Best foot forward...
 Many
years ago Lee Windeatt wanted to find a way to get his dogs round a course faster than they
were going at the time. He worked on fitness, nutrition, motivation and general agility
training but the reality was that dogs can only run as fast as their genetics and physical
abilities allow them. How else can he get them round the course in a faster time? He analysed
his dogs on video in slow motion. He watched other dogs, then more dogs and then even more
dogs. Then he spotted the answer...
Agility is
about getting your dog around on the
most efficient line for that course, the perfect line. What I spotted was the lead leg. I had
ridden horses in the past but never really understood what I was being asked to do so I didn't
really appreciate what I was being told.
As I couldn't find any information on
lead legs for dogs - even on the vast internet - I decided to study it myself and try to figure
out what was happening with those four dangly limbs and why it made a difference. In British
agility I don't think agility trainers/handlers give it enough thought. America might be ahead
of us with this. So for the last few years my training and teaching of handlers and dogs in
agility has been geared towards giving handlers the information and understanding of lead legs
and how the dogs use them in agility and the importance of them.
I teach many horse riding
instructors that have never given it a second thought to their dogs but leave my lesson to
teach almost the same thing to someone on horseback. It never occurred to them to apply the
same logic to dogs. Whilst mentioning horses, I would like to emphasise they are different
animals to dogs. They move differently and use their body and legs differently, so do not just
adapt horse logic to dogs.
My observations
Breaking
it down to very simple terms, what I discovered was that, if the dog was leading with its front
left leg, then it couldn't turn right very well. If it was leading with its front right leg, it
couldn't turn left very well, if at all. Now, lots of people know this but, what many don't
know, is how to get them on the other leg when needed.
 Most
dogs - but not all - tend to run on the lead leg nearest to the handler. I believe this is
because we have inadvertently trained this by rewarding from us when they were puppies, so to
make it easier for them to pop into us and get a reward from the front of us they run on that
leg to make it easy and efficient for them. That is my theory anyway, could be totally wrong.
This is why some people find it difficult to flick the dogs away from them. The dogs cannot
flick away unless they change to their other leg. So we get a spin from the dog.
Of course, the back legs play a part
in agility too, but I tell handlers to pay attention to the front end mostly
and to which leg is coming down second as that is the lead leg. With extremely
fast dogs this can be hard to see. I can spot this by how they move out of a turn, but it can
be difficult to see when they are running 35mph. The best way to see it is via slow motion
video, but it can help to get an eye for it. Start by watching steadier dogs run and then
progress to the speedier ones.
I only have two dogs - my little
darling Border Collies Shy and Bold. Both are from breed show lines. They were not bred for the
agility ring but to stand up and look pretty in a breed ring. For them to be able to compete
against dogs that have been bred from agility lines for many generations, it is essential I get
them on the correct lead leg for most of the course.
At the time of writing this, Shy is
ten years old and Bold is 8.5 years old. They are still competitive at the top level amongst
much faster, genetically gifted dogs. The reason they can be competitive is because, when I
concentrate and handle well - and if the course allows me - I can give them the information as
to which leg to run on, enabling them to turn efficiently and drive out of the turn quicker and
earlier. Thus I am able to keep them on the neatest line. This means landing softer and tighter
with less impact which hopefully means a longer injury free career. If there are ten or more
lead leg changes in a course, I am usually hopeful of a good place in that class. The reason is
because I attempt to give my dogs the information as to which leg to be on before the jump.
Many others handlers give the information 'after' the jump. It makes a big difference to the
times the dogs can achieve. If, however, there are only two lead leg changes on the course, I
know that my dogs don't have the speed to compete against the athletic dogs.
 My handling
My handling style is based on
what most dogs seem to do naturally. It has very little to do with
training. As the dogs obviously do not speak our verbal language, I try to use
body language to communicate where I want them to go next. My handling is all about giving the
dog the information it needs before it reaches the obstacle, enabling it to get onto the
correct lead leg before take off point, This saves lots of time and takes strides out of the
course which the dog might have taken if it were on the wrong leg for that line. The dog cannot
go in the direction we are asking until it is on the correct leg for that turn. The earlier we
get them on that leg the faster they will be. If you have a genetically gifted, amazingly
talented agility dog and you get them on the correct lead leg before the jump for that
particular turn, then you are going to get incredible times on the course.
When dogs lead with the wrong leg,
some common mishaps that can happen include knocking poles, falling over on their shoulder and
crashing into the floor, spinning, wide turns and even missed weave entries. Something that I
see about ten times every show is handlers sending their dog into a U-shaped tunnel that turns
right when their dog is on a left lead leg. The dog cannot physically turn in the tunnel as it
is on the wrong leg for that turn so it hits the back of the tunnel, then changes and comes out
on the correct leg. This can be potentially damaging. We don't spot this as its in the tunnel
but I trust me, it happens so much.
Body language
Cueing turns is essential. There are many ways to cue a turn. Other handlers have their own
variations which work well. Verbals, however, do not tend to cue the change of leg before the
jump which is what I try to achieve. That isn't to say it isn't possible as it certainly is.
It's just a lot more training and, in the heat of the moment, dogs will go on body language
over verbals nine times out of ten. I certainly use verbals to steer my dogs, but that is
secondary to using my body.
Using body language has a 'best
position.' By that I mean, there is a best place to be and that's usually ahead of your dog by
four or five metres. But we can't all run like Usain Bolt, so I encourage handlers to practise
my handling style from a distance, backed up by a verbal command. As dogs have amazing
peripheral vision the handling isn't totally reliant on being able run fast and keep up with
the dog.
I am constantly evolving and
tweaking my handling if I think something works better. It is essential we are open to new
ideas - either our own or other people's - and don't get stuck in the rut. There is always more
than one way to do things. All of it though is about equipping the dog with an Agility Sat Nav.
In my late teens, I used to play
snooker at a reasonably high level. An important part of the game was positional play and
thinking three shots ahead. When you potted a red ball, it was important to leave the white
ball in a good position to pot the next ball, It was all about flowing from one ball to the
next but thinking and planning several shots ahead all the time. That sounds more complicated
than I meant it. I do think this has helped me plan ahead on an agility course. Thinking three
jumps ahead and planning which leg the dog needs to be on - and how to get them there - can
win you the class.
These are the ideas I give people on
my training days or private lessons. If you are not lucky enough to have a genetically gifted
dog, flying at lightning speed round the course, then you may want to think about how you can
save time by handling and giving them the information they need.
A
few other ideas that may help
I swim my dogs for fitness and use a
water treadmill. I feed my dogs on a
raw diet to my dogs as I believe they have evolved to live this way, and I am convinced
this can help them perform at their best. I also supplement their diet with a few products,
mainly
joint and essential fatty acids.
For more information on my training
please, visit my
website or contact me by email at
lee@windy60.freeserve.co.uk
For more information on my training please, visit my
website or contact me by email at
lee@windy60.freeserve.co.uk
 About
the author...
Lee Windeatt
has been competing in dog agility since 1999. Having had dogs of various breeds all his life,
he has now had three agility dogs. The first one won him out of Elementary, then Starters and
was on the verge of winning Novice when he lost her at a young age to kidney failure.
Lee is not a fan of owning multiples
of dogs and so at this time he has only have two dogs. He likes to spend quality time with them
for individual cuddles and to give them the time each of them deserve.
He admits to having other hobbies in
the past but, since agility took a grip, reaching middle age and cutting off his ponytail, he
hasn't had the time - or the inclination - to do anything other than agility agility agility.
So he now spends his time talking about agility, watching it, teaching it and now and then...
training his own dogs to do it.
First published
5 June 2012
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