Clean Run - September 2014 - 60

Susan Salo
Jumping
DVDs
Just because a dog CAN jump...
doesn't mean that he knows HOW to jump.

I have a very strong desire to see people
improve, and a strong desire to see dogs do
well and stay healthy.
be hard to figure out how to achieve it."
So she looks at how to get there. The
goal for Bling this past year, for example, has been to qualify for USDAA
Nationals (Cynosport), a goal that she
believes is achievable within the calendar year. "Then I evaluate the goal. I
need to make sure I have good contacts
and good handling. So I look at whatever happened at the competition the
weekend before-what I failed at and
what I achieved. For example, if we
had a weave entrance from a 90° angle
that we had trouble with, I will work
on that during the week." She doesn't
keep records for her goals or training. "I
generally know where I am with a dog.
Competition-wise I have a really good
memory. I will also talk about the goals.
I think if you don't talk about them, with
your friends or your partner, they don't
become real."

Staying in Shape
Jen works with a personal trainer to
maintain her competitive edge. He helps
her with plyometrics, designing exercises that she can easily do on the road,
without equipment. She also attends
classes once a week and works on her
own at least twice a week, including interval work, core strengthening, and upper body work in her exercise plan.

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For the dogs, she appreciates that she
is lucky enough to have a property on
which the dogs can run around, and can
practice sprint work and recalls with
husband Bill Pinder. They have access
to an underwater treadmill a couple of
times a week and also work the dogs on
rehab-type exercises at home using inflatable peanuts and discs.
Warming up is also key to keeping everybody sound. Before working them, Jen
leash-walks the dogs to the point where
they are panting. At home, she might

let them run around the field while she
sets up equipment. "The more I do agility the more I run into injuries, and the
more I realize how important the warmup and cool-down are." When the dogs
are warm, she will lay them down and
give them a stretch. For the cool-down,
she does the same, in reverse, stretching
them out and then walking them. "I will
never put a dog away that is still panting." The routine is the same for training
as competition.

Challenges
As with many active trainers and competitors, Jen is challenged by issues relating
to time management, in particular balancing the training that she likes to do with
the conditioning that she knows both she
and the dogs need. "It's easy to get caught
up in the latest move that I want to teach.
A lot of times I will set a timer. I have no
idea of time when I am working!"

Training the Trainer
"Most of the time, when I have an opportunity to train, I am on my own. I
try to use the video camera. I need to
get better at that." She has gotten good,
she says, at bouncing ideas off of other
people, then going home to try them. Jen
enjoys working with a student or two
who she trusts as "eyes on the ground."
Training contacts, she works with Bill.
When they are together, she works with
Rachel Sanders and Mary Ellen Barry.
Recently she has had the opportunity
to work with Janita and Jaakko, Jenny
Damm, and Anna Eiffert.
In addition to her hard work, Jen believes that she is successful in training
and in teaching others because she has
great empathy and a good sense of humor. "I have a very strong desire to see
people improve, and a strong desire to
see dogs do well and stay healthy." D

Sally Silverman is a freelance writer whose life has gone to the dogs. She and her husband share their
hearts and their home with three Australian Shepherds. An avid agility competitor, Sally is working on MACH3 with Bounce, who also has a PDCH, as well as many canine freestyle and herding
titles. Java is now in AKC and USDAA Masters and working on her Advanced freestyle title. Sally is
an active member of Y2K9s Dog Sports Club outside of Philadelphia, where she trains and teaches.
Clean Run | September 14

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Clean Run - September 2014

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