Time for Some Jumping Sequences

The ground was finally dry enough for Belle to do some jumping.  I downloaded a set of four exercises that Daisy Peel made available to her subscribers a few days ago, and spent a few days working on them in between DW practices.  In addition to the course maps and handling suggestions, Daisy provided a video demonstrating her suggestions for running the sequences. (You can become a subscriber by going to Daisy's website.)

The exercises provide practice for blind crosses and Ketschker turns.  The first time, I tried Exercise #1, I wasn't far enough ahead to get in the blind cross.  The second and third times, I put it after the wrong jump.  When I realized my error, I went out and did it the way Daisy suggested.  It was ever so much easier to do the blind cross where she suggested, and it was as fast as our first run where I didn't do any change of sides.

In the first exercise, Daisy is able to go into the pinwheel and get in a blind cross two jumps later.  However, the only way I could get the blind cross in was to stay out of the pinwheel pocket.  Daisy wrote an article for this month's issue of Clean Run in which she discusses location cues.  One of the location cues she writes about is for a pinwheel and the slippery slope of stopping on the take-off side of the first jump.  Hmm, but I do that all the time, and Belle seems to understand when I want the pinwheel, when I want a wrap of the first jump and when I want her to do a 180.  So I must be doing something that lets her know what I want.

The article really got me to thinking though and I decided to try Ashley Duncan's "Turn and Burn" course at Agility U.  I may or may not agree with how he trains and/or cues his dog for turns, but it should provide a logical progression with which to work out my cues.

Just a little note about the exercises in the video.  I wouldn't necessarily handle these sequences as suggested in a trial setting if for no other reason than if I tried to run so aggressively, I probably wouldn't make it to the finish line.  However, the point of practice sequences is to try things that I wouldn't think of on my own and/or that are out of my comfort zone. 

Scotti's Seite

I have been a big fan of ScottisSeite on YouTube for several months.  I don't speak German, but I gather from watching the videos that Tanja and Claudia started their agility careers about three years ago and now conduct agility seminars on a fairly regular basis.  I am fascinated by how different Tanja’s handling is from what we see in America.  Her hands are extremely important in her handling--much more important in the hierarchy of communication than is the case in this country.  Additionally, at times her body becomes another obstacle on the agility course—one she uses to shape her dogs’ path, not block off-course choices.  Tanja also has the option to send her dogs when it is appropriate.

If you watch some of her trial videos, you will see why Tanja needs these tools.  German courses are quite different than the ones we see in this country regardless of venue.   Unfortunately, I'm not articulate enough to describe the difference.  To me the courses are more complex and require a lot of 180's and by-passing of obstacles.  Yet the good handlers make them look like there is an organizing principle in their design that allows both handler and dog to really get it into gear.

Now that my ankle has begun to become more flexible, I'm looking forward to working on Belle's speed.  I based my current course on one that Tanja posted on June27th.  Since I really, really wanted to work on the Ketschker turn, I made the course symmetrical and replaced the weaves with a long, straight tunnel. 

More on the Ketschker Turn

Apparently the Ketschker turn has been around for several years in Europe.  I emailed Steve Schwarz, the Agility Nerd, a link to my second session and he replied that the Ketschker is used primarily to tighten up jump wraps.  His advice was to not use two obstacles to train it as that might end up diluting the cue to wrap.  Also he did a post in his blog on April 11th about jump wraps, and one of the methods he covered was the Ketschker.

Here is a video that demonstrates a lot of wrapping with the Ketschker:


I broke my ankle Saturday evening, so I won't be able to do any more work on this fascinating maneuver (or any other agility) for at least eight weeks.  I'm hoping to really work on Belle's directionals and her service dog skills ;-)  Additionally, I want to re-commit myself to my weight loss goal for the NADAC Championships in October.  If I don't curb my fork, I'll end up 20 pounds heavier by the time the cast comes off.  Wish me luck.

Rose 

The Ketschker: A Different Type of Blind Cross

Added 06/13/2013:  The first video of me introducing the Ketschker to Belle has nearly 1,000 views.  Since I really didn't have a clue as to what I was doing, that is really unfortunate.  Here's a short video I shot today that shows a much more systematic way to introduce this move:

 

Original Post:
 
I was watching some videos posted lately by ScottisSeite on YouTube, and saw a very interesting handling maneuver.  The handler moves backward toward a jump and the dog takes the jump and goes behind the handler to the other side of the handler.  Here's a video from three years ago of someone training the maneuver, which is known as a Ketschker:

Here is a more recent video from a seminar that shows people using the Ketschker:

I decided to try teaching Belle this move.  Here is my first effort this morning.  It's a rather blatant example of how not to train.



After I edited this morning's video and looked for a couple of examples from ScottisSeite to include in this post, I spotted how to indicate the move to Belle at 1:54 in the second video above.*  Watch the lady's hands.  She is basically using the hand movements we use in obedience to teach a dog to return to heel position by going around the handler's right side.   Well, duh, we may not do much obedience, but we have worked on that skill.  I went out again with Belle and managed to quiet my arms and body and get a much better response from her.

*(Note:  To me it doesn't look like everyone is using this particular signal, but for Belle and me it seems like a good starting point.)

Here's the video of our second session: