Advanced Class: Balancing Cues and Choosing Sides - 25-May-2011

25 May 2011Steve Schwarz

Here’s the course from my classes last week at For Your Canine where you can work on 270s Handling 270 Degree Jump SequencesBack Side Entry to 270/Training Opportunity - Video270 Degree Jump Sequence, Jump Wraps, and end on a Threadle Mary Ellen Barry on Threadle HandlingThe Connection Between Threadles and Back SidesSingle Sided Threadle HandlingTraditional Threadle HandlingThreadle Sequence or a Serpentine Serpentine Handling TechniquesSerpentine Sequence. But my emphasis was having students use their cues to get their dogs to always know the next obstacle when committing to the previous one, giving nice fast and smooth turns. This course is basically a Jumpers With Weaves style course with a dog walk tacked on the beginning - I didn’t have time to move the DW and I didn’t want to have students come to it mid course with speed on such a short entrance at a 90 degree angle. So you could start with obstacle 3 if you don’t have a DW handy.

Course Setup

Here are some handling thoughts:

  • Front Cross Learning the Front Cross - VideoFront Cross over jump 4 to tighten the turn and so you pick up your dog on your right arm.
  • Shoulder Pull Learning the Post TurnPost Turn/Shoulder Pull/Pivot Turn around to the weaves
  • End of weaves either get ahead and Front Cross the exit and Shoulder Pull to 7 (don't cue too much extension or you'll get the off course 8) or hang back and Rear Cross Learning the Rear CrossRear Cross the approach of 6 and then push forward (takes patience but can set a straighter line to 7).
  • 7-8-9 can be handled on either side... you have multiple options!
  • I stole 11-12-13 from Dana's course this week :^). You need to cue collection on the approach to 12 and drive to the correct tunnel entrance, shape the approach to 12 so the dog's line is back toward 13, or get ahead and get a front cross between 12 and 13.
  • 14-15-16 - layering jump 9 caused some dogs to pull off the tunnel - most teams the handler should just hustle and get in there to the opening and still be in position on the exit.
  • The big spacing in the 16-17 (white numbers) 270 meant turning the dog to their right the whole way worked best. Good place to blend shoulder pull with jump wrap cue - keep dog close and keep moving.
  • Front or Rear Cross approach to 18.
  • Don't go too deep to 19 - the post/wing guaranteed the dog took the jump. You need to hustle to stay ahead in the serpentine. Especially since you have to be in position for the jump wrap at 22 to avoid the off course tunnel. Everyone got it (eventually)!
  • You can try out the alternate (black numbered) ending too - you need to get around jump 17 to show a good line to 18.

Have fun!

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