Distance Handling 101 - Foundation Skills: Episode 18 - Progressing your Wait

In this episode I am looking at how to take our basic wait behaviour and transfer it into a wait in front of an obstacle.
This can be a surprisingly tricky exercise, with some dogs finding it extremely hard to hold a stationary position once an obstacle is involved. However, this is a very important skill for any agility dog and will give you a major advantage as a distance handler if you can leave your dog in a wait.
Too many agility handlers neglect their wait cue until the dog is heavily fixated on doing obstacles and then they find it a struggle to go back and perfect a wait. Been there, done that! My first agility dog did not have a wait, if I could move to the side of the jump before he wanted to go I was happy!
As I have progressed in agility I have realised the importance of a good wait and made plenty of mistakes along the way to achieving what I want, so in this video I am going to talk about how to do this, and what to avoid.
Now, if you have a low drive dog you may be concerned that a wait will diminish their drive and make them slower. That is definitely not the case, in fact, getting a good wait can help encourage drive as the dog has to chase you from the start. For more about why self-control and drive go hand-in-hand check out this video • Distance Handling 101 ... in which I explain it fully.
Lastly, please take your time over this exercise, especially with young dogs. It is not something that can be rushed. Wagtail, who is in the video, struggled with me moving just a step away for weeks, before finally it all clicked and now I am getting a solid wait. As with all these exercises, go at your dog's pace, let them guide you as to when they are ready to progress.
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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!

[@rachelcarre06]

Please could you do a video on way to help dogs that constantly drop poles?