One dog - three exercises - tracking clinic notes

Here is a look at one dog at the Cranbrook Tracking Clinic, showing three different exercises over two days, but one style of tracking by the dog.

Jagger is a 6-month old sable GSD who has been imprinted in Schutzhund so learned at the tender age of 3 months old to footstep track. If you refer to my earlier post called "The trinity of tracking" you will see that I believe we need to go back to this focus on the primary track when our long-term goal is to ALL get our UTDX. Jagger showed that this early training paid off. He is calm on track, and his head never comes up!

Here he is on the first afternoon - we did "three straight lines" on veg so I could watch dog behaviour and handling of each participant. Margie has a very calm manner and great body language, using her body and a soft voice to block him rather than doing any yanking on the line - keeping him on track and keep it positive and motivating - and stress free. You can see she is letting him track, but ready to jump in if necessary. There is food at the toe of every step here.
On day two we did another straight line, but it was a transition from veg, onto non-veg using bait and a jackpot on the article. I like that he doesn't rush to the article - as he is not article-focused yet, so he keeps his focus on the track itself.

On this transition, dogs went from veg, to gravel, back to veg. Check out that deep nose in the gravel. Gravel holds scent nicely compared with harder surfaces and every dog had this kind of reaction. Notice that she is still "letting him track" but ready to help if required.

Of course, an important factor is to make sure your tracks are marked well and you know exactly where you walked! Plus, it is important to know how much food to use for your dog and where to reward. Keeping a journal is the best way to keep track and plan your training sessions.

Client Success - I'm so Happy I could Burst!

As the title suggests, I'm so happy I could just burst! But before I self-implode in my excitement, I'm determined to get this story on paper so I can remember this moment.

After all, sometimes you're successful in building a relationship between a client and their dog and other times they just don't want or can't take on the responsibility a dog encompasses....Luckily, tonight was a success (and that's why I want to remember it!).

It all stated last week when one of my Train-While-You're-Away clients engaged me to work with their two 11 month old Labrador Retriever litter mates. My client started off by making it clear that the 'Free to Good Home' Craig's List ad was already written and sitting in his computer.  Bottom line, my clients were frustrated and I was their last hope. 

After meeting and working with the dogs for a few days, it was clear they hadn't received ANY training. I could understand how the owners felt overwhelmed as these pups were growing, competing with and escalating each other to frantic actions. As with every dog, there is always good news. In this case, they were sweet dogs, had a great work ethic and had the potential to be incredible family pets...just what the client was looking for.

In approximately 5 hours of training both dogs, they had made remarkable progress and I was excited to share with my clients what their dogs were capable of and how my clients needed to maintain the training.

In my final meeting, I presented my clients with a 5 page summary which outlined the issues at hand (based on what the clients had told me and what I observed), our training goals, the training accomplished, client homework, suggestions to items the client mentioned (such as how to solve a muddy backyard) and of course I did a hands-on demonstration with each dog and then walked my clients through the steps so they could maintain the training in the future.

By the end of our meeting, my clients were pumped up and thrilled to see what their dogs could accomplish with just a little bit of training. They went from being skeptical to all smiles as I walked out the door and were excited to now be able to take their pups on walks and to integrate them more into the indoor family atmosphere.

What a great night! I'll be sure to follow up with them in about a month to see how their doing.

Tracking Clinic in Cranbrook - first morning

Seminar organizer Chris Burke of the Cranbrook Kennel Club and Snowyriver GSDs waits her turn with her beautiful puppy Sidney, and the Rocky Mountains in the background.

I was so excited to be asked to give this clinic. The drive down was beautiful and being a new resident of Western Canada I love the opportunity to play tourist. I have been posting my photos on my new Photoblog (link in the sidebar menu). It was also a great chance to meet more people who are interested in tracking. We have very few test opportunities in this area, so as the new CKC Tracking Council Rep for Alberta, I am on a mission to inspire people to have more tests, and to get some urban tracking going!

This is a Google Earth map I laid out of the seminar area. Cranbrook has so much green space - lots of places to practice on all surfaces! The seminar took place in the Library, at the far left. We spent a lot of time on the high school soccer field - the big green square near the centre of the map. And we spent more time at the arena, the big building to the right of the high school field. The black lines are my lines - I measured all of these areas ahead of time using Google Earth so that we could practice some 'pre plotting.'

On the first morning, I gave an introduction including a lot of information about starting a dog on all surfaces. As usual, the participants learned "how to walk in a straight line" and how to measure paces. Measures in tracking are so important if you are going to keep track of your training sessions in your tracking journal and know how to assess and progress.

While people were counting their paces, I laid an urban track for River. I had scoped out the nearby arena the day before, driving around in my car. That night I did a Google Map of the track. Two people who were more familiar with tracking came with me and we plotted it together while I talked about scent in urban areas and what I anticipated River would do. When the track was an hour old, River ran it, and the entire group followed along. I am waiting for the photos taken by a participant, but here is the map - I am going to refer to the coloured arrows in the discussion below:

OF COURSE this turned out to be the hottest part of the entire two days, so River did feel the heat (for March). But she did so well I was very proud, AND I was also proud that my predictions bore out. River did exactly what I thought she would on the track. Before starting, someone asked me what I thought the hardest part of the track would be, and I said that the area along the front of the arena was complex, but River really had no options but to continue along (and hopefully she would). When she turned right, away from the building, I felt the hardest spot would be the MOT turn right, on the parking lot, just beyond the end of the loading dock's concrete barrier. Sure enough, River did cast left and right before deciding the track went right. I "pretended" not to know to the extent that I let her sort it out. I feel we have truly become a team. She turned 9 this month and I really feel the pressure to find tests for us to try for her UTDX.

Discussion:

First Leg - Green arrows

• Scope out the area and know where you are heading before even starting.
• Pick a landmark to walk straight. Walk straight up and create a good "walk up" to your scent pad
• Try to have a good veg start on an urban track. A good start is the key to any good track.
• Make sure you remember where your scent pad is located. A good idea is to use wooden golf tees. Urban stakes can be removed in public areas by kids, groundskeepers, etc.
• Give your dog a GOOD scent pad! In an urban environment the dog will have more challenges, so ensure it takes in the scent before charging off as well. When I make a scent pad I will let scent pool by standing and moving about. I sometimes put my articles down while I do this, to add extra scent. The scent pad must be one meter in area.
• When walking, don't take BIG steps. Walk slowly and steadily to allow more scent to pool.
• Watch for a good landmark for your first turn. In this case, it was a road sign that lined up with a clear path along the front of the building.
• A WOOD ARTICLE was placed after the turn as a REWARD for River getting to that point. I paired up wood on veg...a more difficult article on an easier surface. The choices are wood, cloth or plastic for UTD, with leather at the end.
• There was a gravel play area and play equipment and bench near this spot, and as I predicted, River did go and stick her nose under the play equipment where I suspect some scent was trapped.

