I have a question about rear crosses. More specifically, about options for how to cue them.
I was taught to set the line the obstacle before the cue, decel and then pressure the dog's line for the turn. Evidently I'm not very good at this (or Cohen is bad at reading it, but it's probably me), so it's not uncommon for Cohen to turn the wrong way when I try to cut behind her on a tight turn.
Last night my instructor suggested I cue the rear cross verbally. More specifically, to give Cohen my "turn" cue (verbally and physically), which means for her to turn away from me. So I'd be approaching a jump, cue the turn, then cut in behind and pick Cohen up after she jumps. I hadn't heard this suggested before. Is this common practice? Is it advisable? What do you guys think?
My first trainer taught mostly the Derrett handling system, and my currently trainer is more Mecklenburg, so I've been struggling to marry the two systems. Sometimes I get conflicting information and need to figure out how best to proceed with my own dog.
Lucy loves rear crosses. I avoided them for the longest time, because I was convinced that being behind my dog was a bad thing. Rear crosses are SO overused in NADAC by handlers who don't want to (or can't) run with their dogs, so I was almost avoiding them to prove that courses could be run without them. I finally gave in though (some courses just lend themselves SO nicely to rears!) and have seen great results. Someone told me my dog has "rear wheel drive"
I have 2 different rears. There's the rear at an obstacle, where you sent the dog to a jump or tunnel and cut behind, and there's a rear on the flat, when you're just flipping their head to turn a different direction, but there's no obstacle around. For both, it's all body motion and arms for us.
I know I just posted this, but it was all rears at obstacles (a last minute game plan when I saw she had no start line). You can see my arms switch (right hand was up, now left hand is) around the 4th jump. We do another rear at the obstacle at the red jump, but that one I totally screwed up my hands and she read it anyway because my body was heading that direction. One more rear at an obstacle to the tunnel. As soon as she's committed, I can run across her path and she doesn't flinch.
[youtube]SqFzj96GChQ[/youtube]
This was my attempt at a rear on the flat for chances (NADAC's distance course). I was trying to do it really deep so we could get momentum back up heading to the line, but I totally bobbled it by bending over (cuing forward motion) and the tempting ring crew drew her in. Still, you can see the exaggerated arm changes.
[youtube]dPVeIpCAwhs[/youtube]
NADAC is big on needing a verbal for rear crosses on the flat (you'll hear people yell "SWITCH"!) I've never put one on it for Lucy. She's a dog who I can yell "TUNNEL!" and run towards a jump, and she'll follow my body motion at all times over the verbal. I'm sure it helps some dogs, but I don't like the idea that you must. have. this. or you won't be successful. I find the same black/white idea for rights and lefts, a verbal "go out", etc. These are the same people who try to give me "helpful hints" and tell me I need to never say my dogs name on course. Everyone has different opinions.