Shaping the Around for Lateral and UpField Movement

Go AroundAn Around, or a Go Around is the traditional disc dog set up move. The dog goes around the handler’s body in a clockwise or counter clockwise fashion allowing dog and handler to... is a standard Set Up Move in disc dog freestyle. It creates timing and position with movement and is the standard set up for toss and fetch. It is this standard set up for toss and fetch that dominates the movement and as a result, most Arounds resolve or release to the front of the handler at 12 o clock in clockwise fashion.

This upfield release is cool, it’s a nice movement. It’s very useful for right handed throwers and for setting up zig zags with some semblance of flow, but it’s not the only place an Around can go.

We have covered this in several pieces: Contracting and expanding the Flank, 3 Types of Around, the Flatwork Pendulum & Crosses, to name a few… Most of these pieces have been focused on developing the Get Out part of the equation.

Compare & Contrast – The Magic of This vs That – Example and Non-Example

One of the more effective ways of teaching a skill is comparison and contrast of an example and a non-example. This and that; having this definitely not be the same as that creates a powerful lesson. Most trainers are afraid to do this with two skills that are often conflated with one another. This is an irrational fear.

Placing this next to that, especially when they are similar, allows us to get a good look at each one – up close and personal. We get a very good look at the similarities and their differences. The similarities are noted and understood, and the differences, as subtle as they may be, are easily identified and separated.

Putting two similar things right next to each other is how we inspect things and learn to identify them as different.

This comparison and contrast is what I’m focused on with both dogs in these two videos. It’s a bit different than the other pieces we’ve done in the past in that I’m focused on tightening up the flank and discriminating the Get Out from the nice tight around rather than on Expanding the Flank and leaping.

“Get Out!” Around Get Out

Around Get Out has the dog coming in from one side and leaving on the other. For the clockwise Go Around, the dog enters the Around on the handler’s right and leaves in lateral fashion from the handler’s left leg. This is Expanding the Flank.

This movement increases the distance between dog and handler on the Around skill and increases the diameter of the Around the WorldAn Around the World is a disc dog flatwork pattern consisting of 4 catches in a circular pattern around the handler. This pattern is typically larger than 5 yards and often features creative..., amongst other things. It loosens the flank, expands the circle, widens the angle, and gives the handler more time and space with which to work during the Around behavior.

This is an important skill to work for dogs who are very tight on the Around behavior and who rush or crowd the handler on the around. If your dog is in your knee-pit on every Go Around or way out in front in Toss and Fetch, expanding the flank with a Get Out is an important exercise.

“Here!” A Nice Tight Around

Most teams don’t have a problem with a nice tight Around movement. A good, solid toss and fetch foundation, lots of throws to 12 o clock out in front of the handler, and Contracting the Flank all tend to reinforce a tight Go Around.

For those of us who do a lot of flatwork, or have wide flanking Border Collies, the Go Around could use a bit of tightening up.

Compound Cue

Notice the cadence and grouping of the compound cues,”[Around] – Get Out!” is given as a single cue, like a run on sentence. It’s not, “[Around]… Get Out!”

You want to give the cue early enough that the dog can make a move on the entry into the skill. Waiting between the two elements gives the dog too much time to move in habitual fashion.

My Go Around cues are Makai (Clock) and Mauka (Counter). So it’s,”Makai – Here!” for a nice tight clockwise Around, and, “Mauka – Here!” for a nice tight counterclock Around.

Too much time between the elements of compound cues is a problem. Spit them out as a single compound cue.

Verbal Then Physical

It’s always verbal THEN physical. “Around – Get Out!” THEN the hand signal and toe turn. “Around – Here!” then hand signal, no toe turn.

This verbal then physical layering allows the dog to get an audible, conditioned pre-cue that acts as a question,”You want me to go around that way?” Followed by a physical answer,”Yup, there’s my hand cue. NowThe 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..., where is that toe turn?”

Confirmation of Cuing Creates Dialogue, Focus, and Attention – AKA Teamwork

This pre-cue and physical confirmation makes for powerful cuing and keeps the dog focused and engaged while following the handler. Actually following the handler instead of going on autopilot is pretty important.