Training by LowchensAustralia.com

 

Handling Techniques

Other Handling Moves

What is an RFP?

Actually, it's a Jim Basic term that stands for Reverse Flow Pivot. On the East Coast, you may hear people who refer to it as the ECF or East Coast Fakeout.

The basic maneuver is a quick turn INTO your dog to convince the dog you're reversing direction or flow. For example, dog is on your left, you turn 45 degrees left into the dog, the dog now thinks you're changing direction and going the opposite way. As soon as you have the dog's attention, you pivot back in the direction you were originally going.

Why do an RFP? Lots of reasons. It's a powerful way to handle an obstacle discrimination problem. Instead of blasting straight into the discrimination, you ensure that you have the dog's attention and then make sure you're redirecting to the correct obstacle. You can also use it to ensure that a dog hits an up contact. The maneuver causes the dog to shorten stride and collect himself; more often than not, it's enough to get a problem dog to hit his up contact. It's also a great way to tighten a turn.

Suppose you have a jump and you need to make a sharp right turn to another jump, but there's a tunnel right in front of the first jump. The course dictates that you be on the inside of the turn and pull the dog into the turn. You have faith that your dog will call off the tunnel, but you also know that he'll naturally drift out to it and make a wide turn while you just stand there trying to pull your shoulders and feet to the right. Now instead.... as the dog takes jump #1 (he's on your left), you RFP (quick turn to the left and even combining it with a step backwards), the dog starts coming towards you (never even thinking about the tunnel), and you now turn right towards the second jump and off you go.

Try it!

(Monica Percival)

 

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