# Running Contacts...Take One!



## AgileGSD (Jan 17, 2006)

Savvy & Whimsy...two non-GSDs begin running contact training:


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## wildo (Jul 27, 2006)

Saw it on facebook, and I'm definitely digging it. To my knowledge, there is only one venue that requires up contacts (USDAA? I never remember _which_ one it is!). Is that why you are training up contacts as well?


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## AgileGSD (Jan 17, 2006)

wildo said:


> Saw it on facebook, and I'm definitely digging it. To my knowledge, there is only one venue that requires up contacts (USDAA? I never remember _which_ one it is!). Is that why you are training up contacts as well?


 I'm not really training up contacts, just too lazy to flip the board and wanted to practice both ways. I figure, it's all the same to the dogs at this stage LOL

Right now were just going for RUN! across the board. Then I raised one end a few inches and RUN! across that. I'm undecided what I'll do with Whim's contacts. She already has a decent 2o2o but I really like the idea of running so much better. And she'd like it better too! I may continue to do both and attempt to have a dog with both trained RCs and a cued 2o2o.


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## MaggieRoseLee (Aug 17, 2001)

Can't wait to see how the training goes. Great job on the video.

I've never trained the 2on/2off so not sure of the method. Do have a question (and it shows why I'm 'afraid'  of teaching a 2on/2off.........) at 56 sec, your dog just naturally strides over the contact. How does the future training prevent their natural stride from doing this at a trial?


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## AgileGSD (Jan 17, 2006)

MaggieRoseLee said:


> Can't wait to see how the training goes. Great job on the video.
> 
> I've never trained the 2on/2off so not sure of the method. Do have a question (and it shows why I'm 'afraid'  of teaching a 2on/2off......... at 56 sec, your dog just naturally strides over the contact. How does the future training prevent their natural stride from doing this at a trial?


 Thanks!

At this early phase, you reward all running over the board so that dog understands they are supposed to run the board. The aim is for them running full speed over the board and continuing running after they leave the board. At this phase, I won't worry at all about the striding over the "contact area" because it's almost even to the ground. I will just worry about rewarding running fast over the board. Gradually you add a bit of height and continue rewarding running. Because the angle will make a more noticeable difference, you can start to tighten up the criteria of where they are hitting on the board by jackpotting the "deepest" hits. 

So a trained RC with this method teaches the dog to make an adjustment somewhere in their stride to hit within the bottom two thirds of the board.


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## wildo (Jul 27, 2006)

AgileGSD- is this the Trkman method?


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## AgileGSD (Jan 17, 2006)

wildo said:


> AgileGSD- is this the Trkman method?


 Yes, although it's my own take on it. I can't say for sure I'm doing it _exactly_ how she does it as I'm not in her RC class and I know she's tweaked the method a little from what's on her website.


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