Clean Run Magazine - August 2009 - 64

Comparing the Derrett and Mecklenburg Handling Systems By the Clean Run Staff © TTL AcTion PhoTogrAPhy, MichAL Krejci, MeTTe Björne PART 6 Sends The two main systems used in the U.S. and Canada right now originated with Greg Derrett (also called the Derrett System) and Linda Mecklenburg (also called the Awesome Paws Handling System or APHS). The purpose of these articles is to compare and contrast the cues between the two systems for informational purposes. We are not going to try to prove that one system is “correct” or that one system is better than the other. Both systems are proven and both work as a consistent handling system. This article series is designed to help you understand what the differences and similarities are so that you can make informed decisions on which may be the better system for you or your students. This series is also not designed to fully educate you on the intricacies of each system. There are resources available for both handling systems that are intended for this purpose. For the purposes of this series, when referring to obstacles, we will be using jumps since handling cues have the most effect on a dog’s jumping trajectory. APHS also refers to other turning obstacles such as tires, straight tunnels and chutes, but in order to be consistent between the comparisons of the two systems, we will refer to jumps. We will compare sends this month. A send is used when your dog needs to move away from you to take a jump and is also used to cue a turn after that obstacle. For the dog to respond to the send, he needs to understand that he must continue to move forward toward the jump, but that he must shorten his stride, if appropriate, to prepare for the turn. Note, that the Derrett System does not have a specific name for this type of maneuver. For the purposes of comparing the two systems, we are going to refer to the maneuver as a send in both systems. As a review, the cues available in each system are shown below. Derrett System The primary cues for a send in the Derrett System are deceleration, arm changes, and shoulder pulls. If an arm change is needed, deceleration cues the dog to the upcoming turn so he can adjust his stride coming into the commitment point. At commitment, the handler follows up with an arm change (front cross, threadle, and so on). If there is no side change, a shoulder pull cues the turn. A shoulder pull may or may not be combined with deceleration depending on the degree of turn needed. Deceleration is an important cue in the Derrett System. Deceleration is a cue used before commitment to let the dog know to adjust his stride and that a turn is coming up. For the dog to understand and be able to react to this cue, it must be used consistently. Handlers should be wary not to send the dog up a line of jumps while decelerating because this will desensitize the dog to the cues. The degree of deceleration used is also important. The handler should use more deceleration for a tight wrap or a threadle, versus a 90° turn. As noted below, APHS uses lateral motion as a turning cue on sends. This should not be used in the Derrett System before commitment. If the handler moves away without supporting the dog’s line, then the dog can become desensitized to a shoulder rotation as a turning cue. This could lead to the dog’s going wide on shoulder-pull turns and could result in the need to use arm changes to get good turns where a shoulder pull should suffice. Clean Run | August 09 This article series is designed to help you understand what the differences and similarities are so that you can make informed decisions on which may be the better system for you or your students. 64

Clean Run Magazine - August 2009

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