O.k., time for your first homework!
1. find a way to make your dog run as fast as he can, tape him from the side and study his striding in slow motion or even frame by frame: how far apart his hind feet are, how far forward hind feet reach over front feet, how long and high the stride is, how his back looks like and where his head is: many people think you want low head for running contacts, but in fact, you want the head look exactly the same as when running full speed in the fields 🙂
2. have a dog run over the plank, tape him from the side and compare it with the video above - tape it at the height you're currently at. If you're just starting, restrain the dog before your plank, carpet or whatever you're using, throw a toy and release. Slowly bring the dog further away from the plank to really have them come to the plank with full speed. Mark anything that looks like running in the fields from the first video, jackpot when feet are hitting at the end of a plank/carpet (where the contact will be), but reward anything that is running. Don't forget to click it or at least mark it with your voice! I prefer clicking, but you can also first use a voice and start clicking later, when you know your dog's stride better and can predict it better.
This is a good check-up for those who are already running their dogs on a raised plank and a good stride-study that will help you see and mark the correct striding better for those just starting. Once you see your dog is running nicely, with an even stride, hind feet separation and hind feet reaching further from front feet, you can put a brick or something under one end of the plank and have them run over slightly raised plank - I'll tell you when you're ready based on the videos you'll send.
And yes, we're for now throwing a toy in advance, letting the dog chase it, in order to get full speed. So yes, the dog is rewarded every time with a ball - so make sure that you really make the best tries even more special, use excitement in your voice, a play of tug on his favourite toy or food if that's his real preference - in short: make a party about the really good ones and don't worry about not so good ones - just throw that ball again! 🙂
3. to make it easier for the dog to understand what you're clicking for on that plank, we'll be teaching some tricks that are important to help them understand how to use their feet and that you might be clicking them for using them. The two things you will try this time is cavaletti work - walking the dog over drawers or boxes on the floor - and teaching the dog to step with front feet on an object and clicking for any movements of hind feet: the final goal is a full circle in both directions, but first click even for just a weight shift and then go from there.
Post a video with all 3 assignments, first two in slow motion please!!! - But PLEASE cut out all the parts where I can't see the dog: because seeing just the plank, and that is slow motion, is absolutely no fun - and you can't imagine how many planks in slow motion I saw by now!
Also, read all the comments and see as many videos as possible, you can learn A LOT through videos and comments of others, that's why we do it in a class form in a first place!
Two pictures showing what I mean by hind feet reach: hind feet must land further ahead from where front feet were:
Two pictures showing what I mean by hind feet separation: hind feet must be hitting two different spots as far apart as possible (vs. staying parallel, hitting the same spot).
To take the explanation of hind feet separation and reach forward even further, here is a discussion we had with a first class on it, this is my comment to those two videos:
Experimenting with a full low dogwalk
Experimenting with throwing his toy
My comment: he doesn’t run fast enough 
– That’s my answer to 90% of problems with running contacts, so you will probably hear that a lot in next few months Any BC, running full speed, is deep down the contact if doing two strides on a dog-walk ramp, period. Even my PyrShep who is 37cm (14.5″) does the down ramp in two hits and I even know a Papillon that is trying to, despite we would prefer him to do 3 hits Meaning that if a BC does 2 hits and is too high, he is not running enough. That’s some general info for everybody, I’m just using your videos to discuss this topic as they show some very nice tries and some “not running enough” tries.
On most tries, you can see his hind feet come just shortly more forward from where the front feet where. Normally, when the dog runs full speed, hind feet will land significantly further ahead from where front feet were – just like you can see in “experimenting with the toy” video at 1:16, 2:16 and 2:27 tries for example – those were very nice!!!
