Do you want to improve your course times for two and more seconds? Do you want to make handling and timing easier for you? Do you want to improve your dogs obstacle focus, distance skills, sends and independent performance? Do you want to take lots of stress off your dogs joints? Do you want to make turns more fun for your dog? Then you need to teach cik&cap.
Sounds fancy, but it is just another trick. This video offers step by step instructions how to teach it, real life examples, detailed course analysis on where, when and why to use it and some more tricks on how to improve your dogs performance.
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And an article I wrote for Agility Zone magazine on Cik&Cap:
As you probably figured out by now: I love training dogs! And I love it even more when I have a new, not-yet-tested idea. It's funny, because I actually really hate having new phone, computer or car, I hate getting used to new things and reading instructions is what makes me annoyed and nervous in like a second. People that know me always laugh at me to be able to test and develop new methods for years, they know patience, persistence and not giving up are my strongest points - until they see me reading instructions. Give me instructions to follow and I'm giving up in the next second. Give me the dog with the problem and I will solve it. Might take me years, but I will.
I love new challenges and I love that every next dog brings me some new ones: Aiken taught me how to motivate hard-to-motivate dogs, Lo taught me how to deal with fears and phobias, Bu taught me how to work with autistic dog with special needs and La... Hm... She showed me how easy it is with problem-free dog (if we don't see hyperactivity and total lack of self-control as a problem, of course 🙂 ). As I needed a problem to solve, something to improve anyway, I came up with that idea of cik&cap turns. She already won World Championships with 6s of advantage before that, so no, we didn't need it. But we loved it and with every next dog, every next student and every next course that I run, I love it even more, I see even more advantage in it and even more positive side-effects.
Cik&cap turns are born as a trick, that's where the name comes from: cik-cak/zig-zag was how I called figure 8 between my legs trick. And then simply generalized it for sending the dog to wrap other objects, eventually jump wings and then eventually jump wings with a bar inbetween - low first, and then higher&higher. Very easy, elegant way to cut off 2 to 5s off your course times, depending on how good or not your dog is naturally turning and how long or not he is jumping when jumping in extension. Yeah, most people think I gain most with running contacts, but as there are maximum two occasions to do running contacts per course (none in jumpers), that's not really true. You can gain the most on turns.
And it's not just about the turns. At the same time you are training for perfect turns, you are training sends, distance skills, independence, commitment and obstacle focus and you're making turns and agility as such way more fun for the dog. Especially if you're just starting, beginnings can be somewhat frustrating for both the dog and the handler as they both have so much more to learn - but knowing cik&cap makes it more fun for both, it allows the dog to run and have fun right from the start and gives the handler more time to think about where and how to cross etc. Handling and timing definitely gets MUCH easier with cik&cap, it allows you to get perfect turns even when you don't happen to be on a perfect spot at the perfect moment. And probably most importantly: as it allows the dog to know all the time where he is going next, so that he has time to adjust his speed and prepare for the turn, it takes lots of stress off your dog's joints. It always hurts me to see dogs landing in wrong direction, having to absorb all the momentum to stop and turn and then speed up again, sometimes even falling on their shoulders... NOT good! Cik&cap allows your dog to always land with front paws turned in the right direction, so the momentum from the landing is used for speeding up again.
So yes, cik&cap is definitely The trick that you want to teach to every agility dog. Have fun!
I was just thinking about that : are you using this for learning the ” out ” too ?
Nope, “out” I only train on full jump, first helping with body language a lot and then less&less. Some of the jumps are just “out” and some “outs” can be “out” + “cik/cap”, so it’s important to train cik/caps also in this situation, with a handler on a landing side.
Okey, thank’s !
Would you use the cik/cap in this case ?
(On the second jump)
I would use cik for long jumping dogs (Bi), left for normal length jumping dogs (Bu and La) -- and I would use cik with all IF 2 was moved more out (up on your picture).
Thank’s ! No, the 2 is right, it’s 90°, I think.
I wasen’t sure the day of the competition if I needed to use the cik with my dog ( wo jumps as long as Bi … 😛 ). I didn’t use it an it didn’t work 😉
Oh, I was just saying in general, if the middle jump of a pinwheel is moved out (making a narrow pinwheel), then it’s definitely cik/cap. If the pinweel is wide, then it’s left/right. And for symmetrical pinwheel, it’s cik/cap for long jumping dogs and left/right for shorter jumping dogs.
Hi Silvia
So If I remove the jump number 2, should I be using cik/cap verbal cues?
