Agility Skills :: Spot On Agility

If you’ve been reading my blog over the last several years, you’ll know I LOVE give-a-ways, freebies and just about anything that resembles Christmas Day!

So I am excited to announce a 2on-2off Dog Agility Contact Training Challenge! This challenge is designed to help novice and experienced dogs that need refreshed or retrained contact behavior kick off the New Year with fun, accurate, reliable and amazing contact behaviors, that will last throughout their career.

Now doesn’t that sound like a great way to start off the new year?!

This Challenge is for EVERYONE – Beginner or experienced dog agility handlers are encouraged to enter (Click HERE) the 2on-2off Dog Agility Contact Training Challenge from January 9-16, 2012. Instructions for participating in the Challenge can be found on this page (Click HERE).

To join in on the fun, Challenge participants will upload their favorite challenging contact behavior ‘blooper’ to YouTube.com and then post it on the Spot On Agility Facebook page (http://www.facebook.com/SpotOnAgility) for voting from January 17-23, 2012. The YouTube video with the most comments and likes will be the winner. It’s that easy!

Prizes – Now here’s the really fun part…the winner of the 2on-2off Dog Agility Contact Training Challenge will receive over $350 worth of prizes, that include the following:

a copy of Spot On Agility’s 2on-2off Dog Agility Contact Training DVD (don’t worry, if you already have the DVD, you’ll receive a special alternate gift),
entry into our upcoming 2on-2off Dog Agility Contact Training Webinar set to begin February 1, 2012,
a private remote contact training session with me (founder of Spot On Agility and creator of the 2on-2off Dog Agility Contact Training DVD),
and most importantly, a tug toy and treats for your dog!

Each Challenge participant will receive private access with Lisa Selthofer to provide a detailed and customized answer to a question to help them improve their contacts, as well as a sheet of contact training tips created by Selthofer.

Here’s all you have to do:

Upload your contact behavior ‘blooper’ video to YouTube.
Post the link of your YouTube video on the Spot on Agility Facebook page (Spot On Agility’s Facebook page)
Enter the 2on2off Dog Agility Contact Training Challenge HERE.
Receive your free link (via email) to private access with Lisa Selthofer. This is your opportunity to ask one question of Lisa to help improve your contacts, additionally, you will receive a sheet of contact training tips created by Selthofer.
Tell your friends and family to comment and like your video on the Spot On Agility’s Facebook page. The video with the most comments and likes will be designated the winner. Voting begins January 17-23, and the winner will be announced on our FB page on January 24^th.
Have fun!

For a complete list of details, including how to enter, click HERE.

Dog Agility Course with 2 Push Backs

This is a continuation from my prior blog on the dog agility handling how to featuring the push back challenge.

One of the best parts of having an agility blog is sharing ideas and resources from other readers. In this case, John Senger a way cool agility judge from Texas, shared an agility course he designed back in 2004 that features TWO push backs!

If you are looking for a good agility course challenge, then keep reading!

As you can see from the agility course map (click on the picture to make it larger), the first push back is shown in red and is strategically placed between jumps number 11 and 12. The second is shown in green and immediately follows with jumps number 12 and 13.

This folks is what is fondly referred to as an agility handling area where the first mistake often made is that the handler forgets the art of breathing as they enter this agility sequence.

Lucky for us, we can break this challenge down to work on specific skills and to increase our confidence (should we ever encounter John’s Super-Duty-Agility-Push-Back Challenge at an agility trial).

Here’s the agility training plan I propose.

Master this skill by practicing on my earlier agility blog since there are less off course options.
When you are ready to move to this agility course, setup agility equipment obstacles number 9 through 13 ONLY. Resist the temptation to immediately setup the off-course options (like the #7 jump and the #14 tunnel).
Train this agility handling maneuvers. Depending on the agility dog and agility handler’s skill level, you may want to practice these sequences WALKING and treating each step of the way. As the saying goes, you have to walk before you can run.
Once you feel you have mastered walking the sequence with your dog, go to running the agility course sequence.
If all goes well, next add in the agility off course options and put it all together.

I can’t wait to hear how this training sequence went for you and I know I’ll be setting this agility course up for my students after the holiday break.

For more information on how to train the Push-Back, click HERE.

Archive for Agility Skills

2on-2off Contact Training Challenge – 2012

Agility Handling – More Push Backs