The faster the dog is moving, the further ahead from front feet hind feet will be landing and as a consequence, you will have MUCH bigger length covered as if hind feet hit where front feet were – meaning that if Bi’s front feet are above the contact, her first hind foot will be in the middle of the contact and the second one will be right at it’s bottom. - While if the dog’s hind feet only come to where front feet were, he is missing the contact in this situation - instead of getting a perfect one
That’s exactly why I always get suspicious when I hear people saying their dog is hitting with 4 feet. With a BC size dog, running full speed with good hind feet separation, it’s pretty much impossible to fit all 4 feet in. 3 is possible, but if they can fit all 4 feet in that small area, they don’t cover enough of an area and when they will be higher, all 4 feet will be out of the contact. Bi on the other hand is a typical example of the dog covering LOTS of an area, meaning that even if her front feet are landing in the middle of the down ramp (yeah, she desperately wants to do it in one hit), the second hind foot will be in the contact, as you can see in this video:
Complicated? Don't worry, it gets easier when you start to see the dog's stride 🙂
Fixed the private video. One of these links should work:
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Huh, yes, it definitely made her change her striding… How about going back to only doing down ramp or back to a thrown toy or anything that makes her succeed for a while? It’s important to have something that you can resort to when things go wrong to get some successful tries again. For example, for my dogs, the set up that always makes them succeed is for La taking obstacles after DW away, for Bu tunnel to tunnel set up, for Bi taking off the approach speed and starting her from a stay right in front of DW or at any other point of DW and for Le throwing a toy in advance. What makes things the easiest for her?
Hello,
Au club j’ai donc mis 2 sauts en bout de DW. Problème si je suis trop en arrière sans lancer le jouet ou l’avoir posé après le saut Fluff ralentie et donc rate le running …. Sinon c’est plutôt bien ! la plupart sont bien dans le bas de la planche
J’ai commencé à l’envoyer sur la DW en venant d’obstacles pas en face et d’un peu loin, … juste une chute sans gravité !
Et question: quand peut on travailler les pivots en fin de DW ?
Hello,
At the club I put two jumps after DW. Problem if I am too far back without launching the toy or having posed it after the jump Fluff slower and so miss the running …. Otherwise it’s rather well! Most are in the lower of the plank
I started to send her on the DW coming obstacles not in front and a bit far, …. just a minor fall!
And question: when can I work front cross at the end of DW?
I posted a new video after your suggestions for changes from my old one.
Should we post after your reply (that is what I did)or at end of lesson 1
Mary Ann
Yeap, the best is to post it under my reply to keep videos of the same dog together, it makes things easier to find.
Thanks Sylvia, will do your suggestions.
Elise Lynch
Hi there! Here’s Harley running and running on carpet! Not sure how to progress to straight run on plank without him running off before the end but I guess, you will let me know soon!
Great! Just try to throw even further and start him even further so that he is really in full extension over the carpet, I would like to see even more hind feet separation. You can also change it for a plank. To keep him on, get a wide enough plank 🙂 or use two side by side. If he is still having problems, you can mark it with wings or cones or something to keep him on.
Hi Silvia, here comes the first homework from Barbro and Loppan (10 month). We have been struggling with the plank for a while now. I’m little concerned over that even if she is running with separated hindlegs the last stride is longer than the others. Some days she has got many good hits but other days is worse. This clip shows a typical session with mixed result. Looking forward to your comments.
Great pivoting!!! But yes, she is somewhat airy when she runs, especially when running on a grass actually, she is looking at you there and bounces up in the air. Did you try with earlier toy throws, so that she is not running after you, but after the ball? She seems to be checking up with you too much. You can still run with her if you want, but her focus should be on a toy ahead. Make sure to use a toy that rolls well so that she is really in a chasing mode. Also, try starting her with a tunnel or a send to a wrap to have good starting speed.
Hi, In between the rain and wind from the hurricane I’m getting some nice sessions in 🙂 Should I run with, call him to me, or can I stay back and throw the ball ahead? I LOVE using the short Chuck It to throw but it’s definitely much easier when I stay back with him and throw from behind. At this point should I vary my position?
Running With
Staying Behind
Calling him to me
At the beginning I always stay behind, throw and watch. That way, you can be sure the dog has forward focus (vs. watching you) and you can focus the best on seeing his striding and clicking the right thing. Later on, I’ll run with the dog here and there to make sure he doesn’t care, but I do 90% of training standing behind and throwing ahead. I do recommend running with dogs who run faster when they race you vs. to a toy, but that doesn’t seem to be your problem 🙂 Time to switch to a plak to be able to then rise it some! And stay away from the hurricane (or, well, teh other way around)!
