Clean Run Magazine - November 2008 - 80

Handling theory is ever-evolving, and due to our current understanding of positional cues, we now use fewer front crosses than we would have four to ﬁve years ago. If we cannot get to a positional cue in time to decelerate then we should do a rear cross. You don’t try to use a front cross if you can’t make it to the correct position. timing does not matter is absurd. Can you imagine the confused dog I would own if while teaching the sit I randomly used all four quadrants of operant conditioning to teach the behavior? And what if I varied the timing of reward or punishment within a period of 10 seconds? But, even when you practice honing your timing and you follow the rules of a system, you will still make some mistakes in your handling. And when you get it wrong, your dog will show you very clearly. I know this only too well. At the 2007 FCI Agility World Championships, I did a simple front cross in the Individual Jumping class and my dog was called for a refusal. You can find the run on lots of web pages and see that the front-cross timing is great; GT picks up the turn nicely and then accelerates hard to the RZ. But when the handler is 6’ away from the correct positional cue and the dog is trained to drive to the RZ, you will get a refusal call. Great dog you know the rest! It would be easy for me to say that the handling system wasn’t working and look to change things to suit rather than realizing my error and working to make sure that next time I do not make such a basic mistake in execution. As the speed of dogs increases and competing countries look to catch up with one another, it is likely we will see more wide-turning dogs. This is because the faster the dogs go, the harder it is to get the tight lines we all desire. One of the current solutions is for the handler to start turning very early on the front cross. There is a definite short-term gain with this strategy, but in the next article I will discuss the fallout we’re seeing from early front crosses to try to help to prevent (or at least explain) some of the problems you and your dog may be having. I’ll also offer some drills for how to improve your timing and proof your dog’s understanding. D In Conclusion It’s easy to say when to do a front cross, but it’s hard to execute correctly. You need to develop proper timing. Timing is something you have to work at often. You also need to stick to rules. Handling is a science, not an art. Art doesn’t have rules, but science does. Animal training is also a science. Handling is an integral part of dog training and to pretend that there should be no rules and that Greg Derrett has been competing in agility since the late 1980s and has won a national final in Great Britain in 15 of the last 16 years. He has an advanced studies diploma in animal behavior and his proven methods of training have helped him stay at the top of British agility. Several of his clients have won national finals in several different countries and gold medals in international competitions. Greg has three videos on agility training for sale and he also offers online lessons. Greg lives in the U.K. with his wife, Laura, and their seven Border Collies. Visit his website at www.gtagility.com. gratulations Heidi Fischer & MACH Wilson XF Con July 12, 2008 in Perry, GA Wilson was rescued from the Humane Society of the Treasure Coast, FL PHOTOS COURTESY OF GARY CAMPBELL PHOTOGRAPHY We are all so proud of you and what you have accomplished. Your patience, kindness and hard work have made a difference. From your family and friends: Love Mother • Love Dana & the rest of your Pack • Ma, Bob & Sadie D. • Kelly, Bob & The Boxers • Maggie & Lizzie • Cindy, Kota & Brodie • The MAA Group - Al, Dana & Shaun • Cheryl, Sam & The Eskies • Sonya Cerron & The Gang • John & Gayle York - Bow-Wow Dog Training • Mary, Cookie & Paco • Debbie, Lacey & Heidi • Kathy & The Hop Along Gang • Mindy Cox & Bella • With love from Pam, Harry & Team Vizsla • Marie Davino of Mikamar Shelties • Robin Sarno, Ben & Toby • Maggie Mae & Blu Becker • Michelle Lively, Becky & Piper • Leslie Granville-Smith & Hope • Cynthia & Patrick Kean, Nell, Beau & Tickle • Barb & Al Holbrook & The Fur Kids • Lisa, Bandit, Rowdy & Trigger • Loretta, Murphy, Zoey, Roxy & Bogey • Bill, Sue, Sam, Paddy, Patrick & Abby • Susie & Hailey 80 Clean Run | November 08

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Clean Run Magazine - November 2008

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Clean Run Magazine - November 2008