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 🙂 ) |
Thanks Silvia!! 🙂
I am training running contacts with my BC and PyreShep. I had the board propped up on a table at about 1.5 feet high and started them from the table or sometimes with a running start. Now I have it propped up on a barrel and they have to start standing on the end of the board. My dogs still run through the contact with no jumping, but their strides are shorter and slower because they don’t have much momentum. Should I be worried about this and try to find a way to give them a headstart? The next highest thing I have is a lowered dog walk which is 3 feet. They will have a running start on that from the middle board. Do you think that the stage I’m currently on could affect their striding and speed when I move them up again with a running start?
Why don’t you use the same table as before, only that you put something under it’s legs, so that you get more height? I think that would be the easiest solution.
Hello, another agility newbie here 🙂
I train agility with my 2 year old aussie girl. On the beginning I trained her 2on2off, because I didn’t know any other method. Now I have started to retrain her. On the plank it’s no problem, also when I set it a little bit higher. We haven’t tried it on a dogwalk yet, because I don’t want to do it too fast. But I have the following concern: when we were doing 2on2off, she never missed a ‘zone’ stepping downwards. However she missed it sometimes when getting ON the walk. I am concerned, that she will be doing that even more often, because of the increased speed and because we are only training getting of the plank (for now). What should I do should she has this problem? Any suggestions to avoid it?
Loved your homepage 🙂
Karin
I don’t think training for running contacts will make her up contacts worse. I mostly leave up contacts alone -- if the dog misses it too often, you can try stride regulator before the obstacle. If he misses it very often, then something like front-feet targeting is necessary, but I only do it if the problem is really big, as, naturally, it forces the dog to reduce speed a little bit… Not perfect, but sometimes necessary.
A video from today at a match. Sorry I only got the two times, but the other two times he ran it were nearly identical. Should I be concerned that he is adjusting his stride?
He is running faster as he gains more confidence on other dog walks.
At home his success rate is improving.
Stride adjustments are actually a good sign, it means he got the idea. Would be nice if he worried some less and ran some more 🙂 but there is not much you can do about it as letting him gain experience and confidence. You can also play dog-walk-tunnel-dog-walk-tunnel games, reward often with a toy, thrown in advance and similar to help him gain more speed and worry some less:). The tunnel games helped my little worrier, Bu, A LOT.
Thank you! Yes, we have played the tunnel games, then the poor worrier got stung by some hornets that had made a nest in one of my tunnels. :O So, we stopped that for a bit, but now he is obviously OK about tunnels, so I will bring back that game. Yes, I need to throw the toy more in advance.
Today I tossed the toy early and he jumped. No reward and tried again and he got it, but he was slower. He worries SO much about being right. I think I need to toss the toy early, but not TOO early?
Yesterday I tossed the toy and he nailed it about 8 times and seemed to be increasing speed, but maybe today I tossed it too early? Any time he gets a no reward he melts down and worries and starts to go slower.
Is there ever a time you would go back to working on the flat?
When I toss it in advance, I toss it VERY early, as early that the dog can see it before he reaches the down plank. And yes, I never hesitate to go back down, you can even do both at the same time (some plank work as an addition to running full dog-walk already). Also, if he is that soft, you can even reward all tries, but bad ones with low-value reward and good ones with a jackpot. It works great for Bu, my softy 🙂
Thank you!!! He is soft, but I know it’s in him I just have to bring it out!! 😀 He tries very hard to be right! And seems to enjoy it and wants to keep trying!
YES! What an improvement since I doubled the width of the plank and attached a carpet on it for better grip. Now she is finally running more than jumping and had NONE of the extreme and long jumpings! I’m just so happy about this. If she does so great once more I will start clicking and raise the plank.
httpv://www.youtube.com/user/AgilityTjejen#p/u/0/JqcH-6KQwhQ
Ups! I accidently sent the link instead of the URL. Here it is (I hope), not being a computer nerd..