Second leg: Pink arrows

• The entrance double-doors here will pull scent over from the track. As predicted, River went straight for the doors, then came back to the track. An urban track will NOT go into this building, so it is acceptable to gently restrain your dog and ask it to find the track.
• Along the front I aimed for a great crack in the concrete to walk along. Cracks like this will hold some scent. There was stone landscaping along the front of the building which will hold some scent. River checked it as we went along.
• The second pink arrow points to a narrow walkway along the front behind the loading area. There is a chain link fence on the right, and the building on the left. A dog can get pulled through something like this and might overlook an article. I put a LEATHER article 3/4 of the way along. The leather has more scent and was noticed by River. It slowed her down because the turn was coming up right past the walkway.

Last three legs: blue arrows

• Even so, she overshot a bit, to check a patch of grass. The turn followed the sidewalk, over some more boulders and onto the parking lot where this leg followed along the edges of the painted lines. I used chalk marks on the pavement to show where the track was, as we always want the dog ON the primary track, so we need to know where we walked. Painted lines can also hold some scent.
• The concrete wall to the right trapped scent. At one point, as I predicted, River did go check along the wall. She came back to the main track. I let her check it out. Her line got caught under a tire, and I had to run to untangle it.
• As predicted, at this third turn River had many options - go left, go straight, turn right. The correct choice was to turn right. The wind was blowing the track to the left and that is where she went. She went nearly 30 feet off track (I knew by my line, which was a shorter 30 foot line). In urban tracking dogs are allowed a greater distance to cast off track but I still prefer my dogs to be right on the track, although I will let them search and even if I know where the track is, I will go with them to let them satisfy themselves that there is no scent there.
• Sure enough, River got to the other side of a car, when she changed her mind and trotted straight back at me. She checked around the corner again, the went the right way. She went down the loading ramp for a few steps, came back, and once she was past this giant scent trap - she found her next article.
• This article was PLASTIC and was put there to reward her and let her rest after that corner. There was a big food reward under the plastic.
• After this, River found her next turn and the final article (leather) easily.

It should be noted that this track was more complex than an urban track, to show people the types of things they may encounter in an urban area. In total it was 340 meters and River did it in 15 minutes. We had to run straight back for the car where she gets more treats as part of her routine. The next day, everyone worked on urban transitions in this same area.

It's a boy!

My sister's new bulldog puppy is finally here. His name is Minos and he is almost 10 weeks old. In mythology King Minos was the son of Zeus. Excuse the poor photos. Aside from the one with my sister, I used the less appealing photos on here to help thwart those who might steal them for use on those hideous puppy-for-sale websites. (If anyone can tell me how to protect pics from being taken from my blog I would love to know the details. E-mail me at CanineHelp@aol.com ) As you can see, even from these photos, he is absolutely adorable.

And here he is on video playing with Missy.

I am so happy for my sister. She has waited a long time for this fabulous boy.

Jack and Missy join the scouts

Tonight Jack, Missy and I attended a girl scout meeting I was invited to for a talk on dog training and safety with dogs. I think it went very well. There were some excellent questions asked by the girls. Most of them had dogs themselves. After the majority of the talk, we used the stage for a short demo of training skills. Jack was facinated to be up higher than everyone else. It was a first for him. The girls seemed to enjoy the show. Afterwards I let everyone say hello to both of my beasts.

Hopefully the girls, and their leaders, learned some helpful training and safety tips for the future. I love teaching kids dog skills. They are generally fast learners and come with much less baggage about dogs. It is always good to get to kids as soon as possible in hopes it prevents potential problems later. They gave us a fabulous thank you gift of healthy dog treats they made themselves. Where there are girl scounts there are cookies! It was a great way to end the day.

The name game

As much griping as I have done about the AKC lately I am going to go ahead and get Jenny's PAL. (Purebred Alternative Listing) I have always registered my dogs so that I have the option of showing open to me. I figure someday I might have the time or inclination to get back in the ring. Since I also plan on doing some serious tracking with Jenny this year I might as well get the ball started. I like to be prepared.

One of the fun things is chosing a name for the registration forms. Since Jenny is from rescue I would like to use PRoNE in place of the kennel name. PRoNE stands for Pug Rescue of New England. This way if I indeed ever get some sort of title on her, rescue could use her as an example for future potential adopters. Everybody wins.

So I have 25 spaces available for the name with 5 already taken. Example: something like PRoNE's Gotta Have Faith. She was named by my son and he chose the name Jenny because she is Forrest Gumps girlfriend in the movie Forrest Gump. So something related to that is a possibility. Also something related to her having a great nose. She also likes to eat anything and everything. My husband suggested PRoNE's likes to eat the poo, but I don't think that is exactly appropriate. (tho I find it quite funny) In her off time you can see she is quite the couch potato. (or is that a curtain potato in this case?)

Feel free to suggest names. I would appreciate the help. The final submission will need to pass approval by my son since she is his dog. I will be sure to keep everyone posted on what we decide.

Cranbrook BC Tracking Seminar - Caden's demo track

I am back from Cranbrook where I gave a Beginner's and Intro to Urban Tracking Seminar for 10 working dogs. I have been busy going through photos and will do a full report on the phases of the seminar. On the second day we did some map-making and plotted a small 'hat - shaped' TD on a very contaminated soccer field. I ran it with Caden and the group followed to watch from the Judge's and tracklayer's point of view. Here is a photo one participant took of Caden that I love, nose down and dead-on this leg (second leg) of the 200m track. I rarely train Caden without food so was very pleased to see how dedicated he was right to the end.

The dogs and participants in the seminar were fantastic! Stay tuned for pictures over the coming week.

Natural Dog/ Dog Fancy Flip Issue- Splash and Emily

One of Splash's prizes for winning Canine Runway finally came about! She was to be on the cover of Dog Fancy, but I think cause she is not part of the American Kennel Club or for whatever reason, they decided to have her on the back cover. So I am very grateful for Splash and I being on the Flip Side of Dog Fancy- Natural Dog... but being a photographer myself, I can't believe they did the biggest error that even casual photographers avoid-  making your subjects stare directly into the sun...  I am so picky! I am a control freak!  I actually sent them pics that I thought would be good for the cover (just of Splash of course!). 

Simply amazing

Check out the story of an armless woman who trained her dog to a championship in obedience.

http://www.dogstardaily.com/blogs/armless-woman-trains-dog-championship

I'd say this means there really is NO excuse for not training.

Course Analysis - Exc Std Southern, CA

This weekend I've been judging down in Southern, CA at the Hollywood Dog Training Club.

