Clean Run - August 2017 - 34

position is good, try either of the following solutions: 1) As
you release your dog, run forward and throw your reinforcer
forward across the refusal plane. This will create confidence for
your dog to power forward; 2) Snug right up to the back of the
of the jump and send your dog forward from there and then
gradually increase your distance from the jump.

Drill #3

Drill #2

Do this exercise with the dog on your right as well as your left.

Do this exercise with the dog on your right as well as your left.
Begin with a single jump. For this drill you want to stand behind the jump at an angle, facing the refusal plane from behind the upright of the wing. Send your dog around to the
backside of the jump as shown in Figure 4. Make sure you
set the line you want to send your dog on using your foot.
Your dog should be on a straight line to the refusal plane.
Start behind the upright, get success and then gradually
work across the face of the jump and backward away from it.
Make sure you give the dog enough impulsion to carry him
forward across the face of the jump and around to the backside. Increase your dog's understanding by adding distance
and then other jumps.

This exercise will help bring this cue to fluency, eventually
leading to your dog being able to drive to the backside of
the jump solely on the verbal cue. This skill comes in handy
when you are unable to physically support the backside.
Start the dog from behind the wing, facing it. Begin close
to the jump. In this instance, your dog will be turning away
from the front of the jump to go around the jump and find
the backside. In this instance, your foot will actually be
pointing at the jump rather than the refusal line because
your dog needs to find the backside of the jump without a
physical cue. See Figure 5.
Once your dog understands to move around the wing to
find the backside, gradually increase the difficulty by moving
farther and farther across the face of the jump.

Next Month
Next month, I'll be discussing verbal cues for tight turn cues
as well as soft turns. D

Once you feel your dog has a clear understanding of his
backside cue you can move to the next level and train for
independent understanding.
4

Point inside foot at
refusal plane.
Rotate shoulders as
dog crosses refusal
plane.

Gradually move
starting position
farther from jump.
Take slight lead-out
to set line for dog.

Add a second jump.
Initially lead out to jump
#2, then gradually move
starting position farther
from jump #2.

Out!

Out! Out! Out!

Do not give any
physical cues for
the backside; just
use a verbal cue.

Gradually move your starting position across the
face of the jump and farther away from the jump
until your dog understands to go the backside
on just the verbal cue as shown.
Bronagh DaLy PhotograPhy

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.

Clean Run | August 17

https://www.stacywinklerblog.com http://www.stacywinkler.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Clean Run - August 2017