Lazy Drop

[jillybean]

Thanks for all the replies.

I'm not quite sure what your instructor is trying to get at? There is no disadvantage in the dog lying on its hip.........infact it is an advantage during the drop stay. If the dog is dropping normally during the heel pattern.......there is no problem at all.

Do you intend to trial?? In the higher classes you need to hold very long stays out of sight. It would be very uncomfortable for a dog to be lying in that position for that period of time.

I actually make sure my dog "is" lying on his hip. Does your instructor trial?

ETA: If the dog is lying completely on its side in a trial, then it has assumed the "dead dog postion" and would NQ. If that is what she does, and you do not intend to trial.......who cares???!

Dog is staying........dog is doing what it is told. Many instructors get caught up trying to fine tune pet owners who couldnt care less. Most exercises will have to be retaught if you later decide to trial anyway, so don't worry.

At this stage we've only just started classes so haven't even given a thought to trialling!

Guess the instructor doesn't know what she's talking about then...

[kamuzz]

In a stay situation I wouldn't be too fussed about it - my dog used to "flop drop" all the time until I taught her a sphinx drop under a different hand signal when she was about 12 months old.

So in heeling work, I use the signal for the sphinx drop. In a stay, I give her the "flop drop" signal. She's happy to do either for whatever period of time but I'm happier if she drops her hip straight up as that minimizes the chance of her dropping it during the stay itself, especially when its hot.

Any chance you could describe the hand signals?

[Lablover]

How old is Chloe? I have to admit I am a labrador lover, so I ask, is hip dysplasia considered a problem with Bealges? Does she sit square?

[jillybean]

How old is Chloe? I have to admit I am a labrador lover, so I ask, is hip dysplasia considered a problem with Bealges? Does she sit square?

She is about 5 and a half months. As far as I know hip dysplasia is not a common issue with beagles? Although I could very well be wrong!

She sits square, and she can also drop square. It's only when she thinks she's going to be there for a while that she'll flop her legs out to the side.

[J...]

In a stay situation I wouldn't be too fussed about it - my dog used to "flop drop" all the time until I taught her a sphinx drop under a different hand signal when she was about 12 months old.

So in heeling work, I use the signal for the sphinx drop. In a stay, I give her the "flop drop" signal. She's happy to do either for whatever period of time but I'm happier if she drops her hip straight up as that minimizes the chance of her dropping it during the stay itself, especially when its hot.

Any chance you could describe the hand signals?

I think so ;) The original drop (now the flop drop) was a downward hand signal flattening out in front, hand starting off vertical and running to horizontal in front of my body. Kind of like your hand doing a ski-jump motion Started off exaggerated when she was a puppy and now is only a very short.

The one I use for the sphynx drop (just realised I was spelling that wrong previously ) is a horizontal hand at the RHS dropping from just above elbow level to elbow level. Once again was exaggerated when I was teaching her, I use the same signal for any drop that she does in front of me as well i.e change of position.