Too slow for your dog?
There was a discussion on Facebook recently, about the European style course that somebody posted, with tons of people commenting on how impossible the course is to run for 1. big dogs, 2. short handlers, 3. old handlers. It sounded like in order to get the World Champion, the best would be to measure the dogs&handlers and let the tallest handler with the smallest dog win as everybody seemed to think that big dogs can't turn tight and short handlers can't get to places.
I guess you guessed that I disagreed. 🙂
I've heard it a million times already: "I'm not fast enough for my dog!" And they were right: they were not fast enough - because they were not moving!!! The length of their legs and their age never had anything to do with it: no legs and no youth will help you be in time if you're not moving, but instead stare at the dog or follow some rules on only being allowed to turn after the dog lands... - Baby, by the time my dogs land, I'm not only turned, but already way ahead, probably at the next obstacle already! And no legs will help you catch me 🙂
So no, it's not about the length of the legs. It's about trusting your dog, teaching him a good commitment, sends and distance skills and then just showing him a jump, trusting them they will take it and RUN at the next spot you're needed. Landing is not your problem. If you saw your dog taking off, then don't worry: s/he will land, no dog ever got stuck in the air. Seeing your dog's take off point also tells you exactly where s/he will be landing, so there is really no reason to stay there and stare: landing is not your problem - take off is. So take care of that take off and then take off to help with the next take off - your job there is finished as soon as you see the dog is committed. At that point, he should also already know where the next obstacle after that one is, so you're really not needed there anymore.
It's also not about the youth. I was 15 years younger 15 years ago (go figure! 🙂 ) and was running slower dogs as I do today and on easier courses as today and yet I was never able to get anywhere. The picture below will show you why. But being addicted to learning, I've learned some important lessons in those almost-20 years I do agility - and they allow me to be faster every next year. I might be older, but I'm smarter 🙂
 |
 |
1994 Can you see the difference? 🙂 2010
When I started, we only knew rear crosses: we handled everything from behind. Handling from behind is still the easiest for me and I can handle everything from behind. But I handle 99% from in front now. - Because I learned that it's faster, clearer and more efficient that way. I saw my first front cross ever on my first World Championships in 1997, went home to set that exact situation at home and executed first front cross in Slovenia 🙂 Front crosses made me much faster as a rear cross automatically puts you behind the dog - and that's exactly why I don't like them.
Then, I learned about a blind cross and how bad it is - but then observed handlers in my seminars and learned it's just another myth as those who though that blind cross will take you to hell had more problems with having their dogs come to the correct hand after tunnels for example (you can do as many front crosses as you want when the dog is in a tunnel - he won't see you - so you can just do a blind cross 🙂 ) while those who were doing blind crosses too had dogs with much better understanding of hands and had less confusion. So we mastered the blind crosses too and guess what - it made me even faster! And even more: it taught me how much faster I can get to places if I don't need to circle my feet around and every since, I'm a big "no feet, just hand" fan and hey - it put me in a completely another gear again! You can't believe how much faster you can run if your feet are facing the right direction!!! 🙂 🙂 🙂
Together with teaching cik&cap and the commitment and distance skills that come with it, feet turned in the right direction all the time will definitely take you to places soon enough IF of course you trust your dog and run instead of stare. Oh, speaking of myths: never take your eyes off of a dog??? Yeah right. If you trust your dog enough and know where he will be landing and he knows where he is going next, you can of course take your eyes off of your dog! It's all a question of training your dog to the degree that you can trust him and knowing exactly where he is without staring at him. Staring and babysitting will never get you anywhere, no matter how long or not your legs are or how young or not you are.
Never take your eyes off the dog? Why not, I know exactly where she is landing on her ciks. And she knows exactly A-frame is her next obstacle to take. And I know she knows it.
And oh: big dogs can't turn tight??? 🙂 I won't even comment that as since you are on this website, I guess you saw enough of tall BCs and Malinois doing cik&cap to know that tightness has nothing to do with how big or small the dog is.
Bu, WC Lievin 2011, photo by Jaume Llibre Leon
Big dogs can't turn tight? Bu says: watch me 🙂 -
She is 53cm (almost 21") and is turning MUCH tighter as Le who is 37cm (14 1/2")
(And note my eyes are off her again: looks like I never watch my dogs after 1994 anymore! The more I trust them, the less I stare :))
To learn more about how to be fast enough for your dog, you're welcome to audit or take part in Handling classes - we have people of all ages there, doing a really great job on getting to places on MUCH more complicated courses as the one that started this debate was.
Wow! You have just unravelled my whole agility framework. Just shows how much this sport continues to evolve, and how important you are as a catalyst to that change. I must enroll in your online courses so I can get out of my own paradigm…I am short, run a 22″ BC and have relied on all those excuses you wrote about. Guess I have nowhere to hide now, do I?
Fantastic article Silvia and as one of your distance students I am loving being able to bust the myths that have surrounded agility. I have neither long legs nor youth, and all those myths have stopped me from enjoying the game of agility with my dog.
