# rear cross--verbals?



## LazyGRanch713 (Jul 22, 2009)

Tag has learned rear crosses very well. I would like to teach him turning right vs. turning left when I'm sending him ahead. He's good about following my signals (If I'm sending him from being on my right to my left, I raise my left hand before I send him over the jump, and he seems to know he'll be on my left when he lands and turns accordingly). However, I'm wondering if I should have a verbal cue to add, just in case. "Out" to him means "drop it". "Go" means "go away from me". Is this necessary to teach, or would I be wasting my time?


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## LynnI (Mar 27, 2010)

Personally I try to keep my verbals to a minimum, since most dogs will follow body language over a verbal 9 times out of 10. Not to mention that when running a course, when I do speak to back up my body language cue the dogs tend to really pay attention, they know to when both are combined that it tends to be important information. I firmly believe that the more we talk to them on course that it is distracting to them and they learn to tune us out to a degree, but when we do speak when we usually run silently it is important.


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## Shaina (Oct 28, 2007)

I taught Kim RX with a verbal but have since gone away from using it until I'm in some weird tight spot I couldn't be and need to "force" a RX.

Didn't teach Webster a verbal cue for it as like LynnI I don't like using more verbal than I have to. I use more than I want to with both Kim and Web due to rookie training issues (my fault!).

Mira won't learn a RX verbal cue either. 

I also trained Kim with a visual cue that is lifting my outside hand, similar to what it sounds like you are doing. I've also gone away from that as it can be confused with the visual cue I use for FXs. Gotta love the evolution of personal training styles!


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## LazyGRanch713 (Jul 22, 2009)

Shaina said:


> I taught Kim RX with a verbal but have since gone away from using it until I'm in some weird tight spot I couldn't be and need to "force" a RX.
> 
> Didn't teach Webster a verbal cue for it as like LynnI I don't like using more verbal than I have to. I use more than I want to with both Kim and Web due to rookie training issues (my fault!).
> 
> ...


This sounds like what I do, too. Granted we're new at this, but TAg hasn't yet seemed to think a RX is a FX. I don't tend to turn into my dog until after he commits to the jump at this point (during a RX), where as a FX I tend to turn into him much sooner. I usually give him the cue to jump (for a RX) before I turn, so he sees me raise my opposite hand and hears "jump", somehow he can figure it all out.


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## Shaina (Oct 28, 2007)

Yup, I never had a problem with the confusion until we started getting significant distance work at speed. Then sometimes that hand coming up for the FX would flip her out instead of in, so we really worked the full body cues (how my shoulder dips, rotation of torso) and if it's a situation where I think she'll be confused I add a verbal cue to clear it up.

You may well never have a problem with it.


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## LynnI (Mar 27, 2010)

I don't use hand/arm cues for the RC, when I cross behind him moving on a diagional that is his cue to switch leads and change direction. Unless otherwise told to he would do the jump or obstacle in front of him, so I am not using any cues for that. And there have been many times that I am at least two jumps behind him, so me doing the RC has to be time to when he is committed to the obstacle. lol Over the years I have gotten very good at giving information to my dog's arse!!!! because he can easily get far ahead of me, depending on the course. However, having lateral and layering skills also helps too


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## LazyGRanch713 (Jul 22, 2009)

LynnI said:


> I don't use hand/arm cues for the RC, when I cross behind him moving on a diagional that is his cue to switch leads and change direction. Unless otherwise told to he would do the jump or obstacle in front of him, so I am not using any cues for that. And there have been many times that I am at least two jumps behind him, so me doing the RC has to be time to when he is committed to the obstacle. lol *Over the years I have gotten very good at giving information to my dog's arse!!!!* because he can easily get far ahead of me, depending on the course. However, having lateral and layering skills also helps too


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