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!
Two super fun classes starting soon!!! Join us in October Foundations class – or November Tricks/Puppy class! |
 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 don’t know, and he touched more high than he used to do in training, I allways reward him with a trow ball, now I’m trowing the ball when he touches the zone, Maybe I’m being to late to reward?
Switch to rewarding after the next obstacle, not directly after AF.
Thanks Silvia, I will do that next training
Hi Silvia! RC sure is addictive! 🙂 I started dabbling with it with my tiny terrier cross, Gracie. She’s a rescue dog and has come such a long way. She has taken such a shine to RC and I think she is running really nicely!! I know you said you don’t want 4 feet in unless the dog is really small and I think Gracie is small enough for 4 feet in (she is 26cm). Hope this makes you smile as much as it does me 🙂
She sure is extra cute!!! 🙂
That she is! Would you say that we are on track and I can continue?
Sure, just continue. Do tape her running on grass as well though to see if that’s really her full reach -- it would certainly be better if you could get more reach…
I’ll definitely do that. Thank you!
can i have access to the lessons?
You have it… Your class was RC May, the link is at the very button of long-distance classes registration page. Let me know if you have further problems!
Hi Silvia
I do running contacts with my border collie, we’re on full plank stage maybe 0,5m up the ground,it’s going amazing well 🙂
I’am wondering to do 2on2off to have better tight turns after the dogwalk (couse I don;t believe I can teach large dog with long stride and very fast to do perfect turns). How do you think- when is the best moment to start it? When I will finished runing contacts or now (do it at the same time, on very different word with a lot of play and fun) ?
best reagrds
You can do it already now but on a box, but only introduce it to a DW after you introduce RC to a (low) DW.
I have a plank (2m) maybe I can train it on this?
Ok, so I don’t have to wait for stage when he will do full DW(high) and can transfer this to DW when it will be lower (but on highest level of understaing of hitting contacts etc) ?
Box would be better to make it look more different from plank work. You don’t need to be on fill height no, but already on a whole DW.
Hi Silvia!! An update Astro’s running a-Frame, How do You See him? He si touching in a good spot or he si too high?
Thanks
Certainly not too high. More separation and drive forward would be even better, but if he is always in, then that’s fine 🙂
Hi Silvia, i am trying to get RC on my toy poodle (30,5 cm) following your RC video (certainly needed it, i started without buying it and i made some basic mistakes); its going great so far he runs full speed rarely leaps or even miss the contact , but i am using a 250 cm plank ,my practice DW its 250 cm per apex,so i dont know if my dog is going to do well on full 360 cm DW. Thanks in advance for any comment about it.
Juan Muñiz.
You can do most work on your DW, but certainly make sure to do some training on full DW before trying to transfer it to trials.
Forgot to mention,he is a retrain;i had realiable 2on2off but it was slowing my dog too much and i think he already is running slow in trials compared to training , so going for RC seems a good way to speed him up.
Hi Silvia, Please would you mind looking at where we are with Nat please.
I have moved her to working now at my grounds as the DW is there for Spy, as you know. Her set up at the moment is, into a curved tunnel, exit straight to the carpet over 2 planks of the DW. This is her 3rd session like this. Do you think next is to try 1 piece of DW with no carpet over and then work up too the 3 pieces DW flat and then only start adding height with the frames? Thank you kindly as always. 🙂
Looks great! You can continue as described yes!
🙂 thank you 🙂
Hi Silvia, im sort of stucked in a height next to the final one, my dog keeps doing around 75% running, like 26/35 or 24/30 or something, its been that way for some days, should i go down? or keep trying till he gets 100% for some days? We were not stucked before, he always managed to make close to perfect sesions.
Best regards and good luck in the EO.
Did you try helping him with his favourite set up (approach and exit), thrown toy, carpet, Get That Contact Game? Would be good to raise the successful rate some and then move to the full height and work towards 100% there.
I figured out how to make him success and one day he just made like 15/15 and i raised it in that moment,he kept doing fine for some days so i borrowed a full DW(i was doing it with a 2/3 long DW).
Now i have to make him understand that the full dog walk works exactly the same as our practice dog walk, i did one sesion in a full DW and it didnt go very well 🙁 in fact it was bad and i went back to his setup, he has been running fine for some days so i will try later this week to go up to the full DW again backchaining the DW and pray that he gives me some good tries to reward.
P.D. HE is also running slower in the full DW. 🙁
So to explain the situation better:
1- He runs just fine in my 2/3 long DW(with the same angle as a full DW). It doest matter the approach, or the spot of the DW he starts.
2- Had big trouble with a full DW sesion so i went back to his setup, i noticed also he was running slower.
3- Planning to start running him again in a full DW later this week now that he has been doing good sesion in the 2/3 one.
Wish me luck 😛
Oh yes, that’s quite a difference (more important one as adding height), so the transition will certainly take you some time and patience. I don’t quite understand your 2/3 set up though, I would think you have horizontal + down plank, but then you couldn’t practice different approaches, so I’m not sure what your set up is like???
Its a 3 apex DW but its smaller per apex, so each apex is around 260 cm and not 360 cm.
I started doing only the down ramp at the begining but then i backchained the DW and it was fine(so i could do different approaches); but i went back to do just the down ramp and a part of the horizontal one (contact game)these last days, i think it will make it easier for him to go to the full DW and just start with only the down ramp,and then backchain it.
I dont know if i explained myself well now 😛
When i say apex i mean PLANKS, its a 3 plank setup !
Ah, o.k. And yes, help him succeed for now, until he figures out new striding.
And im sure he is ok physically ; he runs the same way, he does perfect tries but he leaps too much, he is a retrain so maybe thats the problem.