Enough with the rules…….Now I know that they are just myths, I am enjoying agility so much more and getting to places I never thought I could. My dog and I are really enjoying our agility without stressing whether we broke a rule or not…..
Tricia & Sass
I know, one is so much faster and it’s so much fun when you just run instead of obsess over that rule or another. So my only rule is: get there as fast as you can 🙂 And if you still can’t -- be happy you spent all that time teaching cik&cap on a verbal cue! 🙂
As a disabled handler, I’m at a loss for words.
You say, “I’ve heard it a million times already: “I’m not fast enough for my dog!” And they were right: they were not fast enough – because they were not moving!!!”
I don’t think you get it. There are people out there who have legs -- but they don’t work.
You say, “IF of course you trust your dog and run instead of stare. ”
Uhm. I can’t run!!!
I don’t look handicapped, which makes it so frustrating when people armchair quarterback from the sidelines saying, “Why doesn’t she run. Why doesn’t she turn faster?”
I CAN’T!!!
Do you think I want to not move? Do you think I stand and stare at my dogs? No!!! I’m moving as fast as I can. But to insinuate that all agility handlers should “run” is absolutely inane. Agility can be done from a wheel chair, from a walk and from a trot..even international courses.
Some people don’t run because their legs work fine but their lungs don’t. They can’t waste the steps on the course or risk an episode. I can’t run because of a combo of pain and 35 years of kidney failure. To get through a course I can’t waste steps either.
I actually had a World Team competitor ridicule me for taking a lateral lead out to save myself two steps AFTER I had told him I was handicap. Really? Seriously? Do people with healthy bodies SO not understand what it is like to be in a body that doesn’t work? Are they so insensitive?
I completely agree with you on many points. I understand commitment, turning for tight lines (if your body allows you to turn quickly, which many do not), using blind crosses (I used three this last weekend), working as often as possible in front of your dog (which I did in a recent course when even the fastest handlers couldn’t -- I worked distance), etc.
But your blog strongly comes across that everyone should RUN. That everyone should RUN FAST. That everyone should be moving like you are in the photo you show of 2010 -- the one where you are older and less able to move. Really? Do you see how high your legs are moving? I can’t get my legs to do that in a million years, kiddo. You should count yourself blessed. Instead you write a blog that makes the disabled feel bad because they can’t run.
And I’m not saying I can’t do international courses. I train them all the time. What I’m saying is insensitivity to generalize that all handlers are “staring” at their dogs when they are working on trying to get their bodies to move is really bad. I’m saying that it’s wrong to use only the word “run” in an article about older people not being able to keep up with their dogs. What about walking or trotting for those who can’t run? If you had explained that there were handling options for the truly disabled -- for those that can’t run -- that can’t turn fast -- that can’t move -- I would not hae been offended. Instead, your article, which has good points in it, comes across as a ridicule of those who can’t move. It comes across as “run, idiot.”
This new trend that you must “run or die” needs to die. You can walk a course and Q. There are tricks to learn that most people haven’t even thought of because their bodies work. There are things to hep older and handicap handlers Q and still minimize pain and frustration.
No doubt, motion begets motion. A handler that runs will have a higher Q rate. AND it will be 10 times easier to train your dog too. My dogs have to do amazing things to overcome my lack of ability. I train them to do that. They are world class.
I move as much as my body will on the given day. Some days are better than others. I’ve had days where I held my dog at the bottom of contacts for 20 seconds while I caught my breath in order to complete a course, and I left the course having dry heaves from the exertion. I’ve qualified for AKC Nationals 8 years now. I came in 21st once. I have a new dog with even more skills to help me continue to “run” as my abilities lessen. I work 20 -- 50 feet off of my dogs easily. And I use much of what you mention here.
What I don’t use is “run.” I trot -- on good days.
Get rid of the word “run” throughout your article, replace it with move as fast as your body will allow for your diability and you’ve got a great article.
Kristinn -- I can’t speak for Silvia -- or anybody else for that matter -- but not once when reading this blog post did I feel that Silvia was mocking (or even addressing) disabled handlers. If you can’t run you can’t run. But it seems that you have the right attitude and get the best out of what you’ve got 😀 I read this as a thought provoking, warm, fun and at some times sarcastic article, and the latter is softened by a lot of emoticons 🙂 We’re a little quirky and crazy with the irony and sarcasm over here 😉
Kristinn, I’m sorry you felt offended, but the point of the article was exactly, as you state it so well, “I have a new dog with even more skills to help me continue to “run” as my abilities lessen.” The definition of running is different for each of us, I only “run” in comparison to my student who is ex-soccer player too… But the beauty of the sport of agility is exactly that it’s not the one who has the longest legs or the one who is the fastest sprinter who will win. Training your dog to the degree that you can trust her and then just letting her do her job while getting to the next place you’re needed is what makes you fast. And that’s what makes some people without a leg, as Gabi says, faster as some perfectly healthy, young and fit people.
