Creating New Material and Routines
Author:Erich SteffensenWhen I told my wife I would be writing an article about what inspires me to create new material and routines she said “That’s easy-- the Mosh”. The more I think about it, the more I think she’s right, Java and Moshi inspire me. But since that answer isn’t much of an article, and won’t help anyone I’ll try to explain it in a little more detail.
I think the first thing I do when I’m trying to put something together is look at my dogs style. Ron Watson has a good article called The X’s and O’s of Routine Building that I think helps in figuring out your dogs style of running- close passes (X’s) or wide circles (O’s). My dogs are Border Collies, natural O’s, but they have trained in flyball since they were puppies so they also run straight lines/ passes (X’s) easily. Because of this I like to look at their “vertical” ability as well. By this I mean vaults/flips… Moshi has tons of vertical ability, while Java is fairly flat. She will vault, but long and low, not high. This gives me a base to start thinking about what kind of tricks I want to do withy each dog.
Like most of the people I have talked to, I learned most of my tricks by watching other people and trying to copy them. After I get the throw or move down, I try to change it somehow. Try to throw it left handed, backwards or upside down, anything to make it different and your own. My favorite trick I do is a “mouth vault”. I saw someone with a small dog on his back turn and pass a disc from his mouth to the dogs. That got me thinking about throwing the disc instead of just passing it and my mouth vault was the result.
Another good way to come up with new material is to go with any “mistakes” that you or your dog make during practice. I was once working on a behind the back throw with Java and I dropped the disc. As I bent over to pick it up, Java decided she wanted to jump over my back from front to back. Now I have a nice reverse back vault that Java taught me!
One last thing I think is important is to let your dog decide what order your trick
s go in. I have tried to write out routines and then practice them only to be frustrated when they don’t work out. Moshi and Java will often offer a second trick thatI hadn’t thought of. Every time I did a flip to a fish with Moshi she would take off for a long throw. I just went with it and now I can use that to get her out so I can pick up discs and set up for my next sequence. That’s what I mean by letting your dog choose the order of the tricks that you do. Go with what your dog wants to do, be flexible and don’t try to force them into a routine that you have planned. What I have been doing lately is jamming with the dogs and when something flows nicely I write it down. I think the overall flow works out smoother if I work out my sequences and then figure out the order that they fit together best with my dog. After I do that I write it down, instead of vise versa.I hope this has given some insight into how I go about coming up with new material. Just watch videos, learn throws and then try to change them up. Go with any “mistakes” you or your dog makes, and don’t try to force them into a routine that doesn’t fit them. I hope this helps you to come up with a new trick, or add a new twist to a trick that you already do. Good luck!