Well well well, I have to talk about contacts and a little debate I'm having at the moment.
I have taught Diva a 2020 for both a-frame and dog-walk. This enables me to have a quick release if I need it but ensures I have a reliable dog on her contacts (obviously not 100% as she is not a robot although she is a magic dog, lol) :-) The last time at training I quick released Diva every time and she nailed them - very naughty of me as I didn't go back and hold them before the session was over. Nevertheless, next time at training I will do a few quick releases but more holding them - hopefully I haven't lost them :-S She has very fast contacts and I have put in a lot of hard work and time into them so I don't want to stuff them up.
Now what to do with Mini??? She had a fast dog walk and I have been teaching a 2020 and now completely stuffed up her walk- doh!!! I think I may stick with the 2020 on the walk and work on improving it - as I am in 2 minds I don't want to work on 1 method then change my mind and ask for something else along the line - this will just lead to confusion and totally stuff her up. So I'm not sure if I want a 2020 or a running???? hmmmm. The other thing is the a-frame. We have been working on a running a-frame and when she gets it - boy she gets it. Move over Diva 'casue the Minxter is coming through. I am again half hearted in a running a-frame but she can do it sooooooooo fast and am thinking about persuing this - again in 2 minds and don't want to stuff her up. I have been slack in training mini in agility and want to get her properly going for next year. I want good contacts that I can come out the ring thinking "yeh that was nice - good job" rather than "OMG my heart skipped a beat and almost completely stopped".
Since I have been searching for Mini's best methods and what she can do quickest and easiest naturally I have been faced with another question which seems to be varied in answers - how to time your contacts and how long to hold them for? I will be working on this with mainly diva for the next few weeks. I have an idea in my head what I want to do but am I wrong?
If I am timing her contacts do I time them from the point she touches the up to the point she leaves the contact? From the point she touches the up to the point she touches the down contact? Remembering I will be holding her on 75% of the sessions? hmmmmm.
On this note do I have a standard time to hold her on? one second, two seconds, five seconds? Do I be consistant on the timing?
Do I then count the 2 seconds from the point she hits the up contact - one, two, then release her or do I hold her on the down contact, one, two then release her? To me it makes sense to hold her on the down contact for one, two, five, etc, seconds then release but others seem to be doing this a bit different?
Over the next few weeks I'll work on contacts and keep with a 2020 for the walk and running frame for now, and also diva's contact - I'll work on my own timing methods i.e. count when she is at the end "one, two, disco" and will also vary the timing length - but have it in my head before we do the obstacle. I am interested in your opinion though - what do you think about the contacts?
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2 comments:
Hey Jules!!
What an interesting topic!
I guess it doesn't REALLY matter when you start your timer,as long as you're consistent.
Most people time from the moment the dog hits the ground and then stops it once the dog has been released.
I guess the only problem with timing from the start of the obsticle is that (hyperthetically) 2secs isn't very long, so potentially your dog isn't being "held" on it's contacts for an "extended" period of time.
Hope this helps
Megan
Hi Meegs
I thought the same as you - time when the dog has stopped on the 2020 position. Then you are being consistant on your hold - be it 2 seconds or 10 minutes yawn. This is what had me scratching my head. There are some who are not doing this though and I am intersted in other methods.
I know 2 seconds isn't long for a walk so you want to make sure your dog is hammering to the end to even get a decent "pause" on their contact (that's if they even make it to the end in 2 seconds lol). The a-frame is a different story though but still not much of a pause unless you don't count in seconds and rather count in milliseconds. I can count up to 20 in 2 seconds - timed myself too :-)) (actually done it in 1.97 seconds - beat that then, lol).
Jules
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