Clean Run Magazine - August 2007 - 29

7 Tight 2 8 9 3 Switch 1 An example of using "Tight" on a course. Using gates to teach the dog to turn away from you. Adding a jump to the exercise. Handling an Elite Course Let’s look back at the sample course in Figure 1 and examine various handling options. We will handle it without using the Bonus Box. Right off the start line we are faced with an A-frame/tunnel discrimination. Because it is at the start line, you can place the dog at jump #1 so that he is facing the tunnel as shown in Figure 10. I would lead out as shown and give a nice strong Out as the dog comes over jump #1. Because there is a tight turn after the tunnel, I don’t want to be running forward as the dog comes out of the tunnel. While the dog is in the tunnel I would move laterally toward the #4 weave poles. As the dog comes out of the tunnel I would give a Tight cue to encourage a tight line from #3 to #4. After the weave poles we are presented with a pinwheel to the dogwalk. Because the dog is on my left I need to either cross while my dog is in the weave poles or cross behind the dog at jump #5. I would cross behind jump #5 since this will also tighten his line to #6 and #7. I would give a Switch command as he takes off for #5. After the dogwalk we are again presented with the A-frame/tunnel discrimination, but in this case there is also an off-course jump in play (#3). I would not want to pull the dog too hard and cause him to take jump #3, but I also do not want to wait too long and cause my dog to take the off-course tunnel. So I would move laterally away from the dogwalk after I have sent my dog to it. As I send the dog over #9 I would stay to the outside of #3 (the side closest to the weave poles) and move down toward the A-frame. When the dog has performed the #9 jump, I would hesitate slightly to cue the dog to the A-frame and give him a Here command. My ideal position when the dog hits the A-frame is shown by the blue handler in Figure 11. The #10 A-frame to the #12 tunnel is pretty straightforward, but I would give a Tight at #11 to cue the dog for a tight line to #12. I would not want to go too deep in toward #11 since there is a turn coming out of #12 and I don’t want to be behind my dog. I could perform a front cross at #12 to pull the dog to #13 or I could give my dog a Switch to cue him to change directions. I would probably give my dog the Switch cue to turn into #13 so I could then position myself for the next sequence. Jumps #14 to #16 are also straightforward but because of the tight turn from #12 to #13 I may be behind my dog (which is why I opted to do a Switch at #12). I do not want to be too far behind my dog because there is a change of direction and a tight turn from #15 to #17. More than likely I would be behind my dog so I would cross behind him at #15 while giving him a Switch to cue a direction change at #16. I would also give him a Tight to create a nice line to the teeter. This portion of the course is the distance test so I would also be sure to stay behind the line. And then after the teeter is jump #18 and done! In my next article we’ll continue to discuss how to handle various sequences on NADAC courses. D 10 8 7 11 9 RC 4 3 6 Here 16 Switch 5 Tight Switch 10 17 10 Tight 15 2 Out Switch 11 1 12 14 18 Tight 13 August 07 | Clean Run 29

Clean Run Magazine - August 2007

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Clean Run Magazine - August 2007