Clean Run - May 2012 - 78

Four Handling Tools for Obstacle Discrimination
By Dawn Weaver, photos by Graham Bryant Obstacle discrimination: a choice of one obstacle over another when the obstacles are positioned in such a way that the correct obstacle isn’t the obvious one.The courses in Europe always reﬂect a fair amount of obstacle discrimination as is seen yearly at the FCI World Championships. If the dog has no question marks in his mind about the next correct obstacle then he has the ability to handle these courses at speed. I believe that this type of challenge, whenever possible, should be handled in a way that informs our dog of the correct next direction rather than constantly stalling our dogs by pulling them off obstacles. In other words we can say to our dogs “yes, drive in that direction” rather than “no, stay with me, stay with me.” Over the years I have come to realize that my dogs have four handling tools I can use with regard to obstacle discrimination. Note: In all of the diagrams in this article we are assuming that the sequence is midcourse and that we haven’t the beneﬁt of a lead-out.
© WENDI PENCILLE/HORSEFEATHERS PHOTOGRAPHY

Shoulder Direction
This is our dogs’ preferred choice and I have found that my shoulder direction must be correct for my dogs not only to achieve the next correct obstacle, but also for their acceleration around the course. If I am constantly doing 1 false turns then my dog is not free to drive forward. Take pull-throughs, for example. When I am on the 4 3 same side of my dog and he is pulling through a gap
2A 2B

toward me on a course, instead of doing a false turn and subsequently stalling my dog for two strides or so, I turn completely to face the gap as shown in Figure 1. This means I don’t need to step away from the jumps to pull the dog through since simply rotating slightly more and giving him a new direction brings the dog through the gap fast. Notice in the diagram the handler path, too.The handler has used lateral distance and run straight to the wing of jump #4 instead of running to jump #3. This means that the handler won’t be moving across to #4, thereby possibly cueing the back side of jump #4. To stop the dog from thinking there is an obstacle to perform in that direction, I would also use a “brake hand” once the dog is committed to the gap. This is shown in the photos in Figure 2.
2C

2

1

78

Clean Run | May 12

Clean Run - May 2012

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Clean Run - May 2012

Clean Run - May 2012
Contents
Editorializing: Our Best Agility Moment
Tip of the Month
Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Agility…
Backyard Dogs
Embrace Your Dog’s “Inner Naughty” to Build Tug Drive
Building Blocks: Building Value for Jumps and Teaching Sends
From Hoof to Woof: What Riders Can Teach Handlers
Teaching the Weave Poles
Power Paws Drills: New Fun Drills with Letter H
Formula for Success
Analyze This! Judge Thomas Ammitzbøll
Review: Rubberizing Contacts
What’s in Your Toolbox?
Agility Mind Gym: Focus and Distractions
Tips for Purchasing a Supplement
Centered Dog Agility: A Closer Look at Reeducating Mind and Body
How to Become an Agility Judge
The Agility Road Less Traveled: Competing with Shy Dogs
Four Handling Tools for Obstacle Discrimination
Clean Run - May 2012 - Clean Run - May 2012
Clean Run - May 2012 - 2
Clean Run - May 2012 - Contents
Clean Run - May 2012 - 4
Clean Run - May 2012 - Editorializing: Our Best Agility Moment
Clean Run - May 2012 - Tip of the Month
Clean Run - May 2012 - Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Agility…
Clean Run - May 2012 - Backyard Dogs
Clean Run - May 2012 - 9
Clean Run - May 2012 - 10
Clean Run - May 2012 - Embrace Your Dog’s “Inner Naughty” to Build Tug Drive
Clean Run - May 2012 - 12
Clean Run - May 2012 - 13
Clean Run - May 2012 - 14
Clean Run - May 2012 - 15
Clean Run - May 2012 - 16
Clean Run - May 2012 - 17
Clean Run - May 2012 - Building Blocks: Building Value for Jumps and Teaching Sends
Clean Run - May 2012 - 19
Clean Run - May 2012 - 20
Clean Run - May 2012 - 21
Clean Run - May 2012 - 22
Clean Run - May 2012 - From Hoof to Woof: What Riders Can Teach Handlers
Clean Run - May 2012 - 24
Clean Run - May 2012 - 25
Clean Run - May 2012 - Teaching the Weave Poles
Clean Run - May 2012 - 27
Clean Run - May 2012 - 28
Clean Run - May 2012 - 29
Clean Run - May 2012 - Power Paws Drills: New Fun Drills with Letter H
Clean Run - May 2012 - 31
Clean Run - May 2012 - 32
Clean Run - May 2012 - Formula for Success
Clean Run - May 2012 - 34
Clean Run - May 2012 - 35
Clean Run - May 2012 - 36
Clean Run - May 2012 - 37
Clean Run - May 2012 - 38
Clean Run - May 2012 - Analyze This! Judge Thomas Ammitzbøll
Clean Run - May 2012 - 40
Clean Run - May 2012 - 41
Clean Run - May 2012 - 42
Clean Run - May 2012 - 43
Clean Run - May 2012 - 44
Clean Run - May 2012 - Review: Rubberizing Contacts
Clean Run - May 2012 - 46
Clean Run - May 2012 - 47
Clean Run - May 2012 - 48
Clean Run - May 2012 - 49
Clean Run - May 2012 - 50
Clean Run - May 2012 - 51
Clean Run - May 2012 - 52
Clean Run - May 2012 - What’s in Your Toolbox?
Clean Run - May 2012 - 54
Clean Run - May 2012 - 55
Clean Run - May 2012 - 56
Clean Run - May 2012 - 57
Clean Run - May 2012 - 58
Clean Run - May 2012 - Agility Mind Gym: Focus and Distractions
Clean Run - May 2012 - 60
Clean Run - May 2012 - 61
Clean Run - May 2012 - 62
Clean Run - May 2012 - Tips for Purchasing a Supplement
Clean Run - May 2012 - 64
Clean Run - May 2012 - Centered Dog Agility: A Closer Look at Reeducating Mind and Body
Clean Run - May 2012 - 66
Clean Run - May 2012 - 67
Clean Run - May 2012 - 68
Clean Run - May 2012 - 69
Clean Run - May 2012 - How to Become an Agility Judge
Clean Run - May 2012 - 71
Clean Run - May 2012 - 72
Clean Run - May 2012 - The Agility Road Less Traveled: Competing with Shy Dogs
Clean Run - May 2012 - 74
Clean Run - May 2012 - 75
Clean Run - May 2012 - 76
Clean Run - May 2012 - 77
Clean Run - May 2012 - Four Handling Tools for Obstacle Discrimination
Clean Run - May 2012 - 79
Clean Run - May 2012 - 80
Clean Run - May 2012 - 81
Clean Run - May 2012 - 82
Clean Run - May 2012 - 83
Clean Run - May 2012 - 84
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