Hi Silvia.
Now we have done some homework, but i dont think it went very well.
I have tried to throw sooner, like you suggeste´d, but I’m not sure when she preforms the field right?? Do I have understad you correctly, if you mean that her hindfeet are supposed to take the field?? Because Effie varies between hitting the field with her hindfeet, frontfeet, all four and jumping…
She have started ca. 5 meters from the plank, and I think her speed is OK..??
I would be very greatful for feedback on what to do next ☺
Wenche
What do I do wrong when I submit a video?? It dosen´t show up like anybody else´s….
looks like for the YouTube video attempt there is extra stuff in that link….go to your video on YouTube, just under the video click the “share” button…then copy that link into your comment here in the RC comment section, but be sure to change the http to httpv
thank you very much!! your an angle 🙂
Very cute and motivated 🙂 Now let’s try the same thing without luring, just waiting for any hind feet movement and then shaping from there, it will make her think more about hind feet. Don’t forget cavaletti too!
Hind or front feet are o.k., it doesn’t matter much, especially not at this point. At this point, your major focus should be a form of running. -- And I still don’t like it… She is still airy, her last stride is higher as her first stride on a plank… Now sure why, but to me it looks like she might be trying to get off of that plank as fast as possible. Can you make a video on carpet, just to see how she moves there? Also, how far is the ball?
Hi Silvia.
Today we have trained on a carpet. Effie stood approximately 5 meters in front of the carpet, and ran approximately 7 meters afterwards.
She thinks it very funny to run after the ball, and I do not think she jumped so much at this workout, what do you think?
We have also started with the cavaletti training. I am not quit sure how we are supposed to do it, but I tried to copy what I saw the other members posted 😉
Wenche
GREAT! Now that is RUNNING! 4 and 8 are somewhat airy, but the rest looks great, so keep working like that, jackpotting the best hits. Cavalleti looks right too 🙂 You can also change distances and heights some to challenge her some more.
Hello
This is from today’s training on the carpet. I think she gets better and better every day 🙂
Yeap, those were really nice, no more air! 🙂 Time to get the plank ready too 🙂
I have unfortunately not had time to train on some days, but here is todays workout in the garden. She gets a reward every time yet, but I try to reduce the voice when I see she does not hit.
My daughter stands on the side to shoot and use the clicker 🙂
It’s private, I can’t see it…
Sorry, I have corrected it now 🙂
Cool! But do try to make a bigger difference between the good and bad ones as just the change of a voice! Because some were real leaps, like 7 and 8. Very nice pivoting!
Here is the evening’s training with Effie on the board. She is running for the most part right now, but has some airy jumps in between 🙂
Yeah, the last stride on the plank is often airy… Not perfect, but I guess we can try to raise it some anyway and see what happens then.
Hi Silva,
Judi and Lira(10 month Aussie) attempting our first lesson. Sorry for the not so great editing job on the video. Unfortunately I can not figure out how to do slow motion on this camera. I’m using a canan camcorder with the software imagemixer is anyone has suggestions.
The first few plank runs were with the ball on the ground. I found it more rewarding to throw the ball and get her faster on the plank. i’m trying to stay behind her and toss the ball. She did come off the side a few times but I think I could of tossed the ball straighter..lol
Will send the 3rd assignment soon.
Yeap, throwing the ball is definitely better. She mostly runs really nicely, it’s just 0:50 that would be better to not click it. The rest went well so after a couple of sessions like that more, you can raise the plank some.
Sylvia,
The most recent video of Liberty is below. When should I consider using just one plank instead of two and when should I raise the plank(s) slightly? I want to challenge her and myself but I also don’t want to progress too fast. She is really enjoying this game. Just this evening she went and sat on the planks and waited for me to bring my gear out so we could start playing:-)
Thanks,
Melanie & Liberty
Huh, first two tries were somewhat leapy, it would be best to not click those, take the toy and try again. Last three tries were great. As she has this airy tendencies, pay attention to it and only mark and really reward running normally, close to the ground. Try to find a pattern in what gives you the best running (how early and far you throw a ball, how you start her etc.). I would do some more sessions on flat to get rid of air and then raise the planks some. No reason to go to one plank only for now!