# agility distance



## LazyGRanch713 (Jul 22, 2009)

So we're having issues with Tag not wanting to work far away from me in agility. If I send him over a jump, he'll clear 2 or so without me beside him. But to send him away to do a jump wrap or whatnot, he's not understanding what I want. Any ideas?


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## DJEtzel (Dec 28, 2009)

Does he know a "go" type command with outward hand/finger pointing signal? 

Frag used to never listen to commands if he was more than about 5 feet away. I taught him GO (where he follows the direction I'm pointing with my outward stretched arm) by clicker training, so that he would learn to go further away from me to get treats. Now he will do basic commands like sits, downs, etc. that he wouldn't before at distances up to 20-30'. 

Perhaps it's worth a go?


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## LazyGRanch713 (Jul 22, 2009)

DJEtzel said:


> Does he know a "go" type command with outward hand/finger pointing signal?
> 
> Frag used to never listen to commands if he was more than about 5 feet away. I taught him GO (where he follows the direction I'm pointing with my outward stretched arm) by clicker training, so that he would learn to go further away from me to get treats. Now he will do basic commands like sits, downs, etc. that he wouldn't before at distances up to 20-30'.
> 
> Perhaps it's worth a go?


He knows "Go" when there's a target. We kind of abandoned the whole go out/send out thing because I didn't want to screw it up in case we worked with the trainer later on, I didn't want it muddied


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## DJEtzel (Dec 28, 2009)

LazyGRanch713 said:


> He knows "Go" when there's a target. We kind of abandoned the whole go out/send out thing because I didn't want to screw it up in case we worked with the trainer later on, I didn't want it muddied


Ah, that makes sense. Sorry. *shrugs*


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## RaeganW (Jul 14, 2009)

Is a jump wrap where the dog goes away from you, takes a jump, and wraps around the upright to return to you (who is in more or less the same place as when he left)?


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## LynnI (Mar 27, 2010)

LazyGRanch713 said:


> So we're having issues with Tag not wanting to work far away from me in agility. If I send him over a jump, he'll clear 2 or so without me beside him. But to send him away to do a jump wrap or whatnot, he's not understanding what I want. Any ideas?


Yes, several things in fact  First I train it on the flat, I take any object that is narrow and at least as tall as the dog (so I can reach over it if I need too). Start with Tag on your left, face the object and be only one step away, ask him to move around it, click or say yes when he is on the backside of the object, turn slightly in the direction you want your dog to turn, (but they should quickly understand that if they start on your left that they are to go around the object clockwise and counter clockwise from the rightside) turn so the object is now behind you and he comes to your left side to be rewarded. I don't give a verbal cue but it is very important that you keep your arm and hand up above the shoulder, that is your get out and away cue. The goal is to work both sides the same way and increase the distance that you move back but don't drop that arm/hand and don't say anything. The two biggest mistakes people make is dropping their arm too soon because when we do drop the arm/hand, it is a natural cue to the dog to come to us. Whether we intended to teach it or not, it is a cue because rewards are often given low at the level of the dog's head and close to our bodies. The second mistake is speaking, as soon as we speak the dogs don't focus forward and they check in with us and discover that we are not coming with them. Combine that with a lowered arm and bang you have a dog coming back to you or second guessing the information. Another thing, don't slam on the breaks, just take shorter strides and slow down but don't stop, only very experienced dogs will continue on with a handler that slams on the breaks.
I practice this on all kinds of objects once my dogs know to go great distances around the first object, trees, bushes, trash cans etc. Only then do I start sending them to a jump and other obstacles and then finally adding sequences at distance and then layering.
I would also suggest Garrett's One Jump Exercise DVD, teaches dogs to find lines and distance.


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## Shaina (Oct 28, 2007)

RaeganW said:


> Is a jump wrap where the dog goes away from you, takes a jump, and wraps around the upright to return to you (who is in more or less the same place as when he left)?


It's normally when the dog goes to the far side of the jump on the flat, then takes the jump back toward you.


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## Sibe (Nov 21, 2010)

We just started working on "get out" to help the dog learn hand motions at a distance. Stand in front of an object- we've been using a trash can, vacuum cleaner, whatever- and lure them around the object while standing still very close to the object, and turning as they go around so they return at your side and not front (if that makes sense). Gradually move backwards as your dog is catching on. Before you know it your dog will "get out" around an object from far away. It also helps teach them to watch your hand motions. From there you can work on distance training to go over obstacles.


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## MissMutt (Aug 8, 2008)

RaeganW said:


> Is a jump wrap where the dog goes away from you, takes a jump, and wraps around the upright to return to you (who is in more or less the same place as when he left)?


Yes.

http://agilitynerd.com/blog/agility/glossary/JumpWrap.html


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## Shaina (Oct 28, 2007)

Shaina said:


> It's normally when the dog goes to the far side of the jump on the flat, then takes the jump back toward you.


Erm I was just reading something else and this post popped into my head...ignore everything I said I was sleep-deprived lol...I described a sort of back side jump push NOT a jump wrap...you were right and so is MissMutt (thanks for correcting me MM lol)


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## LazyGRanch713 (Jul 22, 2009)

Thanks all. We'll start playing Ring Around the Object tomorrow 
We just played tonight. Didn't really do any training but I let him play in the tunnel and the jumps and we worked on weaves for about 2 minutes. I started doing some box work type stuff and practicing front and rear crosses, which was...entertaining 
Basically...if I do a post turn between two jumps, unless I step way into the line between the jumps he bails on the 2nd one (because my body language says get back here, kwim?) I'd like to get him to the point where I could send him out to a jump, have him jump out then back in over the 2nd jump and continue on course. We'll get there


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## RaeganW (Jul 14, 2009)

That's what I figured, just checking. The way I would teach it is virtually identical to Lynn's, although when I first trained it I ended with a front + finish. I'll have to go back and work my turning into it, and add in a jump. It was one of my favorite things to teach, lots of fun. One tip I do have is start with the item (I used one jump upright) actually between your feet so the dog isn't going around it so much as just crossing in front of you from your left to your right. There should be a good number of videos about it on Youtube, it's an exercise in Susan Ailsby's Training Levels and that group is excellent about making videos.



Shaina said:


> Erm I was just reading something else and this post popped into my head...ignore everything I said I was sleep-deprived lol...I described a sort of back side jump push NOT a jump wrap...you were right and so is MissMutt (thanks for correcting me MM lol)


If I'm picturing it right, I _think_ the set up would be the same and whether is was a backside jump push or a wrap should depend on which side the dog is on.


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## Shaina (Oct 28, 2007)

RaeganW said:


> If I'm picturing it right, I _think_ the set up would be the same and whether is was a backside jump push or a wrap should depend on which side the dog is on.


Right it depends which side of the jump is the takeoff side. The dog starts on your side either way though.


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## LazyGRanch713 (Jul 22, 2009)

RaeganW said:


> That's what I figured, just checking. The way I would teach it is virtually identical to Lynn's, although when I first trained it I ended with a front + finish. I'll have to go back and work my turning into it, and add in a jump. It was one of my favorite things to teach, lots of fun. One tip I do have is start with the item (I used one jump upright) actually between your feet so the dog isn't going around it so much as just crossing in front of you from your left to your right. There should be a good number of videos about it on Youtube, it's an exercise in Susan Ailsby's Training Levels and that group is excellent about making videos.
> 
> 
> 
> If I'm picturing it right, I _think_ the set up would be the same and whether is was a backside jump push or a wrap should depend on which side the dog is on.


You need to get over here and train your dog  If you're handling him to competition, you'd better get a move on, lol!


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