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 posted a video of plank work on the flat with my little red golden a couple of months ago. I’ve continued training and am amazed at how much fun it is. We’ve had lots of success. I just have one question: Sage is often taking off her last stride with her back feet together. This isn’t the way she runs on the plank but it’s not a clear jump either. It’s a foot or less (often 6″ or less) from the end of the plank. I’ve tried lowering the plank for brief periods but it’s reocurred. I don’t know how to show Sage what I want and am not really sure if it’s an issue or not. If it helps I’d be happy to post a video. My concern is that if she’s not running through as the board is raised she’ll begin leaving earlier and earlier but at the same time if it’s not a problem I don’t want to worry about it. Thank you so much!
Hannah & Sage,
P.S. I bought, painted, and sanded a 12ft board and it made a huge difference just like you said. 🙂
It’s hard to predict… It can cause problems, but not necessarily… The video might help.
Sorry this video is really dark. I’ll try to post another soon. When I took Sage out today the problem was gone. Well, at least temporarily. I figure I won’t worry about it unless it comes back then I’ll video and post it. I know you can’t see much but do you think it looks like we’re on the right track? I wish Sage was hitting lower but that seems to be what’s comfortable for her at this height. She does seem to hit lower the faster she is. What do you think? It still seems surreal that I, a junior handler with my first dog could train fast, reliable RUNNING contacts. Thank you for sharing this wonderfully simply method. JUST RUN!
Hannah
Silvia --
you had mentioned at the seminar in VA that there were several people training both a stop and a running. You watched Cheetah’s contacts in the seminar. Knowing that she came from a 2o/2o, do you think that teaching a run cue vs. a touch cue would clarify things or confuse things for her??? I have added the additional plank, but I think the one that I have is too think. I can post a session tomorrow for you to see.
I LOVED your seminar…it was great! Come back soon!
I’m afraid this alone won’t help her to stretch more for the running part… I would definitely work some more on that with the plank on a dog-walk. But yes, mine is very thin and then I support it with objects so that it’s not too bouncy.
yeah -- I figured it wouldn’t be THAT easy. I have done another session using the plank today. I think it went really well. what do you think. I don’t know if you can see the thickness of the plank or not. Does she look like she is jumping onto it too much?
Wow, that’s much better as what she does on a normal dog-walk! If she would run like this on a normal dog-walk, she would be very nicely and deeply in! I would keep the plank for some weeks more, bringing it up slowly and then removing it, I think it will work great.
That’s what I need to do with Pepper! Make him run full DW with the
plank. We are on the same hight as Wendy.
Because he doesn’t jump if I put obstacles after the DW, but if I put him further back on the horizontal ramp of the DW he starts jumping.
So last time I decided to start restraining him a bit further back each try on same hight and than make him run the whole DW. And only than raise the plank and repeat the process.
I think he starts jumping because of the anticipation, so making him run the whole DW and put a jump or tunnel in front will add the excitement that makes him forget to think. And I’ll be taking baby steps just in case
Tanja
Really happy with how Chico is coming along. I have recently started to work on turns and have a question. I am hearing a lot of people talk about not wanting your dogs to decelerate for turns, but I really don’t think that is possible. To turn one needs to decelerate, kind of a laws of physics thing. On the straight run my dog accelerates down and off the ramp. With his acceleration there is no way he can turn, kind of like hitting the gas in your car and cranking the wheel, it wouldn’t be pretty. So far I have had the best luck and it seems to be most clear for him to have two separate behaviors, so to speak. A straight run, which I cue by running hard and a turn which I cue by running and decelerating slightly as he hits the down ramp, raising my hand and saying a shortened version of his name. I do not actually ask for the turn until he is completed the dogwalk, but I have prepared him for the turn. He responds by shortening his stride and running through, and with the shortened stride he can turn nicely once complete. I have only played around a few times, so I am looking for input. Sorry no video on turns yet, but will post once I get one done up. Here is a video of our training up until I added turns. We really are having a ton of fun with it. Thank-you so much for all of the resource material on your sites and for being so available.
Of course a dog needs to decelerate and shorten a stride in order to turn. It’s always better to watch your dog as to listen what other people say 🙂
Thanks:) I love the line you have on your website about trusting your instinct when training your dog, you know him best. It is still nice to hear you agree:) Chico is super sensitive and it was so helpful to hear you talk about your experiences with Bu. It really helped me to make decisions for him. Thanks again:)
Sorry let me try the video post again.
Great, thanks for posting that, it shows the whole process really nicely!
