Front Cross: Guide 2

Get Started in Dog Agility at Home. Front Cross. Guide 2

What: 

A front cross is a handling move where you get ahead of your dog and turn plus and change your driving arm so that the dog change which side they are to you.

This gives us the ability to move in a clockwise and anticlockwise direction on an agility course.

In this exercise, a front cross is performed in the presence of distractions provided by two bowls.

Why:

We can practice the handling moving using toys instead of jumps. This practice teaches the dog to follow the drive arm to find an obstacle on the course when we put it into sequences as the dogs' progress.

Using two bowls, the dog won't know where it's being sent and there's a higher temptation. This practice will teach them to watch the handler closely to find their reward.

How to practice dog agility at home:

1. There is one empty food bowl and one food bowl with a reward (can be food or toy) placed in the 9 o’clock and 3 o’clock positions.
2. Sit the dog in the 6 o’clock position.
3. Walkout on the left.
4. Stand in the middle of the imaginary clock face.
5. Release the dog by saying OK.
6. Handler turns to the left and using the new right drive on sending the dog to three o'clock.
7. Mirror on both sides, e.g., walk out on the right, send to 9 o’clock.

Want a challenge?

You can make the exercise harder by…

• Adding a jump the dog takes before performing the front cross.

Goal to achieve: Practice until you feel comfortable and fluid with the handling movement and your dog changes from one side to another and is directed onto the correct bowl each time.  

About the author:

Hi 👋 I’m Emma, accredited as a professional dog trainer by the Institute of Modern Dog Trainers (IMDT). I help owners of energetic dogs achieve the dog-owning life they envisioned by providing robust obedience & agility training for dogs in Balsham, near Cambridge.

Disclaimer: The content of this article does not include personalised advice and is for information purposes only. If you need individual advice or other enquiries please click here to get in contact or if you're not local to Anglian Dog Works, you can find a trainer in your area by going to the IMDT website: https://www.imdt.uk.com/find-a-qualified-imdt-trainer

Please share your questions and progress: 

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