That’s MUCH better! I would actually reward all tries here and start jackpotting the lowest hits.
Thank’s Silvia! It is so great to finally have some success! I havn’t clicked yet, it was a too big risk that I would click jumpings. So I decided to create an invorenment that made her run instead of jumping before clicking, and now I have it!
Hi Silvia!
I’ve been trying your way to a fast running contact, but my dog have so long legs, that the most of the time she jumps over it!
You know, if she run fast.. Should I hold her down, so she runs slower or is there some way to teach her to be more exacly about it?
Hope you understand, I’m from Denmark! 🙂
Here is a video:
Oh! And I know there is a few times where I clicked, when I shoundn’t have. Ooops!
By “holding her down” I mean to make her just run contact, but not make her run fast.. Hope you understand!
Doing the plank at slow speed won’t help you. And no, she is not jumping because she goes too fast… She jumps because she goes too slow and is watching you. Forget about the plank for now and find a way to make her RUN full speed, with head forward. See some of the videos on this webpage and try to get that first. Throwing a toy and letting her chase it usually does the trick. Have fun!
Thanks!!! 🙂
Thank you Silvia. What do you use as a stride regulator? I tried with a stick a little bit before the dog-walk and it’s getting better. Should I slowly fade it later on? She is missing first contact quite often, I’d say 50% of all tries.
Karin
If it works, stick is o.k. You can keep it there for very long.
I was wondering when you would introduce your dog to different surroundings? Should I wait until the plank is at the full height of a normal d/walk or can I expose her to “plank work” when I’m at training. Worried about all the distractions and didn’t want to “over” challenge her if it will harm her learning process. Just thought it would be good proofing of her criteria …..
I never let distractions distract me 🙂 With my puppy, we do plank work everywhere we can find a nice plank, used four different ones already. She lives with distractions from her first day on, so we don’t even call distractions distractions, that sounds way too fancy. We just call it -- life 🙂
That’s an awesome way to look at it 🙂 THANKS!!
Today I tossed the toy early every time. He definitely has more speed, but we also had a lot more jumps. He didn’t seem to worry too much, but this is at home. And his hits are very high at times.
Yes, a toy in advance often lowers the successful rate for dogs who do more adjustments of the stride as necessary (like La) for example. But it’s good to add speed and/or test how the contacts will look like when the dog is highly excited (as most dogs are in trials). If the success rate gets too low that way, do this on a lowered plank first.
Thank you SO much!! Yes, I did put him on a flat plank today and had more success. Actually really good success, only one jump then all good hits at good speed. Still at about 30% jumping on the full size, but I have only done two sessions throwing in advance this way. I think he is getting it, though, because he never jumps twice in a row. Each time after jumping (no reward -- other than he does get the ball, but with good hits I JACKPOT with a pile of treats after he gets the ball), he tries harder and is just as fast or faster and hits it, so I think this is working. If I don’t see lesser percentage of jumping in the next few sessions I will lower my dog walk. He likes to run it fast, I think!! 😀
Thank you SO much!! I am so glad I finally figured out videos and slow motion! Videos are SO helpful! You are right, it helps to train our eyes to the good hits and feet placements!! I am much better at seeing good hits now. I still have my strike plates that beep, so they help me, too! But, soon I may not need those.
The jumping was really bad today, even on the flat. The toy in advance has him not thinking at all, now and jumping almost every time. And we are losing speed again as he is getting less jackpots. Not sure what I should do? I lowered everything and still jumping any time I toss the toy in advance now.
I tried not tossing it in advance a few times so we could have success and he did fine, but his speed is slower again and back to his stride adjustments. Frustrated today. He is such a worrier, but with the toy in advance he doesn’t think at all and is jumping.
He is running the plank on the flat pretty fast and no stride adjustment when I do not toss the toy in advance, if my timing is good he never has to look for the toy it just arrives. He is remembering that work and running pretty fast. Maybe should I stay there for a while and slowly increase how early I toss the toy?