Sunday, March 18, 2007

Cool website

After rereading my post about Greg's thoughts on contacts I went and looked up Silvia Trkman's site again. I discovered she has uploaded quite a number of videos since the last time I visited and I was thoroughly entertained and mesmerised by them all. Especially the one of her 11 month old Border Collie Bu doing repeated perfect running contacts. This dog is 54.5cm at the shoulder and the fact that Silvia has got this kind consistency already with a large dog proves to me that running contacts are possible. It has inspired me to want to retrain Cypher's contacts (after the Nationals mind you!) and to start doing small sessions with a down plank everyday with Spryte. Spryte has been over a full dogwalk and a lowered aframe already with me doing nothing except running with her encouraging her to run through the bottom by throwing a well placed treat. Which is what Silvia describes but just that with the dogwalk it should be on a flat plank initially maybe very slightly raised. I've decided I need a longer plank! Off to Bunnings today! Also inspiring were the videos of tricks that she teaches, it's fairly obvious why she doesn't have bar issues, her dogs are very aware of their two back feet! Her article about Agility is Good for dogs is also interesting reading. And if anyone can translate Slovenian I'd love to read her training articles for a Slovenian magazine!

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