A big thank-you to Alison Jaskiewicz who has so ably written
an entertaining and instructive column over the past year for
CFF. Hello from your new columnist and welcome, new reader, to
the fascinating and rapidly growing world of canine freestyle.
I have been involved in freestyle for over three years with my
Belgian sheepdog, Cajun, who has a CD and one leg toward his
AKC Open agility title. I teach classes for Capital Dog Training
Club of Washington, D.C ., teach in-home dog training outside
the club, and work part-time as a Client Advocate for National
Education for Assistance Dog Services.
I enjoy freestyle training
and showing above all other dog sports, because, by allowing
you to talk to your dog during performances and to design your
own routine to make the most of your dog's abilities, it truly
does promote communication and bonding between you and your dog.
Although I will be the columnist in name for this column and
will on occasion include my own articles, my goal is to publish
articles from the freestyle fancy.
I already have several guest
columnists in line for upcoming issues and extend an invitation
to anyone else to submit articles related to freestyle for future
inclusion. ( I reserve the right to edit for length and clarity.)
Possible topics about which you might write are reviews of matches,
trials, demos, seminars or freestyle "events"; training
tips; freestyle from the perspective of a judge, trainer and/or
competitor; how to choose music or choreography; etc. Surprise
me! The topic for today's column is my explanation of the "sidepass" move
and how to start teaching it. I hope it is of help to those new
to sidepasses.
As an occasional instructor of freestyle classes, I am often
asked how to teach a movement called "sidepasses." A sidepass is the generic, all-inclusive
term for a movement requiring the dog to step sideways with both his front
and hind end moving simultaneously so as to keep the dog's torso (and the
sidepass) in a straight line. Sidepasses may move to the left or right, on
either side of and parallel to the handler, on a straight (lateral) plane
or on an angled (diagonal) plane. They may also occur with the dog facing
the handler's front or side or even when moving from front to side, side
to front, etc. There are many variations possible. To my eye, the most visible
and therefore flashiest sidepasses are ones where the dog actually crosses
his legs to step sideways, although this is not required and may, in fact,
be difficult to impossible for breeds with wide and/or low bodies (pugs,
corgis, dachshunds). Long-legged, short-coated dogs such as Dobermans and
boxers seem to be particularly eye-catching when performing "crossover" sidepasses
well.
Sidepasses look like a difficult move, showcase true athleticism
and training, frequently create a nice transition to and from
larger, more flowing moves, and often provide texture and contrast
to choreography and music. They are a valuable and, at some levels,
a required movement for freestyle competition.
So, how do you teach a dog to sidepass? In breaking down the
execution of a good sidepass, in my experience the hardest part
of it for the dog is the movement of the rear end--particularly
when asked to move the rear at the same time as the front. Let's
look first at teaching the dog to sidepass from a familiar position:
standing at (left) heel. Our goal is to teach the dog on command
to move simultaneously with the handler, stepping from left to
right in a straight line. Tools needed are a short leash on a
buckle collar; as lightweight a dowel as will still motivate
the dog to move when GENTLY tapped; and food, preferably in the
handler's mouth to keep the dog's head focused up. Before working
with the dowel, accustom the dog to it by rubbing it softly along
his body and rewarding him with food when he ignores or accepts
the rubbing.
Start by placing the dog in a stand in front of you. Hold the
not-quite-taut leash in your left hand to keep the dog from moving
out of position or range. While keeping your dog's attention
on your face, gently tap the dog's left leg anywhere from the
hock down to the foot. By tapping there rather than on the hip,
you will cause the foot to step sideways away from the tap, resulting
in a more precise sideSTEP, versus a bunnyhop of the rear. When
the dog takes even one step--crossed or not--away from the dowel
tap, praise and reward. Proceed gradually until you are able
to "tap" the dog into swinging in a half-arc all the
way to heel position (end in a stand-at-heel). It's often helpful
at this point to turn in a small circle yourself to keep the
dog motivated to keep sidestepping toward you and into heel position.
Remember to use your leash to keep your dog from simply backing
away from the dowel. Start adding your command, also. If your
dog already knows an obedience command that means to swing his
rear closer, by all means use it and add a stand at the end.
When your dog is successfully arcing from in front to your
side by sidepassing on his rear, you should add a few sidesteps
of your own as the dog begins to line up at your side at the
end of his arc. Pat your leg and encourage him with his sidestep
command. Proceed gradually and 
reward small increments. For some
dogs, sidesteps involve muscles not used much, so be aware of
any soreness and don't overexert the green dog.
This method has worked the best for me, but there are other
methods that work, also.. You may start the dog in heel position
on your left in a stand, hold the leash snugly in your hand,
and tap the dog's hock with the dowel held in your left hand
(over dog's back). Simply step sideways as you tap the dog to
move with you. Or. with the dog in heel position at a stand,
slip your left hand through his buckle collar with the back of
your hand against his neck and your fingers pointing toward the
ground. Gently twist the collar in toward you while sidestepping
to the right and encouraging the dog to do so. Another method
some handlers use is to straddle their standing dogs (if feasible)
with both of you facing the same direction and sidestep to the
right, allowing the movement and pressure of your legs to guide
the dog to move with you. You will probably have to maintain
control of the dog's collar with your hands at the same time.
No matter what method you use, teaching sidepasses should be
handled gently and gradually to condition the dog's body to respond
comfortably, to forestall front-and-back snaking sidepasses,
and to build your dog's confidence in a rather difficult, unnatural
move that can become the well-spring to many other movements.
In another issue, I'll discuss how to teach sidepasses going
away from you and in other than heel position.
