Flatwork Compass | A Hair Trigger & Graphic Display of Over-Pursuit
Running flatwork is Loot’s Thing. And the running part of it is key. He really loves to run. I mean, he likes discs, but loves to run. He’s also got a bit of an impulse control problem, and it’s not just drive it’s like faulty wiring… but we love him and he sure is fun.
The Flatwork Compass
The Flatwork Compass is a disc dog form that separates the Flank from the Pass, creates a reliable trigger, and exposes the team to all of the key elements of Team Movement. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xW7Czz-7ows&list=PL8zWXaJfi1-synGOkBJ7u4p-WkotsL3LR... has been a great form for him to work, although we have not done it much this season, and it’s a shame, it really helps him dial himself back and play within his means. Shame on his handler. I’ll be sure to add this to his warm up regiment and feature it in future jam footage.
One Eye on the Disc One Eye on the Destination
Loot’s been through this form before. We worked it quite a bit the year before last as a warm up. For a while, it was one of the only things we did. It was a wholesome experience for the young man.
That said, it’s been a while and it shows. Fortunately we’ve been focused on catching over the last few weeks and he’s dialing himself back nicely, so he’s not in the same boat as Obi on this skill, but he seems pretty fired up about this in the video.
He certainly did dial things in rather quickly. The whole session was 10 throws…
Spins and Twists are tricks where the dog spins 360 degrees in a clockwise or counter clockwise fashion. Spin is clockwise and Twist is counter clockwise so it is important to have a... his wheels without a trigger and we were ready to go to work. Waiting Works.Over Pursuit
The Clockwise Flank
Out to the side of the handler is the Flank. If the dog is out to the handler's right or left the dog is on Flank. If the dog is moving with the... is Loot’s Weak Flank
The Weak Flank is the flank that the dog does not prefer to run. Most dogs are unbalanced and prefer to move in either a clockwise or counter clockwise fashion.The dog is likely.... Throwing out to this side should result in a Clockwise Flank. Take
A Take is a cued Bite that replicates the placement and timing of a throw. Usually used with overs, vaults, and flips, the Take is a powerful teaching tool for creating habitual leaping... a look at that arc though… Notice anything interesting about it? I mean it’s green which means it is supposed to be clockwise, it even says so in the corner of the screen… But if you look closely, Loot is running Counter Clock. Wha?
His over-pursuit puts him on the other side of the disc. This is a common problem with dogs and over-pursuit. It usually doesn’t reinforce the catching behavior either. This is not a particularly bad expression of the over-pursuit behavior, but it is still not proper.
The Flatwork
Flatwork 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... Compass helps to eliminate these kinds of bad habits.
Now
The Now Phase is an integral part of the Play Cycle in the Play+ training philosophy. It embodies the current, immediate interaction between the handler and the dog, anchoring them in the present... this is a problem. This miss is a direct result of Loot taking his eye off the disc and approaching like an crazed lunatic on the Strong Flank
The Strong Flank is the flank that the dog wants to run. Most dogs are unbalanced and prefer to move in either a clockwise or counter clockwise fashion. The Strong Flank can also.... This shape has to go. It is highly likely to result in a miss.
Eliminating Over-Pursuit
This looks much better. It is nearly on the appropriate side, and given Loot’s heavy preference for Counter Clock movement, I think it’s completely acceptable. I will continue to work to keep him on the other side and to get an honest and proper Clockwise approach to the disc, but this isn’t bad. I’ll take it.
Now we’re talking… This is exactly what I’d like to see out of Loot in the Flatwork Compass. He’s working on the proper side and is hitting the disc on a proper, counter clock approach.
I wish I would have added an instant replay on this in the video. From both of the other cameras, this was obviously going to be a catch from the get go. It looked natural and tight. We were doing the thing with purpose – as a team.
Affects of a Clean Trigger
The affects of a clean trigger in the Flatwork Compass show themselves in most all aspects of the game. Most dogs do not have a clean trigger. Cleaning up your trigger will have a positive impact on many aspects of your game.
Give
The Give is a retrieve to the hand. A cued Give is a foundational skill that is not super useful in the actual performance of disc dog freestyle, and has huge applications for... it a shot.
Responses