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Advanced Class: A Little Piece of Evil - 01-Jun-2011

04 Jun 2011Steve Schwarz

Thanks to a Linda Mecklenburg International Handling Seminar I attended last week, I was inspired to add a double Back Side Handling the Quad Back Side - Patrick Bucher Course/VideoThe Connection Between Threadles and Back SidesBack Side/Back Side JumpBack Side of Jump Handling Combinations - Video handling challenge to my Advanced class course last week at For Your Canine. Linda had us working on a number of interesting combinations using a number of handling alternatives for these challenges. Meeker and I had a great time!

The course is otherwise pretty open where you can work on weave approaches, Jump Wraps, and end on a four jump Serpentine Serpentine Handling TechniquesSerpentine Sequence into the weaves.

Course Setup

I had my Intermediate class run the course in a couple sections (1-12 and 12-23), so we could focus on the skills/sequencing, using the black numbered 9 & 10. My Advanced/Masters class ran the white numbers.

Here are some handling thoughts:

  • The spacing on 1-2-3 is shorter than legal for any venue except TDAA so stay tight on the handler line and don't push your dog past the weave entry by racing forward before they are in the poles.
  • The jump wings and post between 5-6 made the best way to wrap 6 was to Rear Cross Learning the Rear CrossRear Cross on the take off of 6 and turn the dog to their right over the jump - it also gave the fastest/safest approach to the dog walk.
  • Front Cross Learning the Front Cross - VideoFront Cross the end of the dog walk and drive to tunnel entrance 8 with the dog on your right. Handlers who moved with confidence and made eye contact had no problem at all with the off courses or wrong side of the tunnel.

There are probably a dozen permutations for handling 9-10-11. Here are a couple to get you thinking:

  • Push to the back side of 9 - dog on handler's right - and Front Cross or Blind Cross over the bar worked well. You could also Front Cross on the flat on the take off side.
  • Push the dog around the left side of 10 is easiest.
  • Then either move backwards into a Ketschker jump wrap 11 or a Rear Cross jump wrap.

The rest of the course is run-and-gun:

  • Don't hesitate on the way to 15 - as soon as the dog is committed to the tunnel get moving. You will need to support 13 a little due to it's offset. But otherwise get ahead while you can.
  • Rear Crossing the approach to 15 sets a nice line to the A Frame.
  • If you can stay lateral to the A Frame you can Front Cross on the approach to 17 and handle the 17-18-19-20 Serpentine with the dog on the handler's left.
  • Alternately you can handle 17-18 with dog on the handler's right and Rear Cross the take off of 19 but you have to push forward so the dog stays to the back side of 20 - easier for big dogs than little ones.

I’ll be posting another article focusing on ways to handle 8-9-10-11, I’ve come up with 11 different handling strategies… Here’s the handling article with video.

Have Fun!

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