Clean Run - August 2013 - 48

Completing these exercises will ensure that your dog is comfortable turning away from you,
in either direction, on or near any piece of equipment, and at a moderate distance.

10
2

3
1

Follow this handling path through the
pinwheel for the first few repetitions.

A word of caution is necessary here: do
not work this exercise without balancing it with exercises that call the dog to
you or send him directly ahead to an obstacle after he completes the A-frame. It
is very easy to pattern a dog to always
turn into the tunnel at the end of a contact if the skill is practiced excessively.
If your dog has a stop at the bottom of
the contact (2-on/2-off, 4-on, or 4-onthe-floor), you have a choice to make.
Dogs can differentiate between a normal
stopped contact performance and a turn
into a tunnel without stopping. Because
they have to be near the bottom of the
ramp to perform the turn, they are unlikely to miss the contact. Allowing the
dog to continue his motion from the
ramp to the tunnel will produce a faster
and more fluid turn. However, the dog
will probably lose his stop for a short
time until he learns the difference between the stop being enforced and the
exception of the turn into the tunnel.
Until your dog’s stopped performance is
solid and has been adequately proofed,
I do not recommend allowing him to
continue his motion without a stop.
Turning Away on Pinwheels
Pinwheels at a distance require you to
turn the dog away from the outside of

1
4

3
1

Now try handling from the outside of the
pinwheel.

the pinwheel. Set up the pinwheel as
shown in Figure 9. As the dog takes
off for jump #1, use your turn cue to direct him to the second jump. Bring your
other arm up to complete the pinwheel.
Mark and reward his success. Begin by
coming through the pinwheel while performing the rear cross as shown in Figure 9, and then proceed to having the
dog complete the pinwheel while you
follow the path marked on Figure 10.
Starting the dog at an angle encourages
him to turn away to the second jump.
Practice this exercise from both sides.
If your dog comes in after jump #2, and
misses the last jump, hesitate during
your pivot to face jump #3 until the dog
is committed to the obstacle, and then
continue your turn.
Turning Away
from Temptation
The last exercise combines a turn away
with a very tempting off-course tunnel. Set up the equipment as shown in
Figure 11. This sequence is not difficult to complete if you can cross into
the dog’s space on either the takeoff or
landing side of jump #2, but it becomes
more difficult if there is a gamble line
as shown. Practice this exercise first by
going into the space between jump #1

2
3

Perform the exercise following the blue
path first, then heed the gamble line and
follow the turquoise path.

and jump #2, as shown by the blue path.
After completing the exercise successfully, heed the gamble line and follow
the turquoise path. Avoid going beyond
jump #2 or your motion will send the
dog into the off-course tunnel. As with
the other exercises, practice this exercise on both sides.

WRAP-UP
Completing these exercises will ensure
that your dog is comfortable turning
away from you, in either direction, on
or near any piece of equipment, and at a
moderate distance.You now have a clear,
consistent system of cues (motion, body
language, hand/arm signal, and verbal) to
indicate a turn away in a language that
your dog understands. These simple
steps reinforced your rear cross training and improved your dog’s ability to
make flowing turns from contacts to
tunnels. As you progress, work these and
similar exercises from greater distances.

WHAT’S NEXT?
Next month’s article will focus on the
next essential skill for successful distance
work: distance. Distance is a teachable
skill and can be accomplished by any size
or breed of dog. D

Lorrie Reynolds has been involved with agility since 2002. She and her mixed breed NATCH-8, Versatility-NATCH-5, Gold-C-MEX, PDCH Maxx have qualified for national
championships every year in multiple venues, and have competed at the NADAC or DOCNA championships for the past nine years, never placing lower than 8th. Lorrie
is well known in Colorado for her distance work with mixed-breed rescues Maxx, C-MEX Storm (retired), and her newest dog, Pixie. Lorrie has been teaching her distance
seminar, “Gambling is Addictive,” in Colorado since 2006 and also offers private lessons. Contact her at coagilityinfo@yahoo.com.
48

Clean Run

August 13

Clean Run - August 2013

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Clean Run - August 2013