Working with Strider using a Tunnel and Dog Walk

Hello Everyone,

This weekend I decided to head out to my local agility training club to use some equipment that I don't own in order to get some more practice in with Strider.  Whenever I come out here to do my own training, I usually center my focus around the larger contact obstacles that I do not own, including the dog walk and A-frame.  Although this trip I did work with the A-frame, I mainly focused my training on the dog walk, like you see in the video.  Even though Strider is completely confident on the dog walk, the extra practice never hurts and I like to try different variations with it, like shown in the video.

Feel free to try these techniques with your dog at home and read through the following tips if needed.

To start off, I placed a 15ft tunnel underneath the dog walk with the opening near the entrance to the DW in order to increase the difficulty for my dog, this exercise is not just about your dog listening to the correct cue word, it is also about whether or not you use the correct body language when directing your dog to the obstacle you want him to take.  If you make a mistake while trying this out, always look down to where your feet are pointing, because usually the direction that your feet are pointing is what will cause your dog to take the obstacle they did.  This exercise can get a little frustrating if your dog repeatedly takes the wrong obstacle, so always remember that your body language is what they are paying attention to more than the word you are saying!

I hope this helps!

Happy training!

Strider ready to run while carefully staying in his 2on 2off contact

Strider descending from the dog walk

Strider's AKC Open JWW Run

Hello everyone!

This week we will take a look at Strider’s AKC Open Jumpers with Weaves run from the agility trial at Industry Hills Expo Center.  This trial was on November 28 and the dogs and I had a blast!  Both of them did great, adding Q’s and advancing in their title requirements.  After this qualifying run in jumpers with weaves, Strider now only needs one more Q and he will be competing in the Excellent class!  I am very proud of him and he is truly turning out to be an incredibly focused and fun agility dog!  

In this run, I was very pleased with a few things.  To start off, his speed was awesome and it truly shows how much fun he was having out there.  When we first started competing, he definitely seemed a little unsure about it all and he definitely wasn’t the fastest.  With this being said, I am so proud of how far he has come in just a few months and I can’t wait to see how much he improves in the future!

Another thing that made me very happy about Strider’s JWW run is the two rear crosses I was able to execute in the beginning and towards the middle of the run.  Strider has always been okay at his rear crosses, but since we have been practicing them a lot more lately, you can definitely see how much he understands them now.  Even though rear crosses seemed like they have to be intensely trained, a good rear cross relies on the handler, just as much as the dog.  If the handler’s timing is off, the dog could knock a bar or totally miss the jump completely.  With that being said, I am equally proud of myself for being able to time my rear crosses in order to make them the best they can be.

I hope you enjoyed watching Strider’s Open JWW run and hopefully you found some inspiration for your own training!  

Happy training!

waiting for our turn at the agility trial

Jump Sequence with Tight Turns & Teeter

Hello everyone,

So today after my Monday agility class at the agility club I attend, I decided the dogs needed some more work on tight turns.  I also decided to throw in the teeter because you can never get too much practice with that. 

I put together this short sequence which includes front crosses, tight turns, and one threadle.  It is great to practice this once your dog is good at jumping and following your commands.  Using tight turns is especially useful with a big dog because they tend to jump wide, which can result in a slower course time, or having them take the dreaded off course obstacle.  Notice I use the command, 'here' in this video when doing the tight turn in order to draw my dog close to me to perform the best turn possible. 

This course turned out to be pretty fun for me and Strider & Goliath had a great time too.  With an agility trial coming up on November 28, we have been practicing a lot in preparation for that trial and the many others we have in December.  With all this practice, the dogs and I will give our best performance possible!

Happy Training!

Training the "get out" command

Hello everyone!

This week we will look at the “get out” command, a fun and handy skill to train your dog for when you are running a course.  The “get out” command is useful for times when you need to send your dog away from you when they need to perform an obstacle that is impossible for you to get to.  It is handy also if your dog is fast, or at least faster than you. You can also use this command if the jumps are in a straight line (typically at the end of a course).  This will propel your dog forward and allow them to score the fastest time possible without you having to be directly by their side.

To train the “get out” command:

1. Begin with your dog and three jumps (the command can be used with any obstacles, but we will start off with just jumps)

2.  As seen in the diagram above, the far jump (pink) will be the one that you will use the “get out” command on

3. Lead your dog through the jumps in a normal way without too much distance from your dog and give the command “get out” when they take the pink jump.

4. Begin to slowly move away from the pink jump each time you run your dog through, still giving the “get out” command as they take the pink jump. (remember to reward that too!)

5. Eventually, you will be able to drive down a single straight line (as seen below) and give the “get out” command as your dog successfully takes all three jumps

Once your dog is confident with this command and ready to move on, I would recommend using this technique with a tunnel and when teaching them the different tunnel entrances.  You can use the “get out” command to direct the dog to take a far tunnel entrance when necessary.  This command can be used with any obstacle so continue to practice this command in various ways and always remember to reward your dog after they “get out.”

Happy training!