# Flip Finish



## ponyfarm (Apr 11, 2010)

Can anyone break down the steps to teach the flip finish? ( Am I using the correct term?) I would like to teach it with treats and clicker. My dog is a collie/shepherd mix and has lots of bounce...I am sure he could do it. He has a great bi-heel..just want more "bounce"!
Thanks!


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## Stosh (Jun 26, 2010)

Stosh would be so good at this too! For a big guy he's really agile and loves to bounce. I can get him to do kind of a spin finish but all I can think of is to lure him up, then over to my side. I'm starting with the lure to pop up in place but haven't figured out how to get it over to the side. If you figure it out let me know!


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## JKlatsky (Apr 21, 2007)

There are a number of different ways to teach a flip finish. 

We have always taught it once the dog has a clear concept of 1. The front and 2. Heel position. It also is very helpful if the dog has had some foundation work in moving their rear end because they tend to move easier. We basically start the dog in a front, and move into the dog saying "Fuss" at the same time and throwing out our right leg as we move forward pushing the dog to the left side and rewarding the dog as soon as he gets to heel position- that would be where you would mark with the clicker. 

This is a more detailed explanation-
Flip Finish

And this is Cade in about the middle stages of learning his flip several months ago. It shows the flip in the beginning and at the end. He's overcorrecting behind me because he knows he wants to get over and hasn't quite figured out exactly where he needs to be so he's overachieving. And you can see I'm still using several body cues- He now moves off of an eye cue (glance left) and word.


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## wildo (Jul 27, 2006)

Oh- that's not at all what I thought "flip finish" meant. BTW- JKlatsky- I thought you were a guy. ha!

To the OP- if you watch any youtube video on training the "perch" for agility, they almost all mention how it can be used to get much quicker lineups, or byheel.

EDIT- these two are good!


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## AgileGSD (Jan 17, 2006)

This is what I think of when I hear "flip finish":


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## ponyfarm (Apr 11, 2010)

"Tugs Flying Finish" Yes!! That's what I want to teach my Tim. Ok...so how did you do that?? We have perch training going..he will pivot with his feet on the perch. Whats next? Thanks everyone!


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## Samba (Apr 23, 2001)

I start this by having the dog in front and having them jump up to a cookie in my left hand as I raise it. I click the jump up. Start with the hand low if you need to in order to get the dog to begin to jump up. You can gradually raise you hand higher and higher to get a bigger leap.

Once getting a good spring up, I lure the dog back behind and around with the food swinging them around into heel with a lure.

I have also done this by teaching the lure into heel position on the ground first and then adding a leap up to the hand later. Then put the two together. 

Break the entire thing down into the smallest parts of the motions first.

I don't do this flip so much any more as it is more difficult for the dog to get straight, especially when doing it with a big GSD with lots of rear. They almost need to go far back to get lined up. Some really agile dogs can do it and smaller dogs also. 

It is an impressive looking thing. My friend's Golden took to giving her a big lick in the mouth as she came up and around so that was a pretty funny in the ring!


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## Andaka (Jun 29, 2003)

Tag doing a flip finish.










I taught it the same way that Samba described -- except that I taught "touch" as a way to get his attention when needed between exercises. "Touch" then became an easy way to teach the flip finish.


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## Jason L (Mar 20, 2009)

I actually think the jumping in unnecessary and should be eliminated if possible. Like Samba said, of all the three finishes, this one is the hardest for the dog to get right and when you add jumping to the equation, well, then you are really asking a lot of the dog.

The flip finish is really nothing more than a 180 degree pivot and it's best if you can teach the dog to pivot without leaving his feet. It takes longer to teach (it's easier for the dog to "pivot" while jumping than do a true pivot turn, same with us actually lol) but I think in the end it's worth it.

Flip finish without jumping. This is done at the highest level of competition, of course. We can always dream, no?  
3:11 in the video.


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## wildo (Jul 27, 2006)

Jason L said:


> Flip finish without jumping. This is done at the highest level of competition, of course. We can always dream, no?
> 3:11 in the video.


WOW! That was awesome!


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## ponyfarm (Apr 11, 2010)

Jason L...that was lovely..thanks for sharing!


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## AgileGSD (Jan 17, 2006)

Jason L said:


> I actually think the jumping in unnecessary and should be eliminated if possible. Like Samba said, of all the three finishes, this one is the hardest for the dog to get right and when you add jumping to the equation, well, then you are really asking a lot of the dog.
> Flip finish without jumping. This is done at the highest level of competition, of course. We can always dream, no?
> 3:11 in the video.


 This video shows how to get that style of finish:





I like the jump because it looks flashy but it definitely is harder to get accurate.


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## Jason L (Mar 20, 2009)

Excellent video!!


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