It depends on the approach. If it’s a sliced approach, then not. If it’s side approach, then yes. If it’s a front approach, yes if it’s a speedy one.
But If the dog comes from a not too fast front approach could I use the soft turn verbal cue??
And then in a front approach: how could I do if I would a tight turn on jump number 1 to come back to me and do not send the dog on jump n. 2 while using the same verbal cue??
Yes for 1. And for 2 -- if you want a dog to come to you, you use a come to hand cue? Cik&tap doesn’t tell the dog how the rest of the course goes, it only tels them where to land. What is next depends on your next cues.
Hey Silvia!
I have got a nearly 4 year old Labrador x German Shepherd mix dog, and i wondered if cik and cap is still good to teach it to her. Well, we don’t really have a jumping problem but usually, when I want her to jump short i turn myself backwards and say “schhh…”, if you know what I mean. It often works, but I can’t say that I am completely happy with that. I mean, she always jumps full height, so is it still possible to teach her Cik and Cap? Furthermore, it is often really hard for me to get her motivated, is this a problem? Thank you soo much!
greetings Marie & Flicka
Sure, it’s always possible to teach an old dog new ticks! 🙂 I started with cik&cap when La was 2 and Lo was 9 🙂 So it’s never too late! But of course, you’ll need to start from zero, with no bars and then build from there. You can still jump full height on your normal trainings and trials, but cik&cap training will need to be done progressively away from that. It might even help with her motivation issues, as it’s so much fun and so much about running!
Thank you very much for your exhaustive opinion
Hi Sylvia -- I just bought your Cik Cap video this week and I am just wondering when you shape both directions at the same time at what point do you give each behaviour it’s name? What do you look for as the desired final behaviour before giving a name (tight around the pole?, offering two turns in the same direction?). How do I make each direction clear but at the same time keeping each directional behaviour strong? Thanks so much. I love the video. Brilliant.
Glad you liked the video! 🙂 I start giving a name to it as soon as they are going around it tightly and will just use a name of the direction they choose. I want them to understand it’s about tightness and don’t worry about the direction at all, I just help with the body language and they get it somewhere on a way.
Bonjour,
J’ai commencé à travailler avec ma chienne selon votre DVD, elle a bien compris le principe, j’en suis à l’étape ou j’ajoute de la hauteur, on en est à la taille médium maintenant (elle saute en Large). Mais de plus en plus, je remarque que quand je lui demande un tourné court, elle me le fait plutôt pas joli, et dès que je demande un “multiwrap”, le 2ème est splendide !
Est-ce que c’est mauvais ? Dois-je revenir une étape en arrière ou uniquement cliquer et lancer ma balle lors du 2ème enroulement ?
Merci Beaucoup !
Et vous pouvez répondre en Anglais, je le comprends bien 😉
Yes, 2nd wrap is often easier because there is no speed involved. But of course, you want her to be tight on the first one already, so maybe lower it some again and focus on speedy approaches this time, to make sure she can do it nicely also when coming to the jump with full speed, on a 1st try. Raise it again when you get nice tightness on lower jumps.
Merci Beaucoup ! Je vais donc redescendre les sauts 🙂
J’ai fait une petite vidéo :
Est-ce que de cette façon, c’est bon ?
Yes, looks good! 🙂 Those with no speed are especially good, so do practice coming in with lots of speed, from a straight line or a tunnel, too!
That’s our next Step 🙂
Can cik and cap be used with the Awesome Paws Handling System? I know you use Greg Derrett’s, but I use Linda’s and just want to stay consistent. 🙂
Me??? Greg Derrett? Oh no, where on earth did you get THAT! Do my front crosses really look THAT late?!? 🙂 My handling is WAY closer to Linda’s, just more “aggressive” and is as far from Greg’s as it gets! 🙂 Nobody here uses his system, it’s a no go on our courses where you really want to get to places as fast as possible. And yes, cik&cap goes together with any handling.
WOW!!!! I heard you used Gregs!!!!!!!!!!!! My bad!!! HAHAHAHA WOW! Well, thanks for clarifying! I don’t have a trained eye to determine who uses what in the ring.. not yet at least!
I’m ordering cik and cap! 😀 Can’t wait!