Thanks for taking the time to watch:)
What a great video! I’m just starting out with this method and it did show the progression wonderfully! And Chico is a NICE dog! : )
Thanks for posting the great video! I’m just starting the contact training with my young dog and your video has really helped me visualize a couple things I wasn’t sure on! Chico is very handsome too! : )
Hm, I don’t see well, but I think I see some separation on the tries when she is really deep and really fast? Some of the tries look “bouncy” (meaning not running as fast as you would want, but more up in the air), I don’t like those too much. Are you throwing a toy in advance or not?
No I’m not throwing a toy. Sage isn’t super toy motivated (we’ve been working on it though). She’s running to Manners Minder (treat dispenser). Just a little backround I’ve spent a lot of time working on motivating Sage. It’s not easy to get her to run. She’ll chase a ball but not as a reward. (Does that make any sense?) Does this video give you a better idea of where we’re at? Does she still look bouncy? I’m open to any suggestions.
Thanks,
Hannah
Okay, I officially feel really dumb. All the empty comments are when I tried to post a video and failed. I didn’t change the http to httpv. Ugh, one silly letter. Anywho here’s the video and I’m going to try to make a better one later today.
Thanks 🙂
Hannah,
P.S. Do you have anymore info about your long distance running contacts class? Cost, skill levels, equipment needed, what will be in the class, etc.
Thanks again for answering all these questions, I’ve learned so much already from your answers on everyone’s posts.
This video is from our 4th running plank session. Our planks can’t sit on the ground without rocking, so I propped it up on the smallest thing I could find. We are starting about 20 feet before the plank and the toy is on the ground about 20 feet away.
I’m still trying to train my eye to see what to reward with a tug session and what not to.
Does #1 look like a jump? #7, 14, 15 and 16 all got no tugging rewards but after watching the video I’m worried that they were not jumps and should have been rewarded? Is it wrong to look for 2 strides on the plank? That’s what I think I was looking for. Thanks!
Hi Silvia, I´m from Colombia; I just start with your running contacts method a week before, I have recorded the sections but I don´t know if I´m doing well, can you help me?
This is the youtube link, I appreciate your comments and help, Thanks a lot
You throw WAY too late, she doesn’t really run. Running contacts class that we’ll be starting in a month or two would be a good idea.
Thank you Silvia, I will be your student. I can take running contacts class and bandolín class at the same time? This is the lastima video, we are getting better?
Thank you
Ser you in class
What do you mean by bandolin class? But yes, if you have enough time to train, it’s no problem taking two classes at the same time. The angle of this video is not the best, I have hard time seeing her hind feet. I see on some tries that it’s good, but in many tries, I think I see hind feet together, high on contact -- but then I can’t say for sure, try to tape it directly from the side.
Thank you Silvia, I mean handling class and running, I will think about it but I will take for sure the running class. Yes, acqua always runs with her hind feet together, I don’t know how to correct her.
When is the last day to pay running contacs class? I will be traveling from may 21ts to june 7th, that will be a problem for the class?
Ruano you
No problem, I’ll be traveling once you get back, so you will have enough time to catch up 🙂 And handling class will only start after that (end of June). We already have many participants in running contacts class, I think I’ll close it soon, I wanted to let some more people in as the next one will only start in autumn.
Silvia, it’s posible to correct acqua’s hind feet together? Or I should do 2on 2 off contacs and better thake the handling class?
Well, it’s possible to have running contacts also with dogs who run that way, but it’s hard for me to believe she always runs that way -- or did she have some kind of injury after which she started to run like that?
Hi Silvia, maybe she runs that way, we when she is so excited :), she doesn´t have any injury, so I will be on your april running class, she is now 12 months, I think is time to star from the begining again and to be ready when she turns to 18 months, I will pay in a few days, I hope it´s not too late 🙂
thank you so much
Hi!Silvia
is about a week that I started the Running Contact.
this is my first video.
I hope to find help.
my dog, hit less than half of the zone
Not good. Please see other videos on this site and read comments, it was all discussed already. Some of the problems: you throw way too late, you focus on hits instead of running style, you have LOTS of angle on your first session, you click for looking back at you etc. How about joining running contacts class that will start in a month or two?
in part:
tilt
space in front of A-frame
throw way too late
…control the stride of the second video:
I’m sorry, but this is still not my method. How about checking other videos on this website? You still throw the toy way too late, the dog is crawling, not running, and you have too much angle.
how do I give the toy too soon? I have to throw it in advance?
How much space do I need at the end of the table?
right now I have about 5 meters
I just tried to tilt the table and running with my dog
Excuse me Silvia.I only saw the video for dogwalk, and video performance with only downhill.I, however, I run my dog, from the ascent, the descent.