Clean Run Magazine - June 2007 - 73

Review: A DVD by Barb Davis By Brenna Fender Running contacts are an elusive but highly desired training goal for many competitors. In her 46-minute DVD, Barb Davis, a successful agility competitor whose dogs have won national championships, shows viewers the steps she uses to train running contacts. The DVD menu is broken down into ﬁve chapters: “Preliminary Work, A-Frame, Dogwalk, Retrain, and Pros and Cons.” Viewers can go directly to the section that interests them or they may choose the “Play All” option to watch the entire video. Viewers should watch the entire DVD at least once to make sure that they understand the method clearly before applying it. In a chatty and casual style, Davis discusses her dogs, their achievements, and her plans for the DVD in a manner that seems a lot more like a fun training class than a formal presentation. This friendly attitude is evident throughout the video while Davis demonstrates her training techniques. Sometimes it seems as if you are spying on one of her training sessions as she sets up an exercise, praises good efforts, and handles mistakes. She demonstrates how she trained Rock-It, her nationally known Shetland Sheepdog, to have reliable running contacts. She also shows what she did to retrain her talented Border Collie from a two-on/twooff performance to running contacts. Davis, a six-time AKC/FCI Agility World Team member, uses several different sizes of stride regulators, hoops, and targets in her training plan. She even incorporates the use of a Hit It Board (a pad that can be placed on the contact zone or on the ground that beeps when the dog hits it). All the props aren’t necessary for training the running contact method, but Davis shows how they can be used. The video would beneﬁt from a chapter Training Running Contacts with Stride Regulators that shows detailed plans for making the stride regulators and hoops, although they seem relatively simple to create. Some information on making or purchasing the items used in the video is included. Also absent are step-by-step lessons on how to apply the training method to all dogs. This information is omitted because the plan needs to be tailored to each speciﬁc dog. Davis provides the basic outline and viewers will have to adapt the placement of stride regulators to suit their own dogs’ physical structure and running style. Users of this technique must be observant or train with someone who is. Perhaps because of this, there is a lot of “showing” on this video rather than explaining. Visual learners in particular will be pleased, but detailed-oriented folks who want a scientiﬁc approach may be frustrated by this method of contact training since it seems to be art as well as science. Davis spends a lot of time showing the preliminary work that makes her technique effective. She does not advocate using the equipment right away with the regulators, which are made from PVC pipe. Instead she shows how to ready dogs for using the props by training with them on the ﬂat. The dog learns to jump the regulators and duck under the hoops in preliminary exercises, and then he knows what to do when he sees them on the A-frame or dogwalk. This step is important for safety reasons. Davis also shows how to position the regulators when ﬁrst using them on a lowered A-frame in a way that allows the dog to see them rather than be surprised at the last minute. This training helps to avoid injury. Davis also discusses the pros and cons of running contacts and demonstrates ways to improve a dog’s contact speed even if he is trained to do a two-on/two-off position. Davis does not claim that her method works Davis discusses her dogs, their achievements, and her plans for the DVD in a manner that seems a lot more like a fun training class than a formal presentation. for every dog and is very realistic about those that might or might not be successful using it. She even explains some reasons why a competitor might not want to pursue training running contacts. I like her “there is no one right way” approach. Davis even goes so far as to direct viewers to particular articles written on the two-on/two-off contact method. She also admits ways in which her own training (particularly retraining) has not had the desired results, but then shows how she managed to adapt so that the outcome was successful. I can’t imagine trying to train running contacts without a video like this one. It is straightforward, realistic, and honest. If you think you might want to train running contacts, this DVD would be a valuable addition to your agility library. D Training Running Contacts with Stride Regulators is available for $39.95 from Barb Davis or from www.cleanrun.com. Brenna Fender is a freelance writer with an undergraduate degree in mass communications and a masters degree in elementary education. She lives with her husband, two young children, a Vizsla, a Doberman Pinscher, a Whippet, and a cat. The dogs are collectively titled in agility, obedience, conformation, hunting, rally, and lure coursing. The cat, husband, and children are lacking in this regard. Contact Brenna at BrennaFender@gmail.com. June 07 | Clean Run 73

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Clean Run Magazine - June 2007

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