Clean Run - April 2018 - 3

Cover
THE MAGAZINE FOR DOG AGILITY ENTHUSIASTS

APRIL 18

PHOTOS © JO SERMON,
H. CHRISTENSON, BOBBIE LYONS

7
Training Freedom: Here I Go Again!
This month all three dogs continue
their work on sendaways and recalls
over jumps, contact behaviors, and
running on a dogwalk plank. Plus
Jo and Shady go back to toy-control
basics to tidy up some sloppy training. By Jo Sermon

VOLUME 24

13
Pressure, Part 2: Removing Pressures
on You, the Handler
When we get rid of unneeded pressures in training for both us and our
dogs, we can build confidence in our
skills, and where confidence lives,
pressure has a hard time surviving.
By Tammy Moody

NUMBER 04

Starting Off Right: Rear-Foot
Targeting
The rear-foot targeting skill can be
used to train performance-related
skills that require the dog to shift his
weight to his rear legs, including twoon/two-off contacts. By Bobbie Lyons,
CCFT, KPA CPT, Cert CF

Features
5

Editorializing: How Much Do We Risk?
I have made about every mistake in the book in
dog agility and I now make my living helping
competitors to undo the messes we create when
we enter a dog that is inadequately trained,
prepared, or supported. By Sarah Stremming

20 Team Small Dog Agility Humility: Savvy
Finances for the Fiscally Frisky Agility Handler
This useful agility financial planning worksheet
is only about dogs! Use some basic math to calculate your monthly dog costs which should help
you with agility-based investment strategies.
By Laura Hartwick
24 Managing Your Training Time, Part 3:
Preparing for Your Next Big Event
So you are motivated to train and get better.
You've been inspired by your instructor, recent
big events, or simply those soulful canine eyes
saying "let's do this!" Where do you start? How
do you know what to focus on? How do you
balance training and getting better with your
canine partner's fitness and well-being?
By Melanie Miller
35 Power Paws Drills: Focus on Weaves
The weave entries in this setup are not that
difficult, but some of entries (as well as the exits),
require you to keep your dog's focus on you as
you find your path to the next obstacle.
By Nancy Gyes
56 Plan of Action
For this month's drills we reward the dog for
coming to us after a tunnel and then redirecting
to a jump. By Mia Grant

60 The 25% Solution for Fine Tuning
Teamwork
This month's drills, which fit in a 60 x 40 foot
area, focus on challenging exits from obstacles
and 270s. By John Reid

16 The Value of Hoops
in Your Training
Hoops are a great tool for teaching foundation handling skills.
But they also have a huge advantage for more experienced teams
because they allow you to focus
on handling your dog at speed;
your timing has to be spot on.
By Robin Barber
28 Practically Training: Pull Cue
The pull is one of the "big three"
turn cues along with the front
cross and rear cross. Never underestimate the power of a strong
pull command. It is worth the
work to have it. By Sandy Rogers
41 Distance Jump Training for
Any Dog, Part 4
Absolutely any dog can be
taught to work at away from
their handler! It doesn't matter
how focused they are on you or
how much they stare at you over
every obstacle. You can overcome that with clear, methodical
well-rewarded behaviors.
By Stacy Winkler

63 Training Through the Seasons
Year-round exercise is important for the canine
athlete. Most of us enjoy conditioning our dogs
in the beautiful weather, but have more difficulty
when harsher conditions hit. Here are some ideas
to make it easy to continue your conditioning
program indoors. By Drs. Nicole Chun and M.
Chris Zink DVM, PhD

Columns
4

Themes Like a Good Idea By David Bozak

Tip of the Month By John Reid

12 My Favorite Jumping Exercise
By Marla Cooper
26 Backyard Dogs By Dudley Shumate

50 Isolating Different Types of
Jumps in Training
Different types of jumps (such as
the double and tire) require different physical performances from
our dog. To maximize his success
and preserve his confidence, we
need to isolate each type of jump
in a controlled environment,
without handling pressure.
By Susan Salo

Cover Dog
Ebb Tide's Rooting for Romeo RE,
AXP, OFP, XFP, CGC, WRD, DD1, a.k.a.
Romeo, a 5-year-old Newfoundland
owned by Shannon Bozeat of
New York. Photo by Karen Hocker
Photography

Clean Run (ISSN 1089-8506) is published monthly by Clean Run Productions, LLC. Principal office: 17 Industrial Dr., South Hadley, MA 01075. Periodicals postage paid at South Hadley,
Massachusetts 01075-9902 and additional offices. © Copyright 1995-2018 Bud Houston and Clean Run Productions, LLC. All world rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part
without written permission is prohibited. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Clean Run, 17 Industrial Dr., South Hadley, MA 01075.

April 18 | Clean Run

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Clean Run - April 2018