[nagdu] shorelining

[Jenine Stanley]

Julie asked about how different programs train for shorelining. 

I can tell you what GDF does these days. 

There is a lecture about the "straight line" concept which explains how the
dogs are taught to walk just left of center on a sidewalk. Then, there is
another short lecture and individual teaching about shorelining or country
travel. 

We always worked a left shoreline on country walks, those without sidewalks.
GDF does have commands "over left" and "over right" which mean that the dog
should move over that direction slightly but the command I was taught to use
when working a road without sidewalks where I need to shoreline was "stay
left" or "stay right". 

They began teaching a right shoreline as a test back in the mid '90's. My
last two classes, 2005 and 2008, it was part of class. 

I find that where I live, due to curving road and poor lines of sight for
drivers, it's safer to work the right side of several roads. My instructor
put a lot of work into his dogs doing right shoulder work, as we call it,
because he said it is the harder of the two shoreline methods to teach and
reinforce. I have to say that Swap is extremely good at it too. 

These shorelining techniques can also be used to navigate parking lots. 

I think the country walks, especially during the home training part of my
recent training with Swap, are the most exhausting for me. In the beginning,
until you learn the dog's moves and trust him or her to keep that perfect
alignment with the edge, it takes a lot of monitoring. 



 Jenine Stanley
jeninems at wowway.com