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 🙂 ) |
Hi Silvia!
Here is another video, now with more speed.
What do you think??? 🙂
-Michelle & Bella
That’s MUCH better! Your throws are somewhat late, why don’t you send her in a tunnel and throw a ball as soon as she is coming out?
I know in the last clip I was late, but I think most of the time -- also In the clip -- I throw at the right time, so that she catches it just about when she touches.. Don’t you think?
I’ve tried with the tunnel before, but then she do a biig jump, so that she is not at all touching.. It’s like she has even more speed, and then she forget about the “speciel way” to run it. When I’m just doing like in the video, I send her around me, and say “go!”, and now that she is about to firgure it out, I take a step back, so that the next, there is a little longer to the plank, but she still have to run like before. If you understand? I want her to touch the first part, ’cause then I’m sure that she will touch the last part.. Is that right to do like that? 🙂
If I just catches it after the tunnel, she forget about the plank and jump right over it.. 🙁
I mean: If I just THROW it after the tunnel, she forget about the plank and jump right over it*
I throw much earlier as that. She is sometimes already stopping to catch it when at the end of the plank. You want normal, equal striding. If she then just jumps over, then you either need a longer plank or more work on flat. You don’t want a toy to be a reason the dog does the contact -- you want a toy to be a reward for doing the contact (or, at the beginning, the lure to run full speed forward, not watching the handler).
Hmm.. Yea, you’re right, but I just don’t want to reward her for jumping over it.. :s
Ok that is what I have been doing for not liked strides.
I am throwing the toy about 3 feet in front of the board because of limited room:-( I can try & just it so I can throw it further…how far should I be throwing it?
I thought so… That’s way too close yes. I like to throw 5 or more meters ahead. 3m should be enough too, but less than that is not good.
You are good to catch that 😉
I did a session last night and threw is within that distance and it worked much better! She was running fast ALL the way down the board and hitting nicely at the end 🙂
When do I know when to switch to a longer and skinnier board?
Thanks!
Yeah, it was obvious she is already stopping and lowering to get that toy. It can make a contact look good, but it only looks good until there is a toy, that’s why you don’t want to do it. I do all flat work on very wide board, already add a little bit of angle on that one and then switch to another board for more angle. You can do everything on wider board if it’s long enough, mine is somewhat shorter as one would wish for, that’s why I switch to another one once I’m off the ground.
That definitely makes sense 🙂
okay so i can start to raise this board already? The board i am currently using is only 7 feet long so should i get her on a 12 foot board before i raise it up?
Thanks
Katie
I would do some more flat work, then heave one part just a little bit and then switch to a longer plank.
okie dokie will do!
Thank You for all the help it has been a life saver 🙂
Now look at this!!! 😀
Hey Silvia.
Here is my latest. My puppy is almost 9 months now, been running a board nicely. Lots of speed, and drive to a dead toy. I have the board propped up and is about 18″ high. I decided to prop it up on a table and restrain him on the table. Well since he isnt coming into the board with speed his striding is all off. Not leaping, but not a good obstacle performance. I think he needs the speed coming into the board to truly run down it. I dont own a picnic table to try. I think I might be able to use a pick up truck bed, but that is alot higher than I need right now.
As of right now I took away the table and am keeping him running on the propped up board. I need to raise the board, but not sure how to do this if I dont have access to a picnic table???
I can lower my whole dogwalk, but thought he wasnt ready to run across a whole board yet. He is still gangly:)
Also, how tall is Bi? My pup is officially 22″ tall, but has amazing stucture, do you think he is to tall for a RDW?
I know you are out of town, but will check back often to see if you replied yet.
Welcome to USA:)
Jody
Hello,
after completly giving up on RC with my PRT a year ago and retraining him for 2on2off. I decided a couple weeks ago to try again.
His contacts right now are good on training but on trials he gets soooo hyper he sometimes forgets what he’s doing. So I thought running might make it easier for him, because he wouldn’t have to think 🙂
To achive his max speed (wich was the problem first time around) I put the plank in between a couple of jumps and tunnels, changing the order each time. I put a toy after the plank, and it went great. But when I started to raise the plank, he lost his speed because he first had to figure out how to jump up that high (he’s only 33cm high) and didn’t run full speed ahead. So I put the plank as an extention of the down ramp, restrained him at the end of the down ramp and let him run to stacionary toy. It was working, but he was still too focused on me (another problem from last year). To avoid that I first started to wait until he stoped barking at me and only than letting him run down. And than I started capturing the split second when he looked forward and clicking for that, and then letting him run. And it worked. But what realy changed things was when I put food forward instead of a toy. He’s running like crazy, and hitting low with all for feet. I would never change it, had he not been looking to me for food at a click instead of running towards the toy. He never was good at having both if its toys he doesn’t care about food and vice versa, and since he got food as a reward for clicking for looking forward, he wanted it at the end as well. And I’m glad he did, because I think this time we might really go all the way.
And I also think he picked up speed when I put him on DW, because he knows that this means agility, and he just gets so happy.
I’ll try to make a clip to show the diference in speed and movement.
Jody;
Why don’t you lower the dogwalk and restrain him on top of down ramp only? If he needs more speed restrain him further back.
Bye,
Tanja
I don’t think “too tall for RDW” exists. Hard to advice on how to lengthen your table, try to construct something from things you have…
Our first complete “full speed running contact”:
What do you think???
-Mischa & Bella
Wow, very impressing!
So here is my first ever clip of Pepper’s running contacts
The 3rd and 4th try are a jumps.
Although on the 4th try his feet are seperated I still think it’s a jump.
Now I’m only clicking the lowest ones, to avoid the problems I had last year.
What no comment for us? 🙂
Just ’cause I’m so proud 🙂
Bye Tanja
It sure looks great! However, already now, I would slowly start to fade that food out there (positioning it after jump/tunnel and then more&more obstacles) as knowing Pepper and his forward focus is telling me that might be the most difficult step. Once completed, it will transfer nicely to other parts of the course, though 🙂