The site is at a beautiful equestrian park so in the background were the mountains and western style horses & horsemen - the perfect site for an outdoor trial on grass.

This was a nice, small, intimate trial and we finished by 1:00 p.m. each day.  I have yet to do yesterdays Exc JWW Course Analysis (later today), but wanted to do today's Exc Std while it is fresh in my mind. First, I want to say Kudos to those who ran the course as they made it look like a ton of fun! I hope they enjoyed the course as much as I liked watching them.

OK, onto the course analysis. Today, I really wanted to focus on the handling lines that people did do that I really liked because when it works, it's so darned smooth and pretty to watch!

On the map, there is a Red line which correlates to the handler's path on the first part of the course and the second green line correlates to the handler's path on the last part of the course.

Focusing first on the Red path, what I really loved about this was that handlers supported jump #3 and then let the dog's natural path take them into the chute. By not going up to the chute entrance, handlers were able to get down to the chute exit and execute a front cross prior to jump #5. Those that didn't follow this path ran the risk of being late on their front cross which meant the dog had a longer yardage as it had to come back on their path to the handler. Some of the handlers that executed this sequence beautifully were Stephanie Spyr & Lorie Burbee (sp?). Others were just as graceful, unfortunately I don't know their names!

What I remember most was Stephanie Spyr's front cross out of the chute - specifically that her dog didn't have a wasted step or stride as it exited the chute, but rather came immediately in to her. Stephanie was also confident in where she needed to be and was stationary by the time her dog came out of the chute. Clearly this team has worked hard on this maneuver and it shows. I was so impressed, that I've decided to spend some time breaking this down just a bit more so that I too can have this responsiveness from the chute! Nice job Stephanie.

As for the second line, the highlighted handler's line in green for the closing was unconventional and gloriously beautiful!  It saved the handler from some extra maneuvering. For example, most handlers did a front cross between the tire (#16) and the teeter (#17) which sometimes resulted in a wider route for the dog if the handler was a tad bit late in their execution and still left the handler focusing on how to get their dog into the correct side of the #19 tunnel. 

By following the line in green, the handler was able to "pull" the dog down to the teeter and meet them at the bottom of this obstacle and already picking the dog up on their right-side.  Since the dog still had to finish the teeter and turn toward the #18 jump, handlers were a stride ahead as they began their last sequence on the course.  This stride was more than enough to prevent dogs from curling in after the #18 jump to take the wrong side of the #19 tunnel. Lori Burbee handled this portion quite nice.

There were so many dogs that I was enthralled with. I mean watching their speed, spirit and the teamwork was just so amazing that I was left staring in amazement. There was a beautiful athletic black lab who just took my breath away. Another was Amy Peikoff's Boo who's heart showed in every step on course. I had a chance to visit with Boo & Amy afterward and Boo was just as precious in a "pet" environment as she was doing agility. But the list doesn't stop there. Several incredible cattle dogs and some well-focused border collies are also among my "Wow" list. All in all, I really enjoyed my time in Southern, CA.

To continue on with the course analysis, I enjoyed watching the various handling styles and the additional skills that handlers executed effortlessly were:

• Leadouts at the beginning of the course. Lots of solid stays and people worked them and meant it when they said "Stay!"
• Some absolutely wonderful rear crosses at the #9 jump as folks sent their dogs to the #10 weave poles. This is a skill EVERY handler should have, but you have to work to get it!
• Incredible contacts. Regardless if they were 2 on 2 off, running contacts or 4 on the floor, the contacts at this trial were amazing.
• A salute to sit-stays - most folks were able to leave their dogs at the table and move out past the #13 jump.
• It was so much fun to watch the triple, tire, teeter sequence - handlers gave their dogs a nice path and it really flowed quite well.
• Hooray to EVERYONE who diligently connected with their dogs at the end of the run, put their leash on and left the ring together. I was very impressed by the conscious effort this group made to follow this newer rule.

Thanks Southern CA for your great hospitality and for sharing your talented dogs.

Appreciating the service

I know this is a dog blog but today I am going off topic. When I sign onto my e-mail I get the aol news. Most of the time I skip it because the news is generally depressing. I prefer to be a positive person as much as possible. Not only that but so much of it doesn't apply directly to my own life. Unfortunately one of today's headline stories does touch my life. Here it is: http://news.aol.com/article/oakland-police-shooting/392279?icid=mainhtmlws-maindl1link3http%3A%2F%2Fnews.aol.com%2Farticle%2Foakland-police-shooting%2F392279 For those that can't read the article it is a story about a traffic stop that resulted in the deaths of 3 police officers and the critical wounding of a 4th.

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How? you might ask since this is in California. Well for those that don't know I am married to a police officer myself. That was one of the reasons I tried my hand at dispatching as a second job. My husband thought it might suit me. I quickly decided that being the link to the officers in the field was a HUGE responsibility. One that I never quite got comfortable with. The California story is a scenario I think about regularly because people just don't realize how dangerous doing traffic stops can be for our officers out there. This story brings it home. Officers have no idea who they will run into when they stop a vehicle. This is why they have the protocols that they do. Unfortunately the protocols don't always stop unstable people or hardcore criminals from hurting and even killing them. Now that I have seen the dispatching side of my husbands job I know specifically more of the things that can go wrong. While I have the utmost faith in my husbands abilities, I also know that life can be very unpredictable. I am grateful for every shift he gets home safely to me and our children from.

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In April of 1996 a state trooper friend of ours, Drew, was killed turning to make a traffic stop because his cruiser was hit by an oncoming truck. This is another example of how a stop can be dangerous. He left 4 children under 10 and a wife behind. His wife is now a Chaplin for the Maine Warden service. She has written a fantastic book about her job and also the connection to Drew. http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Here-if-You-Need-Me/Kate-Braestrup/e/9780316066303 It is a wonderful read. Of course I may be slightly biased.

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Whenever I think about my beginnings in dog training I also think of Drew. After his death we did some memorial walks to raise money for our local shelter because he was a supporter of them. He was also a K-9 handler himself. (his dog Rock survived the accident) Some of that funding became part of my tuition for my own apprenticeship. Knowing Drew I think he would be proud of the link. He was a wonderful human being and the world lost a really great man that day.

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I know not everyone likes police officers, and not all of them are good people. Some also make mistakes. They are only human after all. I only ask that when you see them remember that they have very dangerous and highly stressful jobs. And ask yourself, where would we be without them in our society? I think the answer to that is pretty scary. For me this story is a reminder that not every ones husband, or father, comes home from work each night. While that is true for everyone in a way because nothing in life is guaranteed, for some it is a daily risk that comes with their job. One that is unfortunately typically under appreciated and underpaid.

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My heart goes out to the families of these latest victims who were just trying to do their jobs keeping the rest of society safe. They paid the ultimate price and I hope it is appreciated. I know it is by my family.

