Clean Run - September 2017 - 58

with a jump. Add multiple jumps
when the dog is showing promise.
*	 When	training	with	a	row	of	jumps,	
encourage your dog not to back
jump on his way back to you.
*	 Instead of placing the reward before
you send the dog, you can progress
to throwing the reward ahead of the
dog or having someone else throw
the toy for you. Just be sure your
throwing timing does not start to encourage the dog to look back at you.
Tricky business, be careful with it.
Teaching "Out"
In my world "Out" means there is a
definite lane change away from me for
the dog to move out to. It is a verbal
cue combined with a physical cue. The
physical cue is a strong arm cue with
a straight elbow, the palm is facing
away and the fingers are straight up
(think the Supremes singing "Stop in
the Name of Love"), the same side leg
steps forward when the hand goes up
and the verbal command is issued. The
voice, arm, hand, and leg are in sync
(palm above toes). The arm and leg are
the "dog side" arm and leg. There are
successful trainers who teach parts of
distance work with the off-side arm giving the cues, I simply prefer the on-side
hand and leg so that is how I teach it.

Training Tips
*	 Start the dog in a sit-stay in front of
the jump and lead out laterally so
that you are lined up with the middle
of the space between the dog and
the jump. See Figure 2.
*	 Step forward with the leg closest to
the dog, signal with the arm closest to the dog, and use your "Out"
command to release the dog, not
your formal release command. Be
patient-your dog might get a bit
mixed up here; just teach him what
you mean.
*	 Throw the toy out into the lane you
want the dog to end up in. Initially
throw simultaneously with the command, progress to throwing the toy
when the dog turns his head, so that
you are rewarding the look away. Reinforcing that look away is critical to
success.
*	 Work the dog on your left and
right side.
*	 To increase the difficulty, move the
dog closer to your position so he has
to shift farther out of his lane to take
the jump. You can also increase the
distance between the jump and the
dog's starting position and increase
the distance between you and the
dog and jump.

*	 Eventually place a trap/dummy jump
between you and the distance challenge. This can be very hard for dogs
and it is fine to place the reinforcement to help at first.
"Go On" or "Out"?
"Out" and "Go On" can get a bit tricky
when you are many lanes away, as you
might be in a FAST class or a Gamblers
class. Normally, if my position is so far
away from my dog that it will cause my
dog to turn back toward me I will use
an "Out" command, even if it seems
like the dog is not technically making a
lane change.
The choice of whether to use a "Go On"
or an "Out" command is situational. It is
based on the size and breed and temperament of the dog and the amount
of skill you have on board. It is also
influenced by which obstacles are in
play. For example, if your dog comes
out of tunnels looking for obstacles
you maybe best off to use a "Go On"
command, because the next on-course
obstacle is in the same lane as the tunnel exit. However, if your dog comes
out of tunnels looking for you, he will
be changing lanes as he exits the tunnel, even if just a little bit. Because
of that you will have to use an "Out"
command to re-direct the dog back
into the lane you wish he would have

2

Handling sends and

gambles in competition

Out!
Out!

to it that we may have

to visit it another time.
T

Meanwhile get your

T

Distance Work: "Out"
Leave the dog in front of the jump and lead out laterally so you are lined up with
the middle of the space between the dog and the jump. Release the dog with
your "Out" command and throw the toy out ahead of the dog. Work the dog on
your left and right. Increase the difficulty of the exercise by moving the dog's
starting position closer to you, moving your position farther away, or increasing
the distance between the dog and the jump.
58

is an art. There is so much

"Go On" and "Out"

commands trained well
and then we can apply
them to the distance
classes at the trials!

Clean Run | September 17
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