Distance Handling 101 - Foundation Skills: Episode 13 - Mastering the Timing for your Verbal Cues

In this episode:
I take a deep dive into the importance of timing your verbal cues to enable you to successfully navigate your dog around a course.
Late verbal cues are a primary cause for dogs taking the wrong course, knocking poles or becoming frustrated with the handler. Even handlers who can run with their dogs need to time their cues correctly to avoid mistakes occurring.
When cues are given too late the dog does not have the correct information to know where to go next on an agility course. This decreases confidence and speed, as well as forcing errors into a run. Some dogs will bark or spin to show their frustration, others may start to sniff or even leave the ring. Other dogs will take their own line as the handler has failed to instruct them soon enough.
Late cues cause so many faults and eliminations that are blamed on the dog, when it is the handler which has created the problem. The handler's responsibility on an agility course is to be the dog's sat nav, giving prompt, clear guidance to enable the dog to navigate the obstacles correctly.
How as handlers do we check our timing skills for verbals and go about improving on them? In this video I answer both questions as well as demonstrating how you learn the optimum timing of cues for your dog.
Improving your timing will improve your dog's consistency, accuracy, speed and confidence, all of which are essential for success on the agility field. But don't worry, it is something we can all improve upon by using the simple exercises I outline in this video.
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sophiejackson2021
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Dog agility is a fast growing sport involving the dog negotiating a series of obstacles. Traditionally, handlers have endeavoured to run with their dogs around a course. However, with courses becoming bigger, it is increasingly vital to teach distance handling for dog agility. While some handlers may have physical limitations that mean they cannot run with their dogs, even handlers that are fit and able will need distance handling skills. These skills include - obstacle independence - ability to respond to verbal as well as physical cues - great drive and focus forward However, distance handling can often seem daunting to those who have never tried it. In this new series, I am going to explore the foundations for great distance handling. You will learn the key training techniques, exercises to build drive and independence and develop your skills as a distance handler.
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About me! I am a force free dog trainer living in the United Kingdom. I have trained with a variety of dogs and currently own Shelties and working cockers or cocker crosses. I have competed in agility since 2013 and have qualified for various regional and national finals. Due to ill health, I had to transition from being a running agility handler to a distance handler in 2021. Since then I have become passionate about encouraging handlers of all abilities to enjoy this sport with their dogs. My channel is dedicated to sharing my love of dogs and dog training. I believe dog training should be taught in a fun, cooperative manner. Welcome and I hope you enjoy my videos!

[@francescadavossa9555]

Thanks for your easy and exhaustive explanation. ❤

[@everydayk9sdogtraining366]

Glad it helped

[@burnardruddle3377]

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