Fast track is similar to agility: a dog needs also to overcome an obstacle course (kinds of obstacles are mentioned in the rules), but the dog should grab helper's protected arm and hold it at the end of a track.
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Fast track is aimed at dog fanciers, who have no solid experience of working with medium and large canines. The main task of fast track is to give required physical load to the dog and to introduce sport to the handler. Moreover, dog fast track competitions promote service dogs breeding and attract interest to advanced dog training.
Fast
track is divided into 3 stages, which differ in difficulty
levels:
There
are the skills, which are needed for fast track:
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Equipment
for Fast Track:
Fast
Track Dog Training
The trainer (handler)
and the dog come to the start. The dog should be on the leash
and with the muzzle.
"Stay"
command checking. The trainer gives one of the
commands ("Heel", "Sit" or "Down") and moves to the next zone,
going out for 10-25 m of the dog depending of the competition
category. The trainer is allowed to give any additional commands
to make it stay. The trainer can make the dog sit with the voice
or with the leash (fast track 0). Touching the dog is forbidden.
The trainer runs round the control zone, comes back to the dog
and moves with it along the obstacle course in the opposite
direction to the start (fast track 0), then makes the dog sit.
The dog waits the trainer's coming, which moves to the attack
zone (fast track 1, 2). The trainer gives the dog a fixing
command ("Sit" – in fast track 0, 1; "Down" – in fast track 2)
after the manager's command "Set".
The trainer takes the
muzzle off the dog after it ran one of the commands. The leash
is unfastened at will in fast track 0, 1 and obligingly in fast
track 2.
The dog should stay before and after the shot. Besides, the dog shouldn't pay attention to treats, but perform the command to stay.
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The trainer starts
moving to the obstacle course and gives the dog commands to its
overcoming after he has got the command to start (not earlier!).
Sequence of obstacles overcoming is any. The trainer is allowed
to give any commands before the obstacle ("Barrier", "Go Ahead"
– vertical or horizontal jump), in any quantity (i.e. any
additional commands). The dog overcomes the obstacles in one
direction and in a certain sequence. The time of obstacle course
overcoming is fixed by the judges.
Then the trainer goes
to the attack zone. The helper appears from the blind and tries
to attract the dog's attention with voice and gestures in fast
track 1. He does this at any moment when the trainer crossed the
attack zone borders. The dog runs into the attack zone only
after the trainer’s command (f.e. "Come"). Then the trainer
gives the command to hold the helper (f.e. "Attack"). The dog
performs the attack. The handler runs to the control zone with
the dog handing on his arm or without the dog. The trainer runs
after them and encourages the dog with voice. The handler stops
to resist and freezes, standing at the centre of control zone.
The trainer gives the command to the dog to back off and makes
it sit with voice or with the help of the leash. It is forbidden
for the trainer to stop the holding of the handler in any other
way (f.e. by stepping on the dog's paw).
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The handler shouldn't
touch the dog as well as the helper.
In fast track 2 the first helper goes to a frontal attack from
the blind to the border of the holding zone (2 m). Then the
second helper appears from the blind
and also provokes the dog to attack. The trainer stops the dog's
attack on the first helper, calls it and set the dog to attack
the second helper using any commands. The second helper tries
also to run to the control zone and stops to resist at its
centre. The trainer rushes to them and gives the command to back
off when the judge whistles.
The judge stops a timer and times attack and holding of the
first helper when the control zone is crossed. The judge also
whistles when the control zone is passed and times attack and
holding of the second helper, who should come to the control
zone centre, stop and freeze in time. The trainer has to back
off the dog as soon as possible. The judge stops the timer
(which has been already fixing penalty time) when the dog is sat
down in the control zone borders.
Excerpts
from Dog Fast Track Rules
There are individual
and team competitions. If the contests are run according to all
3 categories, every trainer can take part only in one of them.
F.e., if the trainer and the dog won in fast track 0, the next
time they take part in fast track 1 and then – 2.
All the participants
should follow the judge's instructions clearly.
It is forbidden to
treat, to touch the dog and to hold anything else apart from the
muzzle and the leash, to touch equipment on the track.
Track
The dog is examined
for waiting, a shot, one helper keeping, back off and holding
the helper's arm protected with the sleeve (if available). All
these actions are performed over the distance of 25 m on the
track. The distance to the holding zone is no less than 5 m.
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Obstacles
Possible
Mistakes of Dog Trainer:
Possible
Mistakes of the Dog:
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Disqualification
The handler and the
dog are eliminated in the following circumstances:
5 penalty points
are scored for every mistake.
In general, fast track dog training is easier than agility and service dogs education because the rules of dog control are minimal, they doesn't require special canine training according to any other course. This means, you can start fast track training with your dog at the bottom.
Read also about dog agility.
Professional gear for fast track dog training, click on the pictures!
