For more on running contacts, it's best to join running contacts class or get a Running Contacts DVD. This page is meant for those who just have a quick question or want to show their finished product - you are very welcome to do so, 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 as well... - but it all makes the end result even sweeter. So... Happy training, everybody!
 Silvia Trkman is known for bringing every dog, from her first dog on, to the very top of the sport. Her dogs are known for great speed, tight turns, running contacts and long and injury-free careers. Silvia is in agility since 1992 and is– 3x World Champion (with two different dogs)
– 5x European Open winner, with 4 different dogs (Lo, La, Bu, Le)!!!
– National Championships podium and World Team member with every dog she’s ever had – National Champion for 22-times (with 5 different dogs of 3 different breeds) – World Team member for 19-times (mostly with at least two dogs at the time – sometimes four 🙂 ) |
I am going to start training running contacts with my two dogs a miniature poodle and a bichon x here in New Zealand our dog walks are much lower with the down ramp being only 3 meters in length is this ramp too short to train running contacts??
That’s no problem, the whole dog-walk is for sure long enough to let the dogs develop full speed 🙂
Thanks we have started training still flat at this stage going well apart from when I run with my poodle then he keeps turning to look at me as that is what he is use to doing. We will keep working on this doing heaps of restrained runs to food/toy he is loving this so much
The Bichon x who hasn’t had so much agility is doing really well loving being able to run
Thanks for a great way to train
Bronwyn
Sylvia, couple of questions: In your opinion, will it confuse my young dog to train a running
Aframe and quik release 2o2off dogwalk and teeter? Not sure I can keep up with a running dogwalk.
I am looking for your method on training a running Aframe, did i miss it on your website? Same as training the dogwalk?
Hope to see you on your 2011 trip to US, i love your tricks and having fun in agility! thank you.
No problems with having running A-frame and 2on2off dog-walk, dogs are pretty smart. I don’t train A-frame at all with dogs who have running dog-walk. If it’s just for the A-fram,e, eh process is similar, just shorter and without emphasis on low hits as you don’t want that on the A-frame in a first place.
HEY!! I figured out blending videos. Have yet to figure out slow motion, but this is a start. Let me know what you think. This first one is from early spring. We started full height over the winter. He had some major teeter issues that carried over to the dog walk, but we seem to be recovering. His speed isn’t what it was, but I think it will improve. He worries.
OK, here is the video --
Whoops, that may not have worked with the embed? Here is the second set from early summer at a friend’s yard.
This set is from this fall and I added a second strike plate because he was missing the single one. He very often hits at the top of the contact zone, so I put two strike plates that cover the top 2/3rds of the contact. I also added a verbal “hit it”, which I am not sure I need, but for a while I was getting a TON of jumps. Now we are at about 80% good hits. You will see a jump in this one and that last one.
I currently have my plank at about 18cm high and my young dog occasionaly comes off the side when running to her ball. I’m just wondering, do I count that in my repetitions as a fail, even though she is running? Or do I just not count it at all? Thankyou so much for this open website, it’s extremely helpfull!!
No, it’s not a fail, it just doesn’t count. I’m at the same stage with Le now and I will actually reward if she only missed the very end or when it’s really nice. The problem goes away itself once the plank is higher, so I don’t worry at all about it.
We are currently at 10 cm height and I have the same problem (among others, will try to post a video here for advise about other issues) as you Megan. I also don’t know for sure what to do. And she always runs so nice when she’s off (perhaps I should prepare the plank with gras.. :). Anyway, I a’m also interested in to know what to do on those occasions.
Just a note to say how much we love running contacts, I’m not sure who loves it more: me or Ben, but it feels so good when I see his eyes glitter when he’s on that dogwalk! It’s his favourite thing on agility 🙂 And out of about 25 competitions he has only missed his contact once (only because it was his first time on an indoor competition and got a little scared and wasn’t running full speed).
Thanks to Maja Rokavec for the photo!
and another one by Maja Rokavec 🙂
Wow, what a photo! “Fly-to-contact” contacts 🙂
I just love RC photos! These are some of my favourites, by Olga Kwiecień-Maniewska …
… and Sebastjan Saunig
Here are my questions, it’s a bunch of them.. 🙂
I have trained RC with Tjejen for 4 weeks and just now started to get runnings. I had really difficulties to avoid jumping (even without a plank). But filmed every training and analysed the movies, which helped alot! Now I have found that throwing a ball low at the same time that she is released works best.
But here are some questions:
1. I have difficulties to see if she runs or jumps, even on the videos in slow motion. Therefore I use the criterias “low profile” and “small, even step length” for the highest reward. Would that give a problem?
2. I am not sure how to remove the ball later. When I for example put a tunnel after the plank she jumps.
I had to work a lot to get here but I want a running contact, they are just so great! The video shows “bad” examples, she also does nice runnings (with 3 even strides on the plank), but not so often. So here are 3 “video-questions” too:
Did you every try with MUCH wider plank than this? To me, it looks like she is trying to get off of it as fast as possible to make it easier for her to run normally… I wouldn’t reward any of those unevenly long or high strides. Only normal running. When you get it, you can affect where she hits by where you start her. You don’t need to worry about fading the toy just yet. Shouldn’t be a problem anyway, just release her with more and more delay and then eventually to a static toy. No hurry with this one though. it’s too early to use a tunnel.
Thanks A LOT Silvia!
I will make a wider plank and also add an anti-slip surface so that she gets a good grip. I just love this training, never watched my dog so much before I believe. Everytime she playes with a dog or runs after a squirrel, I study her running… 🙂
OK so here is video of him on full length DW plank
we had lots of jumping to start and he seems to be sticking with two strides on the plank.
By the last few reps he is restrained about 15/ 20ft away from the end of the (slightly raised) plank and these seem his best hits
I am worried that even if he improves that when we raise plank and cant start him from such a distance that the striding will be affected and we will get more jumping again?
any tips much appreciated
Restraining him far enough is the best option for now, you can work like this as long as he can still easily jump on a plank. When not, try to find a long table or a bench and restrain him at the very end, that should be enough for him to add speed once he understands it’s about running fast.
Thanks Sylvia x