Counter Clockwise Flank
The Flank is Out to Your Left and Your Right
think of the Counter 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... More like Side position at a distance. when your dog is working out on your right, facing the same direction as you, you are working the Counter Clockwise Flank.
5 keys to the CounterClock Flank:
- turn to your left to make it happen
- throw right to make it happen
- stay connected with your dog
- forget about the throwing hand
- solve trouble with reward placement
Turn Left and Your Dog is on Your Right
when your dog is in front of you, if you turn to your left, the dog will wind up on your right. this is the Counter Clockwise Flank.
You can set the Counter Clock flank with a toss to your right. The dog will return in a counter clockwise fashion to a spot
Spot is a “go to a place”, or “go to a mat” behavior. This means that the dog seeks out and performs a duration behavior on a spot of the handler’s choosing. A... More somewhere in front of the handler. Another way you can accomplish setting the flank is to simply turn to your left until your dog is out to your left side.
This is great for dynamic sequencing and beautiful flow from vaults, overs, and passes.
Throw Right to Make it Happen
if you throw to your right, the dog will approach in a Counter Clockwise fashion and will be on the Counter Clock Flank.
Throw to the right either out of a 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... More or from Front
Front is a stable position directly in front of the handler. Front is an traditional obedience skill. Usually your dog sits in this position, but standing is often acceptable as well, especially in... More position and you will set the dog on a Counter Clockwise Flank. As your dog is returning to the front with the disc, if you turns ever so slightly to your left and look back at your dog, you can get your dog to continue to try to circle to the front. It’s pretty sweet.
Stay Connected with Your Dog
when you set the flank, work to hold it. working the Flank is a bit of a give and take. too fast or too slow and you lose it. stay connected. you’ll feel it.
When you set the Flank and you and your dog are hooked up, understand that you are engaged in a cooperative effort. You might be leading, but you have to make sure your dog is following. The Flank is a team effort. You’ll feel the hookup. Once you feel it, hold it until you throw.
If you look at the picture you’ll see that the disc is being pointed at the dog. The higher your disc is, the further away your dog will work. Point at the ground and your dog will work on you, point ‘out there’ and your dog will work a bit further away. This is only true if you have a full spectrum of reward placement – everything from Bite to 30 yard throw.
Forget About the Throwing Hand
the biggest problem with working the Flank is the idea that the handler has to throw the disc. the flank happens before the throw.
Your throwing hand is irrelevant to the Flank and to setting the Flank. The only thing that is important is the hand closest to the dog, that trailing hand, that is what is important. With the Clockwise Flank you will be pulling with the Left hand, even if you are a right hander. You will pull with your left hand until you decide to throw, at which point you will deliver a disc from your throwing hand.
A good rule of thumb is to keep 1 disc in each hand when working these flanking skills.