Running Contacts

FAQ on Running Contacts on LoLaBuLand website covers a lot on how to teach it and answers some most frequent questions. But as I improved the method some by then, definitely read questions&answers here too and/or, even better, join running contacts long distance class.

You’re welcome to post your videos here, tell how long it took you to get to full height, problems you encountered and of course: how much fun it is to train them:). Videos are very welcome, it still brings a smile to my face when I see a beautiful running contact, it’s something addictive about it. It is on times frustrating, like for example when your puppy thinks jumping off the flat plank is a must -  but it all makes the end result even sweeter. So… Happy training, everybody!

  1. Lora Abbott’s avatar

    Lora Abbott on April 20, 2013 at 11:07

    Hi Silvia- I’ve been working on training a running dogwalk for a while with my 18 month old Rat Terrier. He’s doing a running A-frame already and a 2o2o teeter. We started with the RDW last August with the send to the Manners Mjnder method and just couldn’t really progress. Between injury, neuter surgery, winter, and just plain training setbacks, we never progressed past running on the carpet. I liked the way you taught it better than what I was getting with the other, so switched about a month ago after buying your video. I think he gets running the carpet very well after 8 months of work with it. Our first session with a plain plank went great as well, but our second session was horrible with tons of leaps. I have been working through the trouble shooting section of the video and he seems to do better from a sit stay (no tunnel send) and I have the carpet over the plank. He seems to have developed a pretty consistent, comfortable looking stride of one and a half hits, which results in a front foot hit. On the carpet he does this pattern almost 100% of the time and quite a bit on the plank. His rear foot hits on the plank occur when his stride is a little shorter, less confident, and I don’t think he is running as nicely. Now that he is doing better and not leaping (as often) should I alter his starting position to encourage the rear foot hits or just take the front foot hits, since he has shown he understands he can do either behavior? I obviously don’t want him to learn that the front footed hits are preferable but at this point they are better than his rear foot hits.
    Videos from our last two sessions:

    1. LoLaBu’s avatar

      LoLaBu on April 20, 2013 at 23:12

      The plank is not ideal, that’s why he was choosing to do just one hit on it -- wider, thinner and longer would be better. But I guess you’re getting enough of good ones now even with this plank to continue like this. For more rf hits, I think you’ll need more length -- try two planks end to end.

      1. Lora Abbott’s avatar

        Lora Abbott on April 23, 2013 at 10:02

        Thanks Silvia. Two planks end to end seems to have done the trick. I had to play around with starting position but now it seems like he is having an easier time meeting criteria. I’ve only done two very brief sessions but its almost like he is saying thank you for giving him more board to work with. I will stick with this set up for a while, but as a next step would you recommend fading the carpet off the “down” plank before raising it? How would you go about raising this kind of setup? A very low table (I think I can make mine as low as 4″) with an up and a down ramp? Doesn’t seem like placing a brick under the set up the way I have it now would be very stable. I haven’t had a chance to go back through the video yet for other suggestions about raising the set up when you are using something other than a regular plank.
        Thanks again! Kraft definitely thanks you too.

        1. LoLaBu’s avatar

          LoLaBu on April 23, 2013 at 17:28

          Great!!! You can fade the carpet now or later, it doesn’t really matter and he probably doesn’t need it in a first place. You can raise it as mini AF first, but then before you add too much height just switch to low DW -- see the video, that’s why we have it :)

  2. Courtney Iannello’s avatar

    Courtney Iannello on April 22, 2013 at 19:35

    Hi Silvia!

    Jenga is 7 months old and we’ve been working on the plank for about two weeks now. Not sure if I’m ready to raise the plank yet. He’s hitting pretty consistently, I’m jackpotting a lot, and clicking almost every time. What do you think? We’ll be signing up for class in June! Can’t wait!

    Thanks,
    Courtney

    1. Courtney Iannello’s avatar

      Courtney Iannello on April 22, 2013 at 19:36

      Oops, I should post the video.

        1. LoLaBu’s avatar

          LoLaBu on April 22, 2013 at 21:38

          The video is private, I can’t see it…

          1. Courtney Iannello’s avatar

            Courtney Iannello on April 22, 2013 at 21:54

            Sorry… I can’t seem to get this posted right today!

            1. LoLaBu’s avatar

              LoLaBu on April 22, 2013 at 23:05

              Maybe add some speedier approaches first (looks like he is starting from a stay not very far from the plank?) and if that goes well, raise it some yes.

              1. Courtney Iannello’s avatar

                Courtney Iannello on April 22, 2013 at 23:18

                You’re right, he isn’t far from the plank… Will try with some more distance! Thanks!!!

  3. ana’s avatar

    ana on April 28, 2013 at 08:14

    Hi Silvia, today was Astro first competition doing running A-Frame, I made some mistakes but he is a great dog :)

    1. LoLaBu’s avatar

      LoLaBu on April 28, 2013 at 22:54

      Great job for a first trial! Astro is really well trained already? Nice AF -- maybe some collection though, are you rewarding it from hand or why he didn’t drive ahead more?

  4. ana’s avatar

    ana on April 29, 2013 at 02:34

    Thanks Silvia, I don’t know, and he touched more high than he used to do in training, I allways reward him with a trow ball, now I’m trowing the ball when he touches the zone, Maybe I’m being to late to reward?

    1. LoLaBu’s avatar

      LoLaBu on April 29, 2013 at 21:05

      Switch to rewarding after the next obstacle, not directly after AF.

      1. ana’s avatar

        ana on April 29, 2013 at 23:19

        Thanks Silvia, I will do that next training

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