Clean Run Magazine - August 2007 - 51

Wrap a Better Is it my imagination or is it reality that even though our agility courses are becoming more technically complex some dogs are achieving course times once thought to be impossible? For those who include competitiveness as an agility component, it seems as though part of our job description as handlers is to continually seek and search for new ways to meet our criteria of • Being more proactive and concise in our handling techniques, enabling us to expediently convey information to our dogs • Ferreting out methods of achieving faster course times You may be able to achieve both of these goals if you train (or retrain) your dog to follow Linda Mecklenburg’s “recall to heel” handling system. The foundation of her system is outlined in a three-part series in CR July through September 2004 issues entitled, “Using Heel Position in Agility.” This system is further explained in CR May 2005, “Achieving a Balance,” in which all the components of her handling system are explained in detail. When I retrained my dog in Linda’s system of handling, it took several months before she mastered Linda’s “golden rule”: Never allow your dog to cross the plane of your body. When my dog understood this concept, combined with our newly learned lateral distance skills, our team had a simple, effective means of communicating well-timed, proactive cues for more successful runs. I believe the ability to pre-cue your dog with proactive handling through Linda’s system, rather than relying on reactive handling, unlocks the secret of smooth runs: runs that are fast and flowing; runs in which your dog never has to break his stride. If verbal and body language cues are consistently given to the dog proactively in advance of each obstacle, the dog can process this succinct advance information about his future on-course path, allowing him to ask fewer questions (head-checking) of the handler. This, in turn, enables your dog to cover more yards per second, securing a faster course time. 80 By Undine Bistany Photos courtesy of Undine Bistany Handling a 180 In AKC competition, handlers first encounter 180° turns (wraps) on Open-level courses. Until now, we could choose from four handling options to complete a 180° directional change on a course. We could • • • • Do a shoulder pull Complete a front cross on the takeoff side of the obstacle Complete a front cross on the landing side of the obstacle Move past the plane of the obstacle with the handler assuming a landing-side position and motioning the dog with an extended arm to wrap around the jump Always an innovator of agility handling techniques, Linda has increased our options to include another choice, a combination of cues from her handling system, the reverse front cross (RFC). In those instances where an RFC is applicable, it may meet our criterion of being more precise in our body language, enabling the dog to get a tighter 180° wrap and thereby securing a faster course time. August 07 | Clean Run 51
Clean Run Magazine - August 2007

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