Training
your dog to work away
Written by Bud Houston & Stacy Peardot
Reviewed by Bill McLaughlin
 Description:
Volume 1 is a plan for teaching dogs and handlers to work comfortably at a distance in
agility. It is organised into week-by-week progressive lessons which build upon fundamental
skills.
Contents include:-
-
 Objectives
of this distance program
- About the logistics of a training program
- Practical matters in training dogs for distance
- Tracking the progress of students
- How to use this workbook
- Exercises: The compulsories
- Exercises: Get out and lateral distance
- Exercises: More get out work
- Exercises: Discrimination breakdown
- Exercises: Gamblers
- Exercises: Get out relay
- Exercises: Jokers Wild
- Exercises: Timed jumpers
- Turn! Turn! Turn!
- Teaching the right and left directional commands
- Lessons with Linda: Working with the Pill Bug
- Gamble scrambles
- Glossary
 Best
features:-
Go the Distance is written as a complete eight week workbook on
how to organise and run training sessions/school. It is geared towards teaching the dog to work
away from the handler. However, don’t let that put you off.
The introduction should be read it explains the
objectives of the manual and also how to organise the training sessions as well as the
requirements for the dogs.
The main part of the book is split into eight chapters
-one per week and each chapter is split into:-
-
Instructor notes
-
Progress worksheet
-
Equipment layout
-
Exercises -[the important bit!
-
Student notes - homework
Finally, the Appendix by Linda Mecklenburg has additional
directional control exercises and some more equipment layouts.
I had this book for a little while before I had a chance
to try out the exercises. Ah well, it is England in the winter! The exercises do seem to make
sense. Having attended various training forums their methods are similar idea to those is in
the book.
It is well written and tries to cover all aspects of the
exercises. I like the book because there are lots of different training sets to dip into to
stretch my abilities, but you should follow the program.
Is the book for you? That depends. It is not aimed at the
raw beginner and assumes a certain level of proficiency
Worst features:-
It also depends on what access you have to equipment. Although there are
several exercises you can do without equipment, you need a minimum of one jump to start
and three would be ideal. But to cover everything in the book, a full set is needed.
It is well written but can be a little confusing
especially when trying to figure out a couple of routines. Mind you I'm easily confused - ask
anybody whose trained me.
Translating some of the American terminology, i.e. teeter
= seesaw was a bit off putting but not impossible.
Other comments:
I have been struggling on how to assess this book. It is not in a
standard format. You know the type i.e. 'Here we have the A-frame... Say hello to it boys and
girls.'
It covers how to start your dog working away from you,
then how to progress so that you don’t have to outrun the dog to every piece of equipment, it
will also develop the dogs confidence to work away from you under control!]
Design & Format:
I like the fact it is ring bound. It stays open on the page being read.
Being a simple person, I also liked the cartoons. There
aren't that many but they seem to sum up how I feel about agility with my dog Jimmy. They were
among the reasons why I volunteered to review the book.
Price:
£20.00 (including postage if bought through Agility Books)
Value for Money:
7/10 or maybe 8/10
Overall rating:
Buy it, Yes I would if just for the ideas. If this is Vol.1, I wonder what's in
Vol. 2.
I feel that a
video or CD would assist getting the message across.
Available from
YOUR FIRST STOP, ONE
STOP SHOP FOR AGILITY THINGS
About the authors
Bud Houston
is a popular agility trainer and seminar leader in The States. He is the founder
and former editor of Clean Run and today is involved with Just for Fun Agility and the
Teacup League.
He lives in Ostrander, Ohio (USA) where he runs Dogwood
Agility Training Center, a training camp and centre for weekly lessons in the sport.
 Stacy
Peardot is an agility veteran whose dogs have
earned the entire alphabet soup of agility titles. She started agility with her Boxers 12 years
ago and since then has trained, shown and titled dogs from four different groups including
Aussies, Border Collies, Jack Russell Terriers, and a German Wirehaired Pointers as well
as her Boxers.
Stacy is a USDAA™, NADAC and UKC™ judge. She owns Fun on
the Run Dog Training Academy in Belgium, Wisconsin and has presented seminars throughout the
USA and Canada. She is a regular contributor in the month agility magazine Clean Run and
Front & Finish.
About the reviewer
 Bill
McLaughlin has competed in agility since 1983 - the good ole days when 150 was a large
class and minis weren't invented. He was one of the three founder members of Worcester Agility
along with Jackie Tregas and Bob Philips.
Handling-wise he handle Maxi and Mini dogs, he started with
Rory, a black
Labrador type who got him to the Spillers Starters Final, a main arena event. They were in with
a chance of winning when, three obstacles from home, Rory remembered the pile of horse muck
just back by the start line. The commentator was speechless and the extra time dropped us back
to eighth place. They say your first dog is probably your best - not to take anything away from
the dogs I have now - but he was fantastic, a brilliant team dog and always in the places, but
was always a good friend, sadly no longer with us.
Then came Minty, a Mini dog who was originally for the
children, but was soon nabbed by Bill when he recognised her potential. She looked like a fine
Lancashire Heeler and they had a lot of fun together as well as tears. Bill says that he
wished this book had been around when he and Minty were competing because it would have been a
big help.
Bill now competes with Fizz, a Jack Russell bitch. Although
they compete in Senior, Fizz is really more interested in catching anything that squeaks or
squawks. Bill also runs Jimmy, a WSD who in turn is always trying to work Bill. He is now five
and just starting to grow up! They are just starting to have some successes. Last year they
had, amongst others, two second places in agility! It hasn't been easy and a BIG thank you to
those who have helped train them.
He is married to Chris, his backroom hero who has been a
real friend and has put up with his highs and lows, She has also offered lots help and advice
when he needs it. They have two children Liam who is heavily into computing and music and Helen
who has been competing very successfully in agility since she was four years old . Bill and
Chris are both very proud of their children.
Watch for him at the shows.
If
you would like to comment on this product or add your name to the Agilitynet list of reviewers,
email your name and details to Ellen Rocco at
Agilitynet today.
since then it has been raining at weekends
when I can try out the exercises, [well it is England in Autumn], but they
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