Dearlove Nested Class Course - Jul 11 & 18 2005

10 Jul 2005Steve Schwarz

This course works Beginners on Pin Wheels in both directions and/or Rear Crosses Learning the Rear Cross Rear Cross into the tunnel (depending on their readiness). Intermediate teams work a long Jump Chute with increasing approach angles, and a Threadle Mary Ellen Barry on Threadle Handling The Connection Between Threadles and Back Sides Traditional Threadle Handling Single Sided Threadle Handling Threadle Sequence. The Advanced groups get the same challenges as the Intermediate groups plus a double Pin Wheel on the closing.

Beginner Class

There are two exercises that can be used depending on the team’s abilities:

Work the white circled Pin Wheel exercise with the dog on the handler's left up to the table and with the dog on the handler's right from the table back to the start line (it will probably be best to break the sequence at the table)
Work on Rear Crosses into the tunnel from both sides of the handler. Start with the dog on the handler's left at jump 1. After all the teams have ended up at jump 3, repeat the sequence backwards with the dog starting at jump 3 on the handler's right.

Intermediate Class

Have the handlers walk the course and run it once without a specified handling. Then discuss the following handling options:

How close is 1-2-3-4 to a straight line? It is kind of a Threadle but (depending on the real life course setup) can be handled as either a single straight line or with 1-2 as a straight line with a push or pull out to jump 3 and then another straight line to jump 4.
Any advantage to handling 1-2-3-4 on the right or left? Rear Cross or Post Turn setup the tunnel better?
What side to handle the 7-8-9 Threadle? It should be important to get ahead of your dog approaching jump 8 - need a push out to 6 and over 7.

Hopefully the Intermediate handlers won't hate this one too much :^)

Advanced Class

The opening ten obstacle sequence is the same as for the Intermediate group. As usual have the handlers walk and run it anyway they like. In addition to the handling issues described for the Intermediate group consider the two handler paths drawn above. Do either make the double Pin Wheel handle any better? Which types of teams work one better than the other?

For the leftmost handler path the idea is to keep driving and Front Crossing down the path to turn the dog. It requires a push out to 9 and supporting the dog’s line. The handler has to be fast enough to stay ahead of the dog to jump 14. The rightmost handler path may be more motivating at the outset as the handler runs with and closer to the dog. The success of the push to 13 and then the Post Turn to 14 (push-pull handling) depends on how the dog responds to either (some dogs react better to pushing than pulling or vice versa). Depending on how far ahead of the dog can either Rear Cross or Front Cross to 15.

Another alternative is to handle using the left path and then Post Turn around jump 13 and then Rear Cross after 14.

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Dearlove Nested Class Course - Jul 11 & 18 2005

Beginner Class

Intermediate Class

Advanced Class

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