Shoulder Pull to Blind Cross - Video
25 Dec 2013
Here’s another “specialty” dog agility handling combination that I found interesting and wanted to share with you. As usual Dana Pike had a challenging course setup in class. This one let us play with multiple handling options for a Serpentine Serpentine Handling TechniquesSerpentine Sequence that started with a 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 wrap.
Here’s the obstacle setup showing how you came in to the sequence with the dog on the handler’s right:
I would normally handle this as a Push to the Back Side of the jump and then Front Cross Learning the Front Cross - VideoFront Cross to change Flyer from my right arm to my left and then move on to jump 12. Inherent in that is some hesitation as you switch arms and change from moving forward or slightly left to moving fully right.
Dana proposed an alternate handling using a Shoulder Pull Learning the Post TurnPost Turn/Shoulder Pull/Pivot Turn and then continuing the rotation through 360 degrees thereby Blind Crossing before Flyer took the jump and putting Flyer on my left. That had the big advantage that the handler keeps moving through out and can get further ahead. The handler challenge is completing the rotation soon enough so the dog sees enough turning cues before committing to the jump. As always you want the dog knowing they are to jump turning toward the handler’s new path.
I quickly set up a couple jumps at the end of my class last week and shot some video to show you what this looks like - I did it without winged jumps and you’ll see I didn’t execute it quite perfectly, but you’ll get the idea. I also put in side by side video comparison of my best and worst handling attempts.
I think this is another handling manuever that is worth knowing about and playing around with. Hope you enjoyed it!
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