Normal blood pressure in dogs

I have already talked about the STUDY OF BLOOD PRESSURE IN DOGS in my previous post. Now here’s what the researchers have to say about the normal range of blood pressure in dogs. In the Royal Veterinarian College project a series of studies had been carried out with over 2000 dogs of different breeds, age and of both genders. After the long-term studies the researchers could determine the normal BP values for dogs and how various illnesses affects the dogs’ blood pressure values. Alike the other species the blood pressure values have four distinctive counts, which are:

1) Systolic value, which is the maximum value, and is associated with the contraction of the heart, i.e. heart systole.
2) Diastolic value, which is the minimum value, and is associated with the ralaxation of the heart, i.e. heart diastole.
3) The mean arterial pressure, which the average value
4) Pulse pressure, which is the difference between systolic and diastolic pressure value

According to the researchers the canine blood pressure trend is very much similar to that of humans with only certain differences. In human BP tends to rise with the maturity of age; a similar trend has been studied in dogs too throughout their lifespan! Certain noticeable facts regarding blood pressure of dogs are:

• Aged dogs tend to have higher BP than younger ones.
  
• Fatter dogs tend to have higher BP than thinner ones.
  
• Males have been noticed to have higher BP than female dogs with neutered dogs been intermediate.
  
• Dogs with certain ailments like hyper production of steroid in body (Cushing’s Disease) have been reported to have higher BP than those not suffering from such health disorders.
  
• While studying the blood pressure of dogs, a correlation between the dogs’ BP and the viscosity of the blood has been noticed. Alike humans, the dogs with lower blood pressure have less viscous blood and those with high BP have thicker blood.
  

Smaller dogs tend to have lower BP compared to larger and giants breeds.

Not to be forgotten, blood pressure of dogs also varies according to breeds of similar sizes. Breeds such as Golden Retrievers, Labrador Retrievers and Pyrenean Mountain Dogs have low blood pressure values a compared to many other breeds of same size group. For instance Sight Hounds have been reported to have comparatively high BP. Most significant determinant of blood pressure in dogs is the breed. It’s the breed mainly on the basis of which canine BP varies. Researchers have concluded that breeds with higher BP tend have a greater increase in BP year on year all through their lives.

The Latest Trends in Hotel Pillows - Judging Stories

Judging Agility sometimes includes flying and driving to various parts of the country and almost always means sleeping in strange beds.

While talking about hotel chains, I once began a statement with the words "I've been in a lot of hotel rooms in my time...."....Ouch, that came out so very wrong! Regardless, the statement is true - I've slept (alone) in a lot of hotel rooms in the name of judging.

Room amenities & styles have changed quite a bit over the years. For example, the "Save the Planet..." signs with their plea to reuse towels wasn't around 10 years ago and neither was free WiFi.

But the latest hotel trend doesn't have to do with hairdryers, fancy soaps, mini-sewing kits or shower caps, but rather pillows!  Lately, every hotel I've been in has a minimum of SIX pillows on the bed. My bed at home has a mere 3 pillows, one for me, one for my husband and another small cushion I stole from the couch.

I have to admit that it's a gorgeous arrangement of fresh fluffed white puff featured in front of the headboard. Each time I walk in and see the pillows overlapping on the bed, visions of me sitting mixed in the middle of all of them while furiously typing on my laptop brings a smile to my face.

Just when I think the experience couldn't get better, the Holiday Inn Express has surprised me with their Pillow for Dummies approach. They cleaverly thought to mark each pillow with the appropriate pillowcase - soft for softer pillows & firm for those firmer choices (see pictures above). 

No more guessing as to which of the six pillows is right for you!  Nope, Pillow for Dummies is a step-by-step guide for Head & Neck Selectiveness Syndrom (prone to frequent travelers) and is stylish and matches all decores. Pillow for Dummies is available for only a short period of time (since pillow cases wear out from use) so act now! Don't miss out on your FREE TRIAL offer - available only at....Holiday Inn Express!

Taxi Cabs and the Twilight Zone

Ever take a taxi cab? If you have, I'll bet you'll be able to relate to today's Blog....

I don't care what city you're in, the minute you open the back door and get into a Taxi Cab, it's like entering the Twilight Zone. For me, the theme music starts, my vision begins to blur, my head starts to spin and I've quickly realized it's best just to stare out the passenger window and not look ahead. Then, just when I think the experience can't get worse, I realize the cab driver wants to chat! Chatting means they're not looking ahead...not good.

Why not look out the front you ask? Well, let me share a few of my cab experiences and you'll quickly see why I try really hard to melt into the seat and become invisible!

First, there was this cab ride in Chicago where the craziness of it's cab drivers is second only to New York.  We get in and as we're heading across the city to the museum, people are literally jumping out of our path so as not to be hit. We're so close to the cars around us that I have to practice focusing on my breathing so as not to hyperventilate. The weird part was that the city pedestrians & drivers were acting like this was just a normal day at the office.

Next, there's the infamous cab ride in Las Vegas. As my now husband and I are sitting in the back of the taxi van heading down the strip toward our romantic dinner destination while our NASCAR-wanna-be driver is FLYING at top speed and swerving in and out of traffic. We're flipping around in back like a hamster in a speeding ball and I'm looking to Dan with pleading eyes to save us. He's frozen in fear, or else he's hit his head a few too many times on the side windows to realize that our situation isn't normal. 

As we come upon a cross walk, there is an elderly gentleman making his way to the side walk in a turtle fashion.  Our cab driver, being the sensitive individual his is, not only speeds up and races toward him, but yells "Hurry up old man or I'll give you that hip replacement you've been whining about!"

I didn't actually see the gentleman jump out of the way as I was mesmerized by Dan's large saucer-like eyes and when he jerked to cover his face, I thought for sure I'd hear a thud. No thumping or thudding and I'm not sure how we missed the older man, but I swear somebody was practicing a planned movie stunt at our expense and one day we're going to see our faces on some B-rated TV comic reality show.

That brings me to today's cab ride. The club regretted that their normal hospitality person wasn't available and asked me to take a cab from the airport to the hotel. Visions of my prior cab experiences dashed through my head and I knew what I'm in for, but I plaster a smile on my face and hope for the best. The other thing that doesn't help is I once saw an NYPD show about a cab driver that would steal people using a cab cover and then kill them...So with visions of murder both in and outside the cab, I begin the trip.

