Dana Pike - Super Serpentine Course

25 Nov 2010Steve Schwarz

Dana Pike's class courses are always fun and challenging and I really liked this week's course, set this one up and run it! This sequence had multiple Serpentines Serpentine Handling TechniquesSerpentine Sequence (and options for handling them), and ended with a 270 Handling 270 Degree Jump SequencesBack Side Entry to 270/Training Opportunity - Video270 Degree Jump Sequence to Back Side Handling the Quad Back Side - Patrick Bucher Course/VideoThe Connection Between Threadles and Back SidesBack Side/Back Side JumpBack Side of Jump Handling Combinations - Video Jump Wrap Jump Wrap Handling TipsJump Wrap Handling - With VideoJump Wrap/Wrap! It was a Jumpers/JWW course but you can incorporate another tunnel and Dog Walk (as shown in orange below) if you'd like some contact work.

Course Setup

Sequence 1

In the opening there are at least three ways to handle the 3-4-5-6 Serpentine Serpentine Handling TechniquesSerpentine Sequence:

Course Opening Options

Opening Options
  • Green line - run it as a single sided serpentine (dog on handler's left the whole way). I did this with Meeker and it worked nicely.
  • Blue line - dog on left Front Cross between 3 and 4 (can tighten the turn for some dogs). Then 4-5 is just a 270 so support the back side of the jump. Then Front Cross again between 5 and 6 (or Rear Cross to the weave entrance). If Front Crossing 5-6 you want the cross right at the standard so you are giving the dog a clear line to jump 6.
  • Purple line - same a blue, put cross again after 4 and handle 5-6 with the dog on the handler's left. I did this with Dana's dog Bang and it worked well too.
The middle of the course is pretty straight forward:
  • 8-9-10-11 another Serpentine - most handled it dog on left the whole way. "Throw and Go" the dog to 8 to get ahead over 9, then run! Dog's needed clear direction (watch your shoulders/feet) approaching 11 to get a good line to the tunnel. It is possible to cross 8-9 and then Rear Cross the take off of 10 - for some teams it set the line to 11-12 nicely.
  • Front Cross jump wrap 13 and drive the curve to 17.

What to do 17-18-19-20? There was some “gnashing of teeth” during the walk through…

Course Closing Options

Closing Handling
  • Green line - Front Cross right on the wing of the jump so when you rotate toward 18 you don't send your dog to off course jump 2. Now your dog is on your left. Show deceleration as you get to 18 and just Shoulder Pull your dog around the jump standard and to jump 19. I didn't have Meeker's head the first time going to jump 18 and he went wide enough to drop the bar on 9/19 with the flick of his tail as he came back to me. Bang stayed right with me and I almost had too much deceleration; he was almost stopped as he came to 18.
  • If we weren't right on the edge of the course you could also try the red line handling. Dog on handler's right 16-17 (scoop over 17) and then Front Cross on the take off to 18.

Run this course and let me know how it went for you. Thanks Dana!

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