Clean Run Magazine - June 2009 - 3

® Cover The magazine for dog agiliTy enThusiasTs PHOTOS © TTl acTiOn PHOTOgraPHy, MeTTe Björne, DeB HageMan Of anigraPHS june 09 Volume 15 number 6 37 What Performance Dog Owners Should Know About Tick-borne Diseases, Part 2 Tick-borne illnesses are a growing concern across the U.S. Learn the facts so you and your vet can decide what is best for your canine athlete. By David B. Hyde DVM and Julie A. Roos DVM 56 Comparing the Derrett and Mecklenburg Handling Systems, Part 4: Front Crosses This month we compare front crosses in each system. The front cross is the maneuver that has the biggest difference in handling between the two systems. By the Clean Run Staff 79 The Table from the Ground Up The table is often a place of both time loss and dread. Some dogs see the table as 5 seconds of torture to be endured before moving on to more fun activity. Changing the dog’s perception of his time on the table is an achievable goal. By Debbie Sacerich 12 Communicating the Exit Direction Before Your Dog Enters a Tunnel Have you ever had trouble with a tight turn after a tunnel? Your dog can be trained to read motion cues that occur before he enters the tunnel so he knows exactly where to look and where to go when he comes out of the tunnel. By Jen Pinder © clean run Features 5 Editorializing: AKC Invites Mixed Breeds to Play The American Kennel Club’s new program for allowing mixed breeds to participate in obedience, rally, and agility isn’t perfect, but it’s a great start. By Lisa Selthofer 43 Handling Your Dog in Awesome Style, Part 14: Specialized Handling Situations In the first of two articles on the subject, the author discusses several specialized handling situations, obstacle discriminations and blind crosses, and how to handle these situations while continuing to maintain consistency in the APHS system. By Linda Mecklenburg 50 When Pigs Fly: Figure It Out with the Figure Eight, Part 2 In the second part of this article, we will look at how the figure-eight exercise can be used to practice previously learned skills as well as some new skills. By Jane Killion 67 Can You Handle It? Test your skills on the Small Individual Jumpers course from the 2008 FCI Agility World Championships that’s been modified to fit in a 60' x 80' area. By Marquand Cheek 71 Trainer’s Forum If you have a small practice area and one jump, there’s plenty of things to practice. This month’s trainers share their ideas. By Brenna Fender 17 Jenny’s Guide to Successful Teamwork: Foundation Training Jenny’s foundation training basically consists of reinforcing the cues used on course. The dog should be 100% tuned into your body and your cues. It’s important to build confidence in the dog, so that he knows he can always trust your cues. Even if you make a mistake in handling, you still always make sure to reward the dog. By Jenny Damm 29 Tricks for Agility: Jumping in Arms There’s something flashy and exciting about a dog that flies into the air and jumps into his handler’s arms after a run. But more than that, it’s a great way for a high-energy dog to end a run on a positive note and under the handler’s control. By Sassie Joiris 40 When the Magic is Missing: Balancing the Unbalanced Class One of the most challenging divides to bridge in the unbalanced class is the gap created when there is a wide range of training skills among students. This month we will discuss ways to bridge the gap. By Sandy Rogers 32 Proprioception: A Big Word You Really Do Need to Know About Learn why proprioception is so important on the agility course and try some simple exercises that can improve your dog’s performance and decrease the likelihood of an injury. By Dr. Debbie Gross Saunders 62 Are Food Targets Right for Your Dog? Stuart Mah demonstrates how open food targets, used correctly and taught properly from the beginning, provide a powerful, effective rewarddelivery system, improving speed and motivation in almost any dog. By Kip Kirby 74 Building Your Own Indoor Agility Arena For many, building your own facility seems an impossible dream. But did you know that for the cost of a nice RV, you could build that place to train? It doesn’t have to be just a wish. By Mark and Cindy Bills Columns 6 7 8 Tip of the Month By Sandy Rogers Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Agility… By Brenna Fender Backyard Dogs By Stuart Mah Cover Dog MACH Cayuga’s Almost Paradise CD, OF, a.k.a. Scuba, an 11-yearold Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever owned by Sue Barnett of Connecticut. Photo by Lesley Mattuchio. 25 Skill of the Month By Karen Holik 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 1995-2009 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. June 09 | Clean Run 3

Clean Run Magazine - June 2009

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Clean Run Magazine - June 2009