You can recognize them by late front crosses 🙂 I only learned about GD when I had a first seminar in USA and I commented one run with “but all your front crosses were way too late” -- to then learned that was actually on purpose! 🙂
I find reading about the cik-cap jumping interesting and reading about its safety to the dogs more than straight on. Is this a different style than Susan Salo? However she does bend grids as I believe she has a horse background and quite educated in jumping. When can you start cik cap? My pup is 6 months and very fit, reading your lifestyle I believe my pup has a similar one as he goes for many runs and I think is quite agile. However, I am careful to not overdue it. I just want to go slow and be careful. I will take the Foundation class in the fall and he will be a year then so glad about that. Taking Puppy class now. So I guess I should follow that for now and develop him as the class goes before doing too much endurance stuff? Just wondering.
I start with cik&cap pretty early, 5 months or so, but of course not as endurance stuff or doing too many repetitions -- just like some fun sprints 🙂 I don’t really know SS stuff, so I can’t comment on that, but I think horses are a bit different as dogs in how they move and jump… You could go to audit March Foundations, plenty of cool discussions there -- and then start some with Cameron. Mastering the whole program takes a bit longer as 4 months, so most people take it twice if they don’t start on their own first already.
Hi, I’m having so much fun with the DVD tricks for B, S & C and I’d like to buy another one. I’m certainly gonna order speed & conditioning, that would be great for my agility labrador, but I was not certain about cik & cap. Do you think that a very inflexible dog could benefit from cik & cap more then from shaping a line? Thanks in advance for your answer.
Great, happy to hear you’re having fun with the tricks! And yes, cik&cap works with not flexible dogs too, they just find another style -- like throwing hips in one or another direction over the bar, meeting the criteria (landing close with front feet turned in the right direction) without any back bending. Every dog has a bit different style, they all find a way that is the easiest for them based on their build.
Hello Silvia,
I have your video and loved it. The truth is, I already started to train Cik & Cap to my dog before I had the video haha, but the video helped me to improve them.
Nevertheless we have a problem:
Jody turns tight, when I send her to the jump oder when I am in front of her, but there is a more than 180′ turn. But it doens’t work, if I am in Front of her and the angle is not that difficult (wierd huh?). She doesn’t slow down and I guess she tries to overtake me. How can I train that?
best regards from Germany 🙂
Franzi
You mean when you are front crossing on the landing side? -- Not sure why you would be in front otherwise, considering that you’re going in the opposite direction next? Those with front crosses on landing side are hard yes, maybe lower (or angle) the bar some, try to help with a toy and redo (do a multi-wrap) if she is still wide or reward if she collects.
Yes, that is what I mean 🙂 (front-crossing on the landing side)
Ok, I’ll try the multi wraps then, because I already tried to throw her ball to the jumping side, so that she has a 180′ or more turn (even if it is not the right way in cours) -- didn’t work -- and then I changed to hand-feeding, but that didn’t work at all and just made her crazier and faster 😀 (can’t deny I liked it a bit)
So for now, the multi wraps are a very good idea! Thanks alot!
You can also make it easier by sending to a tunnel first so that once she is out, you can already be completely static and facing her from the landing side -- it’s much harder if you’re still running in, so you can add that difficulty later.
Ok, thanks. I’ll try it
Hello,
I have been very happy to use your DVD to learn cik and cap to my dog. It is indeed a very powerful tool.
However, i have the following problem (that I will try to explain despite my broken english).
When my dog run is perpendicular to the fence, everything goes smoothly and my dog, depending cik (tic) or cap (tap), is turning clockwise on the right pole(tic) and anticlockwise on the left pole (tap).
I am now trying to get the same result at different angle between my dog run and the fence. From 90° down to 45 °, things are ok. But when the angle further reduce (the dog run is more en more parallel to the fence), it get the following results: let say that the angle of the run of my dog i such that the left pole is the nearest one of the dog. If I say tap, I got the good comportment (anticlockwise rotation around the left pole), but if y say tic, I get a clockwise rotation around the left pole (in fact an “out”) instead of a clockwise rotation on the right pole (that is farther away).
I do not know what to do, because the comportment of my dog is what was teached in the DVD when playing with trees (got to the nearest tree and turn clockwise or anti-clockwise around it). However when looking to your trials, you are using cik and cap for waves , where the dog is turning around the pole further away
Thanking you in advance for your help.
So if I understand correctly, you can’t rear cross when coming to the jump from side approach? Can you rear cross when coming to the jump from front approach? For rear crosses on side approaches, help with your body motion more, push more on his line to block him from taking wrong side of the jump and then even more to get him to turn away rather as towards you. If he understands rear crosses well, he will master that as well, just help more with your body to block the wrong side of the jump.