Grid Work & Puppy Foundations...

So, just in case you were wondering whether Finn and Willow had actually been replaced by the spaniels, I thought I'd provide some proof that they are still in existence!! They just haven't been doing much in the way of agility lately as it's been a bit snowy/frozen/wet or I've been concussed!

When we have had the chance to do a bit with them, we've mostly been concentrating on Grid Work to improve their jumping skills. We all assume our dogs can jump, and they can all 'jump', but that doesn't mean they know how to do it well! Us agility folk spend many an hour drilling weave poles or contact behaviours, but it's amazing how little thought or time we put into teaching good jumping technique, particularly since a course is comprised primarily of jumps!! And what I'm talking about here is teaching the mechanical skills of jumping, not the 'handling' side of things.

The ultimate source of information on teaching jumping skills is currently Susan Salo, who brings a wealth of knowledge from the show jumping world to agility through her 'Foundation Jumping', 'Advanced Jumping' and 'Puppy Jumping' DVDs. "When a dog understands how to jump - path, distance, appropriate take-off place, weight transfer, angle of elevation, and height - he will run more smoothly, efficiently, and decisively, and therefore, be faster and less prone to injury."

So give a little thought as to just how much time you've spent teaching your dog to jump properly, and consider investing in the DVDs or finding a trainer who knows a bit about Grids! It's definitely helping Finn with his awful jumping technique, although I think he will always be slightly handicapped by his short legs, long back and bad angulation...poor little midget man!

Here's Finn and Wills doing a little bit...



And as for the pups, well we're hoping to get them off to a better start, and have been doing small amounts of the Puppy Jumping stuff over tiny jump bumps, alongside the other Foundation basics. Here's the latest pupdate!...



Wags and kisses,
Shelley, Mr Finn and Whili-pants :)