Daily Flow | Reframing Flatwork

Footwork is Flatwork or flatwork is footwork at a distance. You can take your pick on that one…

The feet of the handler are strong cues and often triggers for the disc dog. These important foot positions and movements all mean something  – they are like symbols that say much more than they seem on the surface.

Flatwork in Vaults?

The footwork for a reboundA Reverse Vault is a vault in which the dog flips off the handler’s body. The Reverse Vault, aka Rebound, can be done off of any part of the body, and the part... More essentially pigeon holes the dog into the line required for the flip off the handler’s body. The line required for this dog in this position.

In setting up a linear vault, we close off the line, putting pressure on the dog to wait, and then we open up into our obstacle position pulling the dog on the desired line.

These are the principles and functions of FlatworkFlatwork is the stuff that happens between the catches. How the team moves and transitions, often without the disc, is flatwork. Flatwork concepts in disc dog are taken from the agility and herding... More. They are the essence of flatwork. Flatwork is not some weird thing that people do with their dogs when they’re not chasing discs. Flatwork is. Flatwork is a fact. Everything done that does not involve a disc in the air is based upon flatwork. Adjust your dog into front position? You’re doing flatwork – it’s called a Front CrossOn a Front Cross, your dog switches Flanks in with you in front of them. From Clock to Counter Clockwise Flank or vice versa. Taken directly from the canine agility world, the Front... More.

Reframing Flatwork

When you set up inside to do moves with your disc dog, your footwork matters, nobody can deny that. Good, proper footwork is key. Without the proper footwork, it has no hope of working. Again, everyone agrees.

The potential point of contention is that the footwork done on the inside to create flowing sequences is flatwork. Less time and less flexibility for communication and more control and connection, but same principles, same method, same effects.

The footwork used to work the dog on interior sequences is flatwork. It’s just fast and pokey instead of slow and groovy.

Anyone want to take a look at the 13 Laws of Flatwork again?