Flatwork is Flow – Introducing Disc Dog Flatwork

In agility, the stuff that goes on between the jumps, the team movement and cuing proper direction is called Flatwork. Running agility fast has far more to do with Flatwork than it does the obstacles.

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We have a similar situation in the game of disc. All of the important stuff happens between the discs being caught. Putting the dog in position, turning them to the left or right on the run, creating large sweeping patterns that lead in to the vaulting and flipping and that are incorporated into your game of disc.

We’ve been doing a lot of Flatwork here at Pawsitive Vybe, foundationally speaking, and it’s really starting to impact the way we play and teach the game. We’re now starting to put some of that foundation into use and it’s pretty exciting.

Watch a Demo

Some foundational aspects of Flatwork

Front Cross

This could also be called turn towards me, but the Cross aspect from agility, the dog transitioning from working on Heel to working on Side, is quite important in the application of Flatwork.

So your dog is running towards you after making a catch and is running towards your right, a clockwise circle pattern. A good solid Front Cross could put that dog on a path to the other side of the field – bang! just like that. It’s also awesome for bringing a dog sharply in to heel or front position.

Looking at it in the turn towards me sense, it’s the dog changing their direction by turning towards you, which just so happens to be the way disc dogs almost always turn when their playing this game.

Rear Cross

This could be called turn away from me, but again that Cross Concept, changing the working side, is important when we’re running our dogs.

Your dog is circling clockwise in front of you at the perfect distance to set up a nice big vault, but he’s circling and can’t make the angle. Call the Rear Cross and the dog turns away from you, breaking off the circle and reversing field. When the turn is completed, the dog is standing there looking at the handler with a straight shot at that big vault.

Wham! Huge move! See: working out of the pivot

Reverse

I guess you could call this a Front Cross kind of move, as most dogs will turn towards the handler, but this is movement in relation to the dog’s direction and has nothing what-so-ever to do with the handler.

A reverse is simply a direct reversal of field independent of the handler. This is the Zig Zag Skill.

Flank

The Flank is essentially a moving position. Think of it as working out on your side – out there. Heel and Side position are essentially the most simple expression of the Flank. In an obedience Heel, the dog is on your Flank. When we’re playing Frisbee and working Flatwork, we’re looking for a little more space between dog and handler out there to the side.

Foundational Positions

Foundational Positioning is are the most basic element of Flatwork. They are anchor points that have a kind of gravity about them. Good foundational positioning is extremely important not just for flatwork, but for the entire game of disc.

Good Flatwork = Flow

Flatwork creates flow, plain and simple. Without good flatwork a team will be forced to start and stop many times in their routines, it will look disjointed and the flow will suffer. With good Flatwork the game is nothing but easy flowing motion. Even when you’re missing discs, you’re looking good. You’re jamming.

The weak link in the games of teams who do not flow well or for Handlers who feel that they don’t flow well is in Flatwork. It’s usually blamed on Disc Management and masked by repetitive frontal approaches, pauses in the action, resets before the next trick, excessive scooting, go arounds, amongst other things.

Having the ability to bring the dog in from your left or right and work right from there means that you can now flip your dog with them on the left or right and can do so on the fly. You can send them out to your right to work out there because a pile of discs are always laying out there and you keep running out of discs with 20 seconds left in your routine. You can get vaults out of around the worlds with authority! and easily go from Vault to an Around the World.

Why Flatwork?

Recovering elegantly from being out of position on a missed disc, or calmly and smoothly resetting a missed trick or sequence are big parts of the game as well and Flatwork is the solution to that.

I am a big proponent of taking what the dog gives me in terms of building a routine, but I’m also in favor of making stuff happen. It’s real easy to settle in and totally take what your dog is offering because it’s too hard to train them to do it differently. I did that through Kimo’s entire Career and Leilani didn’t really start jamming until I started got working Flatwork.

We’re putting some finishing touches on our Flatwork methodology right now and will be sharing it with our friends in SoCal and NorCal in a few weeks.

Related Articles

Xs and Os of Diverse Routines

Read your dog’s movements and pay attention to the kinds of patterns that develop during a freestyle routine and learn to use that information to enhance your team movement and create new patterns.

Throwing With Intent

Throwing with Intent is throwing a disc to your dog with the intent to make them look good. Throwing the disc to promote a big leap, to hit the dog in stride on the run or throwing a disc that your dog is going to flip for 10 yards away, is the sign of a mature handler.

Responses

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    This is me! You’re describing me!
    The interesting thing is that I actually have a front cross and a rear cross on my dogs but it never occurred to me that I could use them in disc. I am so excited to try this out!

    1. Yes, Agility handlers have a HUGE advantage that they rarely capitalize on. I love working agility dogs in camps and seminars… they make me look magical!

      One thing, though, you do have to be careful to ensure that your agility body language is the same. I see agility handlers trying to lead with their throwing hand all the time – it’s like they forget everything about the game they know and love because there’s a disc in their hand.

      You perform the skill (put discs in both hands for simplicity) then you set up and throw.

      I can’t tell you how many times I’ve seen a flank by an agility handler attempted while trying to hold the disc as if they’re ready to throw…

      Perform the skill, then prepare and throw.
      Peace~

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