The ride starts out quite enough, but midway through he asks me if I have directions to the hotel. Great. I have an address and a phone number, that's it. He says not to worry and off we go. Typical of the cab driver legacy, we're weaving in and out of traffic on the California highways, do a few quick stops and then a few fast lane changes to keep going. The icing on the cake is when my cabby puts on his driving glasses (you guessed it, he hadn't been wearing them previously) and I realize we're now doing 35 mph on the highway vs. the 70+ we'd been doing just a few minutes before. I can't help but wonder if he really knows where we're going and at that moment, he slams on the breaks and pulls onto the median. It appears the exit that was about 50 feet back is his destination so I just sit there staring out the passenger window, cowering in the seat and waiting for a rear end impact that luckily never comes.

After getting onto the desired off ramp safely, he laughs and apologizes. Of course I laugh as well, smile and say "no problem". What I'm really thinking inside is "You scared the cr*p out of me!" Somehow those words don't seem like a good idea since I'm not yet at my destination and he ultimately has control of the locks and windows (remember that NYPD show I told you about?).

Well, we do get to my hotel and I'm grateful I dyed my greys last week or I'm certain they'd be really, really silver for this weekend's show. But, I did make it safely and with yet another story from judging.

Thinking out loud

There are things I definitely dislike about the AKC. One is the fact they seem to support commercial breeders. They almost jumped into bed with Petland a few years ago but came to their senses when the fur started going up as people heard about the pending deal. I think they realized the move would give them a huge black eye in the PR department. (well bigger than the one they got for even considering it) They say they can't do anything about puppymills because they are only a registry but I have to wonder how true that really is. If they required more of the people doing the registrating then things could change. Consider how much money those puppy registrations are bringing in after all.
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On the other hand they have supported health testing for some breed issues. They also have programs like the Canine Good Citizen test and more recently the S.T.A.R program. (think CGC for puppies and their owners)
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It has been on my mind lately because I have been thinking about some of my long term training goals for the year. If I decide to show in obedience who do I send my registration fees to? AKC of course. If I decide to pursue a tracking title who puts on the event and again benefits from my registration fee? Yup the good ole AKC. I am even a member of a local kennel club that puts on a yearly show. Who for? Pick yourself a prize if you said the AKC. The downside to living in the boonies is less access to UKC events without major travel time. Let's face it, the AKC runs alot of the show in the dog showing world. (no pun intended) At least for the moment.
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If I decide to try for the tracking title with Jenny I need to first get her registered with the AKC though the PAL program. From the AKC website: Purebred Alternative Listing/Indefinite Listing Privilege (PAL/ILP): The program that provides purebred dogs a second chance.There are various reasons why a purebred dog might not be eligible for registration. The dog may be the product of an unregistered litter, or have unregistered parents. The dog's papers may have been withheld by its breeder or lost by its owner. Sometimes, it is the dog itself that was "lost." There are many dogs enrolled in the PAL/ILP program after they have been surrendered or abandoned, then adopted by new owners from animal shelters or purebred rescue groups. The PAL/ILP program allows the dog and owner a second chance at discovering the rewards of participating in AKC events.
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Again another $35 to the AKC. (not counting the cost of trialing of course) With the economy the way it is the AKC is bound to see some decreases in show entries. While I understand the mission of the AKC is to promote the purebred dog, I think in some cases they are not doing the best for some of the breeds. Alot more on this subject can be seen over at the Terrierman's blog: http://terriermandotcom.blogspot.com/ While I don't agree with everything he says, or how he says it, he definitely has some good points when it comes to the dog fancy and breeding for health.
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I wish we had alter classes at shows for people to be able to show dogs without the burden of having an intact dog. Not everyone interested in showing wants to breed after all. They say the point of the show is to prove breeding stock but I would argue that showing dogs from a line, even though altered, would help show the results of what a good breeding program can produce.
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Another thing I would like to see is obedience classes for mixed breeds included as well. Yes it may not promote purebreeds but it promotes responsible dog ownership by promoting training to the average person. How can that not be good in the long run? Besides, it seems like they need to consider the revenue from every entry fee possible. Of course when you have commercial breeders pumping out registered puppies, even of questionable health and temperament, perhaps clean money doesn't have the same appeal. (not that I am bitter or anything)
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I just heard that the AKC won't be allowing the S.T.A.R program for special groups anymore. (think prison programs) I guess their reasoning is that the dog needs to be taken through the program by a long term owner. While I understand the intent of the program, I am saddened that they can't see the big picture in this case. I used to be a CGC evaluator but gave up the title when they added fees for evaluators and because I didn't want to give out the award just because people could get their dog to pass with dogs that didn't deserve it. My standards on what I consider a Canine Good Citizen and what others are were just to extreme for my liking. It's like the dog with a CD title that is not well behaved outside the ring. It's not supposed to be just about that moment in time, but for the lifetime of behavior as far as I am concerned.
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I am also dismayed that breeders seem to have changed. I am not sure why it happened but no longer can you count on show breeders being reputable by virtue of being involved in showing. Not all of them are doing health testing or breeding for better temperaments. One has to wonder why that is. Is it because chasing ribbons and wins has become more important? From what I have heard about UKC showing, with their written evaluations and no professional handler rules, it seems they may be on a better track. Perhaps the AKC needs to stop thinking they are the only option. They may want to do it before they hemorrhage the few responsible breeders they have left in their show rings. Just a thought.

Class Course Analysis - March 18, 2009

One of the things I like about this class lesson is the funky lines in the beginning. 

While the dog's path between #1 & the weave poles looks straight on, in reality (on our course), the entry to the weaves wasn't so straight on so students had to be sure to work the entry.

We also worked to get the dog to wrap tightly around the left stanchion on jump #3 on its way to jump #4. We then pushed dogs to jump #5 and allowed them a wide turn for a better approach to the #6 weaves while the handler did a front cross.

The next series of obstacles that was a fun challenge was #10 to #16. After the a-frame, folks did a front cross to send the dogs to jump #10. There was a mere 12' here so the spacing was small and needed to be precise.

After the front cross, handlers were encouraged to RUN and push the dogs to jump #12 rather than go into that corner pocket. After the dog took #12, handlers were encouraged to turn and RUN to stay in front of the dog. The ultimate goal was to do a front cross between #15 & #16.  The front cross turned into the greatest challenge, not because people couldn't make it down there, but they had to fight the urge to jump in toward the #15 jump which tended to push the dog into the tunnel.

Instead, handlers needed to be patient and do the front cross closer toward jump #16. Once the front cross was taken, it put the handler in a great position to handle the remaining part of the course.

The last challenge was going from the #19 tunnel to the #20 tunnel. The 5' of space from the exit to the entrance forced handlers to really work the last tunnel and not take it for granted.