Also, to clarify -- I didn’t write this article because I would think I’m perfect when it comes to trusting and moving! I wrote it because this is exactly my weakness, so I know this topic so much better: I have a tendency to stare too and handling from behind is still what I find the easiest. I had to force myself to move and people with that or another disability actually helped me a lot on this path as they’re usually the best at training for distance skills and having good handling strategies -- and they sure made me think “how is that she got there and I can’t???”.
I actually wrote this out of respect for disabled, older or short people and my message was meant to be that there IS place for them in agility too. -- That good and long legs and youth is not what makes one a World Champion. It was written after Ashley Deacon published international style course and everybody was commenting how impossible it is to run it for anybody who doesn’t have Ashley’s legs. It sounded as the only reason he is as good as he is are his legs and that legs are all that counts. -- While I firmly believe that what’s in the head is way more important for doing well in agility as what is in the legs! And your case is actually a great example of that, so THANK YOU for writing!
I think anyone in the Northeast of the US can attest to this with our wonderful trainer in NH, Lo Baker. I think she and Perk were on the USDAA podium in 08 (?) only hundreds of a second behind Ronda Carter (may she rest in peace and run fast where ever she is). Both are not fast, fit, young handlers. In fact, anything but I would venture to say, yet they trained their dogs to trust their commitment, as Silvia says.
Thank you for helping me understand better what you were saying in the article. Others in my local “group” were agreeing with me, so obviously we misunderstood what you were trying to say.
After your explanation, I have to say I totally agree. 🙂 Thanks for taking the time to respond.
Looks like we were saying the same thing, just in another language 🙂
Silvia, I’m so happy that our sport has you as an advocate. 🙂 You continue to evolve, as both a trainer and a handler and now a coach! I hope you will continue to write thought provoking articles that come from your heart. You have given many people much to think about today!!
I like your flaming blog posts!
Sorry for the person how missed the content of this article but i really think disabled handlers aren’t supposed to be included in it -- there are many healthy handlers that quote to be not fast enough -- but i too know a handler that doesn’t have a lower leg and she moves better than me and is twice as old.
I agree, I did not get the sense that she was speaking of disabled handlers at all.
My good friend and traing partner read this article. She is 73. She is by no means fast, and she cannot, no matter how hard she tries keep up with her dog, yet when she read this article, she thought it was wonderful and very true. Even she said that she does slow down and ‘look’ at her dog, when she should just keep moving and not wait to see if her dog takes the obstacle. She was not offended in the least by it, even though she cannot run.
I can run, and I’ve caught myself, even this past weekend at a trial, making excuses up for myself. I remember saying “oh, I wish I had longer legs” 🙂 . I know that I tend to ‘babysit’ Maia and watch her. I need to stop making excuses for myself and just ‘move’ to the best of my abilities, whatever they may be. I also need to learn how and where to precue because we are not taught that here at all, and it makes so much sense to do so.
I loved this article and it came at a perfect time. Thank you Silvia!
Hi Silvia, last weekend we had competition and this is the first time in our agility experience I was ahead of my dog in jumpers and it was USDAA so many straight lines there 😉 and it was good feeling even though she knocked all bars (well 3 but felt like all) and I think she was fast, we even won GP and Steeplechase!! 😀 She even hit all DW and A frames and last time she saw and A frame (of any kind) was in may. We still have lots of work to do because she still lacks in confidence sometimes but your lastest video -Ready Steady Go- was super help as Acua is also afraid of strange dogs and that really really help.. thanks and more credits for Bu 😉 I want to enter some online classes too, so I let you know 🙂
Sounds great, congratulations! Happy to hear the DVD helped, looking forward to see you in class!
This article is why I’m looking forward to signing up for the Running Contacts class for Jan 2012!
Oh no…There is nothing to ridicule handicapped handlers in this phenomenal revolutionary article- on the contrary -- it serves to point out the handicap that is within (the minds of) healthy functioning bodies. The way I read it, it is actually written to compliment the choices and adjustments a person that cannot physically run makes (like train and trust her dogs!). It calls to take full advantage of what is specifically available to you and your dog, never give up, and not be shy about it !
I fully agree, Silvia! My other favorite related topic is that people gain advance at the start line (they might even be 2-3 jumps ahead) and instead of profitting from that they wait and start running only when their dog reaches them…
Yeap, that’s a good one too yes! It’s especially funny when done with a slow dog who then runs even slower, with a handler standing and waiting there.
Kristinn Kaldahl: I’ve known Silvia for many years and I’m sure she’d never write anything hurtful about handicapped handlers, she is the most positive person I know and honestly, she’d rather spend her time playing with her dogs than trash-talk ANYBODY. You two are basically saying the same thing -- it’s not so much about how fast you move, but about how efficiently you do it. It’s all about knowing when to start running and where to run to 🙂 Of course, being able to run fast makes things easier, but even people who CAN run fast sometimes don’t move as efficiently as they could. I know very well what she meant with this article as I sometimes still watch my fast dog land instead of moving -- I’m getting better with Silvia’s help, but I still see myself in her writing. Seems like you on the other hand are doing exactly what the article says -- teaching the dog independent performance, obstacle focus and training them so that you can trust them on course 🙂