Level 2 Distance

I'm trying to decide what exactly to do with this skill. LOL When I read the description of this skill, the first thing that popped into my head was that it was a chance to start teaching an "out" for agility. Then I started to analyze (or overanalyze, as usual).

The way the skill is described in the levels and the videos of other dogs that I've seen doing the skill are different than how I want to teach an "out". It seems to have the goal of teaching the dog circle the object, since the reward seems to be given back at the person. The main difference is that when I teach an "out", for agility I want to reward the dog's movement "out" laterally from me and I want the dog to stay out away until I cue them to move back in towards me again. So, to reinforce that, I would toss a toy or a treat to the dog once they are out away from me. See my dilemna? No? I don't blame you, I'm probably just crazy.

Anyway...I think in reading and re-reading I've finally come to a decision. I will teach Dare this skill, but I will use the herding cues that we used of "away" and "go by" depending on the direction that I'll be sending her around the object (either clockwise or counterclockwise). Then I can teach the "out" cue for agility the way I saw it taught at the Jim Basic distance seminar last year with no conflict.

I hope....