwalk, it is the transitional joint between the middle
plank and the down plank, and for the teeter, it is the
dog's tipping point. See	Figure 1.

To	create	as	much	speed	and	confidence	as	possible	
down	the	contact	you	need	to	be	about	6	inches	in	front	
of	your	dog	as	he	passes	these	points.	It	doesn't	matter	
if	you	are	right	next	to	the	dogwalk	or	50	feet	away,	we	
want	to	use	the	sweet	spot	until	we	have	a	superior	
level	of	independence.	I	use	this	tool	as	soon	as	I	begin	
my	contact	training	because	it	will	build	confidence	and	
drive	to	the	end,	which	will,	in	turn,	help	build	my	dog's	
independent	behavior.
You	will	find	that	if	you	are	farther	behind	or	farther	in	front	
of	your	dog	as	he	passes	these	points,	the	dog	will	not	
be	as	fast.	Yes,	this	is	a	body	lure!	It	uses	our	dynamic	
energy	to	drive	the	dog's	speed	down	the	contact,	and	it	is	
an	awesome	tool.

Independent Contacts Here We Come!
In	the	next	articles,	we	are	going	to	begin	creating	our	
distance	training	in	earnest,	so	get	prepared	by	practicing	
your	reward	event	and	explosive	releases	from	your	contacts,	and	experimenting	with	your	sweet	spot	timing.	I'll	
see	you	next	month!	 D
1

handler wants to be 6" ahead of the
TheThe
handler
wants to be 6" ahead of the
dog at the contact sweet spots
dog
at
the
contact
The handler wantssweet
to be spots
6" ahead of the
The handler wants to be 6" ahead of the
dog at the contact sweet spots
dog at the contact sweet spots
Stacy Winkler has been teaching agility for over 15 years. She is located in Vista, California. For more information on the training concepts in this article and other training

articles you can visit her blog: https://stacywinklerblog.com. To learn about her Foundation, Connection and Drive, Jump and Contact Foundation online classes, inquire
about seminars, or contact Stacy directly, go to http://www.stacywinkler.com.
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Clean Run - July 2019

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