This was a runners course!!!! : )

Canine Blood Pressure Measurement : Studies of Blood Pressure in Dogs

1991 was one most significant year for dog lovers… especially for veterinarians. Before this some of the clinical measurements for animals – especially for dog couldn’t be determined perfectly, since measuring veterinary blood pressure used to be quite difficult. It wasn’t until 1991, when the Royal Veterinary College had initiated a research project, that canine blood pressure measurement used to be almost an unread subject for vets. The Royal Veterinary College’s project aimed at the validation of a technique for measuring BP in companion animals – especially canines. The researchers also aimed at making sufficient measurements of canine BP to determine the normal range of blood pressure in dogs.

It’s not easy to measure canine blood pressure. Blood pressure in dogs can be measured directly by using a needle in an artery, where the needle is linked to a pressure transducer. There’s also an indirect approach of measuring blood pressure in dogs. Indirectly the dogs’ blood pressure can be measured by using a cuff as in the familiar sphygmomanometer. In fact direct measurement of BP in dogs is too stressful to carry out and shows the blood pressure in a particular artery of the dog, but not the BP of dog. Blood pressure in a particular artery means pressure created by blood in large blood vessel that carries the blood that’s pumped away from the heart. Direct method is hence an inappropriate approach to measure BP in dogs. Indirect method of measuring blood pressure in dogs by using cuff, manometer and stethoscope is again too complicated, although it’s quite simple for humans. The difference is, in case of humans the sound used to determine the blood flow (Korotkoff sounds) is clearly audible, while it cannot be heard in veterinary species. Thus for veterinary, unless the Korotkoff sounds is electronically amplified, the indirect method of measuring blood pressure in dogs is considered to be of a useless method.

The device used by the researchers of the Royal Veterinary College project for measuring dogs’ blood pressure indirectly was a Dinamap. It is a hi-tech instrument that operates automatically according to the inflation and deflation of the calf. The device has been engineered in a way that it also detects the pulsatile changes in pressure influenced by the blood flow just under the culf and then only the blood pressure of dogs is assessed correctly.

Now where to put the calf? There are a few places in the dog’s body where the calf can be put while determining BP in dogs. While most veterinarians put the calf on hind limbs and fore limbs, but the base of the tail is the appropriate place as it gives most reliable and precise reading of the blood pressure of dogs, according to researchers. Hence the right technique for measuring BP in dogs involves monitoring Dinamap readings in conjugation with a calf applied either on hind limbs or fore limbs or tail base… tail base preferred.

STRESS IN DOGS may be one major reason for hyper-tension in dogs. Also read out my posts on DOG CARE TIPS Anesthesia or sedation is not desirable when measuring canine blood pressure, because most forms of chemical restraint tend to have impact on the blood pressure in dogs as in any other species.

Stay tuned to read about more about blood pressure of dogs!

Cranbrook BC Tracking Seminar - Shaman holding down the fort

This is how Shaman spends his days. Come to think of it - that's pretty nice...

Tomorrow I drive to Cranbrook to give a Beginners Tracking Seminar. Everyone is coming - River, Caden, Jet and Ted. But Shaman is staying home. I feel so sad to leave the old guy - so I have been letting him come back and forth with me as I load the car.

I found out last week that he is blind in his left eye and may have limited vision in his right eye. He may have had a stroke at some point, and he is fighting cancer. I do my best to make life fun for him, and he fills me with admiration for the way he is still so confident and interested in everything.

I am very excited about the drive through the Rocky Mountains. I think I will stop in Banff for lunch! Caden is so well- travelled now - from Pennsylvania to Duluth to Thunder Bay, to the west, and this will be his second time to Banff!!

There are ten working dogs in the seminar, and I will be covering urban as well as beginners. It will be so great to be getting back to talking about and teaching tracking. I will "feel like myself again!"

I'll be sure to bring my camera!

And this is how Shaman spends his nights...

The worst part

The other morning at work began with a dog that had been hit by a car. A van actually and it was a small older dog. As I was wiping the blood off the collar for the owner to take home as a keepsake of their beloved pet, I thought about how losing them was the worst part of sharing our lives with them. Some would consider that case a tramatic loss but I think all of them are traumatic. Who is to say an expected loss is less tramatic than losing a loved companion at any time? More shocking when unexpected yes, but no less traumatic. It is the end of a relationship which always seems sudden no matter how mentally prepared you think you might be for it.

Because I do not live in a permanant place yet I cremate my pets at present so I can have them close to me. If I had a bigger place with land I would bury them and have a memorial garden. Shimo, my female akita I lost at age 5 to a liver tumor is in the top blue urn made by my sister. To the right of her is Casco, a cat we lost at about age 7 to a spine injury. (in a sleek grey tin container inside a vase from Ireland) Bottom left in another urn made by my sister is Bridgette, my first cat. (as an adult) She was 14 when I lost her. Bottom right is Kuma, my first akita who was 12 when we lost him. He is in the original box they sent him back in because I haven't found just the right container yet. My sister no longer works for a potter so I have been searching for something that suits him to no avail. As you can see I also keep their collars and tags.

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The only ones I don't have are: Penny, a cat that never came home one day. I hate not knowing what happened to her. I want my next cat to be inside only for that reason. That isn't going to happen without a move to a bigger place first however. The other one is Worf, a pitbull that wasn't technically mine but was a shelter dog I claim. I don't have his ashes but I have some photos I was lucky enough to have taken.

His story can be seen here: http://k-9solutionsdogtraininginc.blogspot.com/2008/03/dog-named-worf.html#links He is the beginning of why I heart pit bulls.

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But I digress. Not everyone does the ashes bit or keeps things from previous pets. That is ok. There are no rules to grief as far as I am concerned. Some people prefer to keep their memories instead of objects. I just happen to be a person that likes touchstones. With Penny I have some great photos and a few ribbons she won at a TICA cat show. (HHP division) We had a bunch of pets growing up too and I have all of their photos as well. I have been blessed to have shared my life with some really great pets along the way.

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Having this job where I deal with death regularly is an odd thing. In some cases it becomes routine, in others it hits you hard. The dog vs van was one of the hard hitters. With older pets I can't help but think about the long life the owners had together how that is now over. It made me teary. Something I try really hard to avoid in that setting. It can be a fine line to be compassionate and professional at the same time. It is difficult for me not to put myself in their shoes emotionally sometimes too. I guess I will need to work on that.

Just Give me 1 minute Please - Judging Stories

Often people think judging is glamorous, exciting & royalty-like. While those things are a bit of an exaggeration, judging is still a great personal experience and you come up with the goofiest things to share.

A fellow judge and I were talking about some of our experiences and inevitably, exhibitor etiquette came up. In this case we focused on common courtesy. It's funny because as the conversation continued we found that we've both had a surprising & similar experience while judging.

First I'll focus on my fellow judge. They mentioned about how, during a trial break, an exhibitor followed them into the bathroom to "talk agility". Now I don't faithfully read "Dear Abby", but I'm pretty sure that falls under the "What the heck are you thinking?" category.  We laughed because this wasn't just "at the sink talk", but rather full fledge "in the stall" chatter. My fellow judge was left baffled by the attempt at conversation and we laughed that there seems to be no moment of peace when you're the judge.

