Clean Run Magazine - March 2008 - 63

Spy Kids Goals to Prepare for Comp ion ompetition By Nancy Gyes Photos by Marcy Mantell Photography Sweep is now 15 months old. His training is still progressing steadily and we are setting goals that are focused on completing his equipment training and preparing for his competition career. Jim and I normally begin competing with our dogs when they are just over 18 months old. Sweep is doing well on his jumping/handling exercises, but his contacts and weaves are not fully trained. Here’s an update on contacts and weave training. Teeter Sweep is still perfecting the game of jumping up on the teeter from the side and driving down to his target. The teeter is getting higher and higher now, and Sweep needs to pull the board down as he jumps up to reach the plank. You should practice with your own dog at an appropriate height for your dog’s physical dexterity as well as his height and body length. Sweep has also been introduced to a low training teeter so that we can begin practicing approaching the ascent side of the teeter as well as traversing the full 12' board. Our goal for the teeter during the next month is to combine the “grab the board and target” with the work we have done on the low teeter to get him up to fullsize teeter training and to add approach obstacles to the teeter performance. A-frame Choices: To Run or Not To Run Jim and I would love for Sweep to have a reliable, fast running A-frame. There are not many handlers in the world who would not say the same. There is an argument that with a running A-frame a handler cannot keep up with the dog, but of much greater concern is the reliability of the method chosen to teach the dog to consistently touch yellow. There are really only a handful of large competitive dogs in the U.S. that have a reliable running A-frame, but the numbers are growing. It certainly is not a requirement to have a running A-frame with your large dog to still be very competitive. Until this year I March 08 | Clean Run do not remember a large dog having won the USDAA or AKC Nationals because of a running A-frame. In November 2007, Stephanie Spyr, won the 22" Grand Prix Finals in Scottsdale, Arizona, with her four-year-old Border Collie Rage. Her spectacular and reliable running A-frame certainly played a part in that win. There are many small dogs with running A-frames and to be competitive at the lower jump heights, having a running A-frame is coming close to being a requirement. To have a reliable running A-frame with a medium or large dog though requires some excellent dog training skills, paired with a reliable method for teaching the dog to stride well into the yellow zone 100% of the time. Yet, some part of the success will depend on the length of the dog’s stride as well as the dog’s overall structure and physical ability. Some of the methods currently being used to teach a running A-frame are stride regulators, electronic mats, and targeting in various positions both on and off the down ramp. There are proven methods that work well teaching small dogs to run the A-frame. Since I have been successful teaching my 63

Clean Run Magazine - March 2008

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