I first got interested in training a better box turn by spending most of a tournament in the box judges’ seat. I watched boxes, dogs, and handlers. In subsequent tournaments, I watched with less dedication, but with an eye to props, dogs, and handlers. Plus, it isn’t as though there are seminars within a decent drive.

At this point, we feel we have trained six nice turns, with a few more in the offing. To an acceptable degree, we have also improved a once terrible turn into something less than that of a Mack truck hitting a brick wall at an angle. Where I am short, and I feel a seminar would be beneficial, is in training the approach and the exit.

The technique Larry explained on his i-Flyball website training manual is the foundation for, and incidentally the first, most explicit technique, I learned that I felt I could wrap my mind around. Since then, I would say, no going around the body and never use a cone except maybe to introduce the concept/build confidence in getting all four on the chute.

So tell me what you think of this “game”:
I added to the chute training, with an exercise I call “Bounces”. I like this as a fun game for handler and dog. Presumptions: you can send the dog to the chute (with prop) reliably from 10-15 feet, the dog turns right (flip handler positions for dog turning left), and plenty of space. I set up the adj chute at its highest angle and stake it down (do this in the yard). This is chute #1. Set up a second chute at its highest angle facing the first one squarely, and 15 feet away and stake it down. This is chute #2. Now imagine a line on the ground running from the center of chute #1 to the center of chute #2. Position yourself halfway between the chutes, with #1 on your left and #2 on your right. Stay 2-3 feet back from the center line. Position the dog in preparation to “Hit” chute #2. Send the dog with a “Hit It”, step across the line turning 180 to the right, call to the dog as they hit chute #2, and send them to chute #1 for the second “Hit It”. Call your dog as they hit chute #1 and whip the ball (did I tell you to have a ball, too?) past chute #2 on the side away from you. The dog runs a clean figure eight in this exercise. The set up for this is to first train with one chute. A dog that loves to chase balls will quickly figure out the fastest way to do a 180 off a nearly vertical surface. Never let them “cheat”, no clean “Hit It”, no ball to chase. Also, no need to throw the ball far (don’t waste training energy and practice time). Always “draw” the dog back across the line of approach, with your voice or the reward. It is important to use guides to mark the sides of the chute, especially as the dog gains confidence. Once they begin to anticipate the reward, it is up to the handler to ensure the dog sets up squarely and stays in control. Engage this activity with as much physical enthusiasm as you expect out of your dog. It takes an enthusiastic handler to have a dog enthusiastic about developing a snappy box turn. This also works using a tug for a reward. As the dog passes you on the way to the second “Hit It”, step forward across the line, call your dog as they hit the chute, and take off running away from them.

I feel that the dog must figure out how best to execute the turn within the parameters of the swimmers’ turn as long as the handler stands ready to reinforce the best efforts and most accurate executions. One area in which the wall technique really appeals to me is in that a wall does not have edges on it like a chute or flyball box does. There are times, for different reasons, when a dog does not jump onto the chute squarely, and their hind feet go off the edge.

We bought and watched SL’s DVD on training the box turn, and I find myself agreeing to the bulk of the content. I am more comfortable fading the lure as quickly as possible, if I have to use it at all. And I personally am still not comfortable with using the tall stanchions to “force” tight turns. But maybe for the dog who already knows the turn, they serve as a visual guide in judging spacing and distance.

Here in VA we don’t get many seminars and in the past when I have contacted some of the upper clubs I either don’t get a response or they flat out say no or we are taking a break from seminars. We are lucky to get 1 seminar in this area every couple years if that.

It is very frustrating that we can’t get folks out here for a seminar as we are an area still looking to improve and get faster (yes we have 16 and 17 second teams) but at the same time we also have folks who want to learn and improve.

I attend every seminar that is within a 5-8 hour drive if I know about it but it has been a couple years now since I have attended one since I am not always in the know.

I love learning knew training techniques (not just box methods but would love to learn how to build better drive) and when I train I will mix and match to figure out what works but it is hard to learn something knew by just reading about it or video that is only showing certain aspects of it like the wall method.

Chris – I’ve got a 53 pound, 22 inch tall guy that we re-trained on the wall. He will still go wide occasionally though. Our “puppy” is 50 pounds and probably 19-inches tall. He was trained 90% on the wall. So big dogs can do it too!!!

I assume the way Stephanie does it by using a wide jump board to lure the dog over it and back with the touch stick gets the dog postured for following the stick. Once the jump is taken out, they probably just use the stick on the wall and have the dog follow it working it higher and higher over many training sessions. For anyone that has done this please correct me if I have this wrong.

Does the dog’s size matter? We are training a rather large BC right now. He is 9 months old, 50 pounds, and we started out directly on the box, no ball. As he has grown and muscled up, he seems to get better and better box turns but, not the kind of consistency that we would like to see.

In other words, he gets a pretty good box with a jump board. Sometimes, he fails to get his butt up on the box and so the jump board goes flying, etc. We don’t practice him without the jump board but, it will have to be taken out at some point. So, I’m curious if this will help a really big dog.

I might add, YouTube has some wonderful videos showing “wall” work for flyball but, nobody has uploaded a video showing how to introduce the wall to a dog who has never done it. Positioning yourself correctly is extremely important especially in relation to the direction your dog naturally turns. in the absence of a formal seminar, a video showing how to introduce the concept to your dog would be EXTREMELY helpful!

Thanks!

Chris

The dog I’m going to start with will almost do this now on command without a stick. She hasn’t done it on a vertical wall but very close to it. So I think she will be a good candidate for my first try at this. Sometimes you just have to give it a shot and see what happens.

I was the first in my area to use a clicker and it was frowned upon by my obedience instructor. However, the dog I was training at the time was the only one that passed the course. I had no formal training at all with a clicker and only read about it on the Internet. I have used a touch stick to accomplish other things like walking off leash so I have a good idea what I need to do.

With all of that said, I agree with you a formal seminar would be best if it were possible. If anyone has done this in the central Alabama area please let me know.