I had to chuckle & reflect on my own experiences as they told me their story. Unfortunately, I have to admit I wasn't surprised. You see, I've got a few "bathroom" stories from judging assignments as well.

Just like my fellow judge, I too jumped into the bathroom in between judging classes. Now keep in mind that a bathroom break is a luxury while judging. Most of the time I never see the facilities at a site because I'm too busy keeping the trial moving, standing in the middle of the ring, doing paperwork, preparing my courses, wheeling my courses, mathematically determining course times, briefing folks, measuring dogs, answering questions and much more.  Basically, when you're a judge, the only time to yourself is the 20 seconds you spend in a bathroom stall - not a pretty picture, but unfortunately a true reality.

So back to me, I'm judging an indoor trial and literally run off in between classes to use the facility for a mere 20 seconds. As I'm locking myself in the stall, an exhibitor yells "Lisa, are you in here? I have a question for you...." and proceeds to hunt my specific stall down and ask me questions about their run!  I'm baffled. Heck, I'm more than confused and worse yet, I feel trapped and just plain weird! I can't help but wonder what kind of an answer this person was looking for and what it is I can say to make them go away! 

Picture it for a moment, they're standing up against my bathroom stall door, in a public restroom and all I can think about is the purpose I came in for and NOT their question.

To my credit, rather than being put on the spot, I said "Please don't tell me you just followed me into the bathroom and trapped me in a stall to ask me a question?"  After all, I'm certain whatever it is can wait until I get back out into the ring....They did leave me to my 20 seconds of peace.

The moral of the story, if a judge goes into the bathroom - leave them alone! There is no hidden doorway or window for them to escape to and I promise they'll be back.

Class Course - March 11, 2009

While designing this course, I thought I'd be creative and add 2 sets of weaves in the same area. I'll admit, I was secretly hoping I'd get a few worried looks from students who might be concerned their dog would be confused.  Well, I certainly was disappointed and thrilled with how everyone handled the challenge without a moment of doubt - Joke was on me !

The next challenge was to stay ahead of the dog and execute efficient front crosses between 8 & 9, 9 & 10 and 12 & 13.  

This required students to send their dog, refrain from going down to the obstacle, trust their dog, work on body language, plan their front crosses & RUN!

Have fun with this course!

Jet-in-the-box

Ted is so quirky. I always feel these eyes on me - and usually he is trying to entice me to play with a toy. He is toy crazy! I think there may be some truth to those latent retriever genes way back in the Border Collie. Ever since I introduced Ted to the joys of retrieving a toy, he has been completely obsessed with anything (remember, Ted is the dog who brings me bits of thread he finds, in case I might make a game of it...). So I grabbed my camera a few nights ago because he was on the couch staring at me like this, through the pillows...

I said - hey Ted, whatcha got? And of course, he reached down and there was his little "puff." When he gets excited like this, I swear his eyes turn pure black, but the glare from my camera won't let you see that. He was very pleased with himself, figuring the game was on. Usually I take the toy and say ONE...TWO... (and on three I throw it so he backs up and starts to crouch and quiver...) and then....THREE! and I throw it. He trots around in a circle wagging so hard it is ridiculous, then tosses it back for me to throw again. But neither of us saw what was coming...

Jet-in the Box! Ruining everything! She is such an evil wench...I can just picture her lying in wait to get his toy!

And the worst thing is (according to Ted) that Jet doesn't want to play with it. She just wants to HAVE it (you can see it tucked in under her chin - what a comfie "pillow" it makes!

I hate spring

OK that's not entirely true, but I sure hate all the mud that goes with it. I have a huge mud pit in the middle of my fenced yard. Of course the dogs have to run through the middle of it when they are interested in something on the other side of the yard. Fortunatly the girls are easy to clean with a quick rinse in the tub. Jack, not so much. He's big and extra hairy and has white feet to boot. A towel only gets so much off no matter how long you use it.

I have added some hay to the worst spots in hope that will help cut down on the amount that is getting dragged into the house. Wish me luck.

The Great Tumbleweed Adventure

After Sunday's high wind experience on the West side of the Cascade Mountains in Washington State, I can now say I'm experienced in Tumbleweed Tag (more on that below).

Pictured here is a real tumbleweed I've named Turmoil, or Turmi for short.  The name just seemed fitting with it's whip-around lifestyle!

After judging at a spectacular trial in the area, my-in-laws came over to drive me back. The plan was to hit a few wineries on our return trip and make an afternoon out of it.  Well, we hadn't planned on the 40-60+ mph winds that flew in a few hours prior and so the adventure began.

It started immediately upon entering the highway and the Suburban could barely maintain a straight path on the road - forget sticking to just one lane! Not to worry, Dad's a great driver, which is a good thing because not long into the trip, LOTS of rolling objects began to cross the road. You guessed it - tumbleweeds!

There were dozens of them at any given moment. The funniest site was an older Buick that was "hit" by a tumbleweed the size of a bail of hay! POOF! As the tumbleweed stuck to the front grill and in the driver's front wheel well and branches went flying. The driver soon pulled over for tumbleweed extraction and we decided that was a 75 pointer.

The Tumbleweeds continued, some big, some small and all were on a cross-country mission. After hitting (or being hit) by a few smaller tumblers, we weren't able to dodge Turmoil II and POOF! It embedded itself into our front grill.  Dad pulled over and told Mom to get out to clear the debris - that's when the fun really began - just because we stopped moving didn't mean the tumbleweeds weren't still crossing the highway!

A few moments into our extraction process, Mom gets wiped out on the side of the road by a rogue tumbler. She's a hearty soul and doesn't go down, but later reports "those things are prickly!" We laughed that a tumbleweed would be able to suck up a hairy dog of any size and keep right on rolling across the open spaces without stopping.  Personally, I think it's true!

Next, we decided to stop at another winery and I get to thinking that a picture of a tumbleweed is needed for this blog. I mean a picture is so much better than a verbal description! So I tell my Mom she needs to get a tumbleweed. As I mentioned earlier, she's a hearty soul and is always willing to jump in on a good story.

As we pull off the highway and onto the side road leading to our next destination, a huge tumbleweed goes flying by. With just a little bit of prodding, Mom is jumping out of the barely stopped vehicle (thank goodness for Dad's quick reflexes), jumps a culvert and is racing up a hill chasing this tumbleweed. As I sit in the car laughing, I'm amazed at how successful her two partial knee surgeries were last year and that her climbing skills are almost comparable to that of a billy goat.

