# Clockwise or counter-clockwise turns



## Packen (Sep 14, 2008)

Gnash prefers to turn clockwise if making a tight circle at speed so I keep this in mind when training certain exercises, helps speed up the learning curve + keeps fast, tight turns where it matters for example dumbbell retrieve and blind running. Wanted to check if paying attention to these type of details was normal or am I being a bit obsessive!

My dog before Gnash preferred counter-clockwise turns, not that they can not turn the other way around but one direction is more natural/faster in comparison to the other. Pretty soon will test puppy Creasy to see what he prefers 

Here is Gnash during the retrieve, me knowing that he prefers to turn clockwise enables me to throw the dumbbell a few inches to the left, as Gnash turns around clockwise it enables him to come back straight to me at high speed to the front position.









Here Gnash is running blinds, knowing his preference I trained him to turn blinds 1,3 and 5 entering down field and exiting up field, opposite for 2, 4 and 6, all turns are clockwise. He is fast and maintains a very tight radius around the blind. I have seen some dogs with very wide turns and wonder if they were trained to turn against their natural instinct.
Blind1









Blind4









Blind6


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## doggiedad (Dec 2, 2007)

i don't do Schutzhund but any circles, figure 8's we do i do
them clock wise and counter clock wise. i do both ways
to keep the muscles balanced. i have no idea what it does
mentally.


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## Packen (Sep 14, 2008)

doggiedad, me too. I use both directions in circles, figure 8's, serpentines and all. While doing these do you notice if the dog has a certain preference or does the dog do both equally easy? I think each dog has a strong side, just like we are right or left handed, right or left dominant eye etc etc. Now if you wrote normally with the right hand and the left hand then ...

For example I shoot guns as a hobby and goal is to shoot very accurately. I know I am right handed with right dominant eye, I can practice all I want to get the non dominant side as effective as the dominant side but in a pinch situation I will automatically select the dominant side (there will be no choice).


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## Cassidy's Mom (Mar 30, 2003)

Packen said:


> While doing these do you notice if the dog has a certain preference or does the dog do both equally easy? * I think each dog has a strong side, just like we are right or left handed, right or left dominant eye etc *etc.


I totally agree. If I ask for Halo's paw but do not give any physical cues such as holding one of my hands out, she will always give me her right paw first. If I afterwards ask for her "other paw" she'll give me her left paw.

She gets excited at mealtimes and will spin in a circle while I put her bowl down, always in a clockwise direction. I can cue her to spin in the other direction (I call that "twirl" vs "spin"), but she will not do it naturally. 

I believe dogs have right hand vs left hand biases just like people do.


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## Elaine (Sep 10, 2006)

Knowing which way your dog will turn after picking up a dumbbell is important, especially if they aren't completely solid on returning back over the jump or coming in for a straight front. If your dog likes to turn clockwise, you should try to throw it a tiny bit to the left, so once he picks it up, he's nice and straight coming back over the jump. The same thing applies for the other turn and for throwing on the flat.


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## Liesje (Mar 4, 2007)

Yes, most dogs have a dominant side. This is important in flyball. We check right away to see which way the dog prefers to turn. Now that I think about it, my dog does run blinds the same way he would naturally turn off the box. When he does "roll over", he can only roll one way.

This dominant side/turn is not the same as which side to heel on or which ways to turn while heeling/walking (like doggiedad is getting at). That is a training issue. Both my dogs have to be handled somewhat unconventionally in agility because to them the left side is the "safe" side. They kinda get confused when I try to handle them on the right. This is purely my fault, as I only train to heel on the left (or in between my legs) and don't really accustom a dog to being on the right. Since we are not really competitive with agility, I just leave them feeling "safe" on the left and do some funky crosses so I always handle the dog from the dog's right.

Human's are also "sided" and this is not the same as being right or left handed. I am right handed and extremely dominant left-sided. I was a gymnast so the distinction is important. I start all my tricks on the left side, bear weight on the left side (stand or finish with the left foot forward), twist left, and am more flexible on the left. I absolutely cannot do anything, not even the simplest handstand or cartwheel, on my right side. All people/gymnasts have a dominant side but for some it's not AS dominant (easier for them to learn tricks in either direction). In my experience it has nothing to do with being right or left-handed. I believe a team mate of mind was left handed and right sided.


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