Week 4 Cliff Notes Figure 8

FIGURE 8

The purpose of this exercise is to help make your heeling better as it requires the dog to change paces to keep up with the handler. The Figure 8 done well is a work of art. Looks easy. It is not.

This is initially taught to the dog using 2 stationary poles approximately 8 ft. apart and taught using straight lines rather than curved.

      ●      Halt/Auto Sit.

●      Command “Heel” and step off with your left foot. *ALWAYS easier to have the dog on the inside on the first pass of the pole as you have more control when dog is on the inside towards the pole. The learning dog will always lag when it’s on the outside of the pass of the pole.

●      Go forward in the left direction and walk in straight lines.

○      Think of an hourglass, or two triangles the with point ending in the middle between the two 8’ poles. 

○      The dog has only learned to work on straight lines so far, so it’s unfair to ask them to work on a curve at this point.

●      Left Turn (more than 90 degrees)

●      Left Turn (more than 90 degrees)

●      Go through the middle of the poles

●      Right Turn (more than 90 degrees)

●      Right Turn (more than 90 degrees)

●      Halt in the middle and do an Exercise Finish