The winds were a bit faster than she was and the tumbleweed got away. But as she turns around, I have just enough time to say "here comes another one!" and she yells "I've got it!" and puts herself in a linebacker crouch where she's preparing to block & grab the oncoming tumbleweed! Guess she doesn't remember they're "prickly"...

Now I'm not as fast as she is or I would have thought to get the camcorder running so that all of us could witness this event together. Fortunately for her, the tumbleweed veers left and her tackling skills aren't put to the test - instead, she's able to grab it - bare handed. 

We manage to wrangle it into the back of the Suburban where it proceeded to block Dad's view all the way home. These are family moments that just can't be bought!

Turmi is now comfortably sitting in our garage. Mom says I need to put him in a crate and not forget to feed him. My husband was surprised by his presence when he came home from his own judging assignment late that night, but only shakes his head as I tell him the entire story of how the tumbleweed got into our garage.

And that my friends, is my Tumbleweed Adventure.

Creating Straight Lines in a Curve

This sequence is from yesterday's Blog & the Exc. Std. course from Pasco, WA on 3-15-09.

Review of Yesterday

Yesterday I gave an overview of the path (in green) that most handlers used and the resulting dog path (also in green).  I also shared a suggested path for handlers (in red) and the resulting dog path (also in red) and the "why" of the path in red.  Now I'd like to focus on the "how-to's" to accomplish this path.

One of the items I mentioned yesterday was creating straight lines which would allow you and your dog to RUN. Today, I'd also like to focus & add on the details on how a handler's shoulders & hand signals come into play, especially on a sequence like the one here. Hopefully this note will help to tie all of the thoughts together.

The Assumptions

OK, let's go through some basics so that we're all on the same page.

• We're going to focus on body language as the main means of communication between the dog & handler in this exercise.
• Next, since we're using body language, we're going to concentrate mainly on our shoulders. This will include our arms & hands since they are attached and can arguably be called an extension of our shoulders .
  
• Speaking of shoulder placement - if both you and the dog are parallel & facing straight ahead, I call that Open Shoulders which cues RUNNING or a straight line. If I turn into my dog to face them, this cues collection and the dog should come in to me (think of the beginnings of a front cross, you turn into the dog and they should collect their stride and come in toward you). For this exercise, we're going to work on a shoulder position which is in the middle of these two examples.
• Physical Movement, or a lack of our physical movement plays a significant part in communicating with our dog on an Agility course. To go further, the direction of our movement can be just as important. Motion can be as sensitive as shifting your weight to one leg or the other (think about that detail - it can be a very powerful statement to the dog).

Putting it all Together - Creating the Handler's Straight Lines

We're going to use Shoulders & Arms as well as Physical Movement to create 2 straight lines in our curved sequence. The first step is to have the handler push up into the top of the curve to create the first straight line and then "pull" back down to create the second straight line. 

Rather than a traditional rounded pinwheel where the handler hangs out in the middle, I'd like to challenge you to think of a whip or the effect that occurs when a dog hits the end of a leash - there is an instant pull-back. That's what our goal will be, except our dog will be paying attention, reading our movement & body language and won't end up on it's butt! 

Here are the steps:

1. Start - The dog and handler start out parallel, with the dog in front of the chute. Handlers need to be aware of their position and work the 1st obstacle - don't take it for granted. 
2. First Handler Straight Line & Movement - The plan is that the handler's line will be from the chute up in a slight diagonal toward the middle area between the chute exit & the #2 jump (for smaller dogs, the handler may need to go a bit closer toward the front area of the #2 jump). Depending on your dog's speed will determine where the handler starts & when the handler begins movement. Ultimately, the goal is to be pushing your dog to the top of the handler line as it exits the chute. Handlers will need to time it so that they are moving with the dog to this point.
3. Handler Shoulders - As the dog is exiting the chute & the handler is moving on their line, the handler's shoulders should be squarely facing the middle of jump #2 (indicating the next obstacle the dog should take), AND the hand and foot closest to the dog (in this case on the right) are also extended to support the jump as well. 
4. Handler Shifting of Weight - I keep my feet spread while pushing to the top obstacle and keep my weight on my front foot (in this case the right foot).  In preparation for the next step, my back leg (in this case the left leg) is ready and pointing down in the direction I want to go to next.
5. Executing the Pull - To begin the second straight line or the "pull", my physical movement begins when I simply shift my weight to my back leg (in this case the left leg), while keeping my shoulders & hand out and continue to point to the top of the line where I just came from...in other words, your shoulder & arm placement doesn't change (fight the urge to swing your shoulder & arm around in the direction you'll now be moving). In summary, you're only incorporating movement of your lower body, which cues the dog as to the direction you're now going. 
6. Practice the Send & Pull - To practice this step, send your dog to the #2 jump, be sure your supporting with your right leg & arm and shift your weight forward to the right leg. Either before or as the dog takes the jump, keep your shoulders and arm the same and shift your weight to the back leg - your dog should pull into you.
7. Second Handler Straight Line Movement - By keeping your shoulders & arm stationary, it allows you to stay ahead of your dog, look back over your right shoulder and "pull" your dog on the path of the second straight line. Again, resist the urge to turn your shoulders forward in the direction of your movement. Think of yourself as being in the start of a front cross except your outside arm (in this case your left arm) isn't coming around to pick up the dog.

Practice - Remembering the Finer Points

Ok, I'm the first to admit that a purely verbal approach to teaching this handling maneuver isn't my first choice. I'm a visual learner and I'll bet most of you are too. Short of having me come do a seminar, joining one of my classes or doing a private lesson, I can understand you may have some challenges while figuring this out. That's to be expected.

Here are some tips to help:

• Break the sequence down into small, manageable parts so that both you and your dog can be successful.
• Small parts will also help you pinpoint where things might be going astray.
• Remember to focus on 1 obstacle at a time.
• After pushing to the #2 jump, if you find your dog heading toward the dog walk or the #11 jump, I'd guess that you're turning your shoulders & opening them up to indicate a Run motion. Remember, your hand should be pointing to where you came from and your shoulders should be facing the dog's path - it's a semi-collection cue.
• Another possibility is that you're inadvertently moving more like the handling path found on the green line and pushing toward the dog walk or #11 with your physical movement. Remember, it's a straight line up and a straight line down - no rounding, but more of a whip effect.
• Trust your dog! If you're at the Excellent level, chances are you've taught your dog some great points and the two of you have to figure out this new handling item. Give it time and go into it with a sense of humor. Allow you and your dog to make mistakes and if you have to, break it down even more than you had planned.
• Remember, this is a tool to have in your handlers' tool box. It's always nice to have additional skills. Another benefit of this skill is that it allows you to do less running and keeps you ahead of your dog.

Lastly, I recognize I've given a lot of detail. If you need help, have questions or want to make a comment, please do so.  I like interactive! : )