Lorrie [00:00:08]:
Welcome to the Maximum Fun Agility podcast. I'm Lorrie Reynolds, owner of Maximum Fun Dog Sports. We help your agility team build your relationship, communication, confidence, and fun in training so that you can joyfully succeed on any course. In this episode, I'd like to talk about why planning your path to to keep you away from a distance line is important and how you can think ahead to give yourself an advantage on course. A group of us were walking a chance's course at an agility trial together, and I noticed that my friend's handling path was taking her way too close to the distance challenge line. I reminded her to stay off the line.
Lorrie [00:00:47]:
She laughed and told me that she hears me saying "stay off the line" in her head every time she walks a chances or gamblers course. I heard somebody snicker behind me. Another of my seminar students said, "Me too. I hear that and 'the line is not your friend' every time I walk." Although I think it is hilarious that students hear me inside their heads, I am grateful that one of my most important lessons sticks with them. The distance line is not your friend. What do I mean by that? When you are planning your handling path on a course with a distance challenge, it's important to maintain a few feet between you and the line. If your dog can perform the challenge from 10 feet, I promise that he can perform it from 12 or even 14 feet as well.
Lorrie [00:01:35]:
Giving yourself a little extra room can help you in several ways. Some courses are designed to trap people who are running right on the line. Most often, they are in a v or l shape. If you take advantage of the closest point in the corner to handle one obstacle, you can't handle the next part without moving the opposite way from where you want your dog to go, pulling them off the path. Staying out of that pocket gives you a much better chance of using your motion to push to the next obstacle. There are other places where you need to plan so you have room for motion. Sometimes, agility runs just don't go as planned, and your dog gets stalled out or starts coming toward you instead of moving away to the correct obstacle. If you are right next to the line, your only options are to yell verbal cues at your dog or wave frantically with your arms to try to get him to move away.
Lorrie [00:02:33]:
However, if your planned path kept you a few feet away from the line, you would have room to step towards your dog's path and use your motion to give him clearer direction about where to go. One of the things I preach is consistent cues with no extra motions or unrelated body language. Getting too close to the line can cause handlers to lose track of their position or overbalance, resulting in a lot of flailing about and gyrating to avoid stepping on the line. We call it the dreaded line dance. All of that extra commotion is confusing to your dog and doesn't help him stay on course. Line dancing should only be done in country and western bars. When you are walking a course with a distance challenge, make sure you are planning a path that keeps you at least a few feet away from the line. Doing so will make sure you don't get stuck in a trap, you have room to move if you need it, and you will avoid the funny but unproductive line dance.
Lorrie [00:03:39]:
In the next episode, I'll talk about how to regain distance from the line if you happen to venture too close. Thanks for listening to this episode of the Maximum Fun Agility podcast. If you want to get training tips, product announcements, and more delivered to your inbox, join our community at www.maximumfundogs.com. See you next time.
