Lorrie Reynolds [00:00:00]:
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 and confidence so that you can have fun training and enjoy success on any course. In this episode, we'll talk about how to handle a Ferrari when you're used to driving a Pinto. When you learned how to drive, what kind of car did you learn to drive in? Did you learn on a side street or backcountry road or on the highway? I'm guessing you didn't start off with a Ferrari on the interstate. I did. Okay, maybe not literally, but my first agility dog was definitely not a Pinto.
Lorrie Reynolds [00:00:48]:
And I'm seriously dating myself here with that reference. I didn't know I was getting a sports car when that stray wandered up my driveway, but given the amount of natural athletic talent and brains he had, he could have easily made world team with an experienced handler. But, that wasn't me. I hadn't even heard of agility until the training facility owner told me that I needed to join her agility class after we zipped through basic obedience and aced the final test. There's nothing like road tripping with a fast and focused agility dog. Not only did I have a Ferrari rather than a Pinto, it wasn't long before I took him on the interstate, even though I was still a student driver. I've always been a fan of speed. That's pretty obvious by the muscle cars and motorcycles in my past. But I didn't anticipate Maxx being quite so fast, both in getting through training to be ready to trial and when he was actually running on the course.
Lorrie Reynolds [00:01:46]:
Nine months after we started training, we were at our first competition. In less than a year and a half, we went to our first NADAC Championships. Talk about jumping into the deep end when you've just learned how to doggy paddle! A lot of people start their agility journey the other way around. They hear about agility or see it on TV and think it looks like fun. They start out in agility with the family pet, who usually isn't a Pinto, but is probably more like a dependable sedan or SUV. Then they get addicted and decide to upgrade. They get a Border Collie puppy or an Aussie and figure out they need a five point harness just to stay in the car.
Lorrie Reynolds [00:02:25]:
All of the sudden they can't keep up, can't think fast enough, and the handling that worked when they had time to fix it as they were driving their SUV around the course suddenly doesn't cut it anymore. If that's you, you don't have to crash and burn. Here are the things to focus on if you suddenly found yourself driving a sports car that you weren't quite ready for. The first one is clarity. Make sure that your cues are clear and that they are telling your dog what you think they are. Don't add extra steps or arm waving or late verbal cues or cheerleading. Your fast dog doesn't need anything except very focused, timely, and crisp cues. Take decisive steps in the direction your dog should go rather than hesitant ones. Turn your shoulders in the correct direction to point to your dog's path.
Lorrie Reynolds [00:03:16]:
Make the path obvious by drawing smooth lines with your hand and arm as you direct him through the course. Look ahead of him at where you want him to go rather than staring directly into his eyes around the course. The next focus should be on consistency. Once your cues are clear, make sure you're using them the same way every time. Don't use the outside hand for a turn away one time and the inside hand for the same thing the second time. Pressure off of your dog should always mean to alter their line to move towards you. Don't try to move the dog further away through pressure and then rock back, taking the pressure off before your dog has committed to the obstacle. Don't push your hand out from your shoulder to indicate movement away in one situation, and then use the bowling arm to indicate the same thing in a different situation.
Lorrie Reynolds [00:04:08]:
Your dog can only trust your cues if you use them consistently. Make sure you have solid foundations. If you've got any gaps in your foundation, fill them in. For example, it's really hard to run a fast dog if you don't have a solid stay at the start line. It can be done, but it's a lot of extra work. Foundations are the building blocks for communication. Communication that is so routine that it's almost instinctive is a "need to have" when you are running a fast dog. There is no time to try to band aid something on course because your dog doesn't have a foundational skill.
Lorrie Reynolds [00:04:45]:
An extremely important focus for agility dogs is confidence. It's critical to do everything you can to build your dog's confidence so he can perform independently and to maintain that confidence over time. If your dog goes off course because he didn't have the information fast enough, make sure he doesn't know that you messed up. Own that off course and find a graceful way to get back on track without your dog knowing it was a mistake. Otherwise you lose the dog's confidence in your cues and he loses the confidence to move around the course without constant babysitting. The last area to focus on when you feel like you're trying to direct the Roadrunner (meep, meep) is is my favorite, distance. Believe it or not, it's easier to handle a fast dog at a distance than it is up close, at least on straightforward sections of the course.
Lorrie Reynolds [00:05:39]:
Trying to race from place to place, be consistent, and give clear cues all at the same time is hard. Being able to worry less about where you need to be and pay more attention to your cues and communication takes the pressure off and lets you focus. Maintaining your focus on these items will let you adapt to running a speedy agility dog, even if you started out with the family SUV or an economy Pinto. This week, think about these aspects of your handling and training and start a what is good, what needs to improve, and how can you make these changes? Then pick one or two things to work on during the week. Hey, you've made it through another episode of the Maximum Fun Agility Podcast. You can get help learning how to drive your Ferrari in the budget friendly monthly membership called The Agility Playground. The Koolie puppy that was born in 2024 is helping demonstrate the skills you need for a potential speed demon. Join us in The Agility Playground and choose the lessons that your team needs.
Lorrie Reynolds [00:06:43]:
We'll meet you where you are and get you flying down the road on the right track. You can check out The Agility Playground and join our community at www.maximumfundogs.com. Links are in the show notes. See you next time.
