Running Contacts

August Running Contacts class is now open for registration - completely renewed and rewritten, with new DVD that comes with it!!

The changes are thanks to my puppy that can be a bit crazy at times, so I wanted to avoid doing real DW for as long as possible + avoid thrown and static toys as much as possible as she can be a bit wild picking those up! I've also made those changes because I like changes 🙂 , testing new things and improving things - LOTS of things were adjusted since 2002 when I started training RC - and many things changed since Running Contacts That Make You Smile DVD came out as well, so it was certainly time for new DVD and class material.

The major difference is that most work is done with no equipment and just a mat: working on turns, soft turns, straight exits and various handling before any DW work. The rest all stays pretty much the same, just that it goes much faster that way as the dog knows how to hit at full speed in all possible exit scenarios already before adding the dog-walk into the picture. This way you:

• shorten the whole process by focusing on understanding right from the start
• limit the work on equipment to the minimum by teaching it all on just a mat - meaning very little work on actual dog-walk needed
• eliminate the tossed toy phase, replacing it with just handing the toy to a dog, so it's much easier on their bodies - but still allows you to work with lots of speed well before adding a dog-walk into the picture

The idea is still the same, just the order is reversed a bit and made friendlier to young dogs and to people who don't have regular access to a dog-walk. 

The class is appropriate for total beginners (from 7 months old on), retrains from 2on2off and all who have running contacts already (even if not trained with a mat), but want to work on various exits or any other aspect of RC - all the feedback is completely individual, so all levels are welcome. I will also publish all the lessons right at the start of the class, so you can continue from wherever you currently are.

Minimum age for this class is 7 months and the minimum equipment is now just the new DVD + a mat - a doormat or smaller (and later on an occasional access to a dog-walk, ideally one that can be lowered) and enough room (living room is enough for very first steps, but then you will have to that mat to a yard or park and work there).

This class is 14 weeks long (+2 weeks of a catch up break in between). Next round starts on February 12th, with registration opening mid-January. So at the moment, you can only join as auditor or repeater of August class - and then enter the classroom HERE.

Please note that only those who took this class with the SAME dog before qualify as repeaters!

Here are some graduation videos of dogs from the previous class. I chose different sizes and only those who started from zero so you can see how far along they got in just 4 months: