AG235: Confident Crossing: The Art of the Front Cross
Course Details
Front crosses are one of the most versatile and useful techniques on course! They also can be one of the more difficult and least natural techniques to execute effectively for both dog and handler.
In this course, we will go over every type of front cross that you might encounter and then go through short courses tailored to each one, practicing and perfecting them. From backside slice to backside wrap to flip away front cross to 90 degree to front cross on a tunnel and more—we’re going to over it all! You will practice all of these both with and without your dog and when working through the mini courses, receive video feedback, slowing down and talking through both your footwork and that of your dog.
You will walk away from these six weeks feeling like your team has mastered the front cross!
Teaching Approach
Lectures will be released throughout the week, generally at the start and middle of each week. They will be a combination of written lecture and video examples. For mini courses, you will receive a course map as well as a video demonstration.
Feedback will be a combination of written discussion and video feedback. For the video feedback, I will do screen recordings of your videos, slowing everything down and talking through your team’s footwork/timing/performance.
Five jumps and one tunnel. Courses will be set to 60x60, but can be modified to a smaller space. Ideally dogs are able to do short sequences of 8-10 jumps, but mini courses can be broken down as needed. Jumps do not have to be full height.
You’ve mastered this week’s front-side front cross drill. Amazing work!
Now it’s time to move onto the course of the week. For each week, we’re going to go through the course with only your virtual dog first before we dive into running them with your real dogs.
Let’s take a look at the course first, then we’ll discuss the handling:
There are a few different ways to approach the course, but these are the lines we’re going to take:
(Note: the dog’s path goes from red to blue to orange to green)
And this is the handling we’re going to do:
1 – 2 dog on left
2 – 3 front cross
3 – 4 dog on right
4 – 5 dog stays on right, rhythm change
5 – 6 front cross
6 – 7 front cross
7 – 8 front cross
8 – 9 dog on left
9 – 10 dog on left
10 – 11 front cross
11 – 12 front cross
Things to keep in mind:
1 – 2 dog on left
Note: lead out far enough that you will be able to cue that first front cross in a timely manner and be off their path/moving down that line to #4 before they come around the wing of #2.
2 – 3 front cross
Note: keep that connection strong! Eyes to the line
3 – 4 dog on right
Note: look to your dog! You want to know when you can cue that rhythm change. Arms low and down as you step forwards. When you see your dog look to the jump and commit to the line, move off away down the line to five, but keep that connection as you go!
4 – 5 dog stays on right, rhythm change
Note: keep that connection on the line until your dog is about halfway to you, then you want to look to your dog to know when you can start cueing that front cross on 5.
5 – 6 front cross
Note: step to take off and cue that front cross nice and early, so you are off of their line before they land #5. Look back to their face as soon as you finish your front cross and be ready to start your next one.
6 – 7 front cross
Note: as soon as you see them take one stride towards you, immediately take your step with your dog-side leg and starting cueing that next front cross. Keep your connection strong and keep looking to your dog, then the line throughout this cross. Again, you should have that front cross completed before they land and ideally before they take off!
7 – 8 front cross
Note: look to your dog’s face as they come around #7 and as soon as you see them take a stride and see their eyes, step for the next front cross.
8 – 9 dog on left
Note: eyes to the line. Make sure you’re running the parallel path to your dog’s line.
9 – 10 dog on left
Note: eyes to the line. As they are approaching 10, look to their eyes/face.
10 – 11 front cross
Note: when you see them looking at #10/committed to taking the line to it, step to takeoff and rotate those hips through your front cross. Then put your eyes right back to your dog’s face.
11 – 12 front cross
Note: when you see your dog looking to you, lower your hand to draw them in. As they are a stride away from you, step forwards towards takeoff to start the front cross and complete it as they are passing your foot. Move forward off towards the line to #12, looking back to the line.
Notes for all front crosses:
You want your front crosses to be completed before your dog takes off • You want to be moving down the line away from the front cross before they land • Your eyes should always be either on your dog when committing them to the front cross or on the line after you complete your front cross
Rotate those hips around snappily!
Please post a video of you running the course with your virtual dog before moving onto running the course with your real dog.That way we can perfect our footwork/connection/handling path before we bring dogs into the picture!
Here is an example of what your virtual walkthrough should look like from two angles:
A sampling of what prior students have said about this class ...
I found Bronagh's feedback to be excellent, super positive, encouraging, and most importantly - helpful! I really liked the video format of the feedback, it really clearly showed how important timing is in agility handling and made it easier to align the feedback with my handling.
This course has definitely helped me better understand my handling and explanations and suggestions were very helpful!
I really enjoyed this class. The virtual dog videos were challenging for me. However, it really helped me see where I was dropping connection with my dog. I’d definitely recommend this class. Front crosses can be hard, but Bronagh made it fun and enjoyable.
This course was fabulous!!! I truly never understood many parts of the moves we learned in class and I have great resources to continue my work on my handling.
Bronagh did a great job! Each video was done as a voice over which is extremely helpful. It was fun to watch all of the other Gold feedback videos as the format made it easy to see the better line, timing etc.
Initially, I didn't think I would be interested in this class because I thought I knew how to do a front cross as it is one of the first handling moves I learned. However after reading the description I realized I had no idea of all the different types and how they could be used in so many handling techniques. The course was much more advanced than my first impressions from the name lead me to believe and I really enjoyed it!
Thanks for this great course and all the feedback, it has really helped us. We will keep working on these skills. I signed up for your workshop on connection to watch soon as I think I will always need to keep working on that and I see how important it is now!
I want to thank you for a great 6 weeks of learning. This course was awesome and we have a good foundation to continue to work on. You don’t know how much your coaching has helped both my husband and myself with our other dogs. Thank you again and I will miss looking for your feedback each day.
Thank you so much for helping us. We've learned much more than just front crosses. My dog is better committed and I'm leaving much earlier. No one ever pointed out to me how much I was waiting for her. I feel like I'm doing better with using my peripheral vision and keeping connection. You've been a really good coach, I always felt motivated to work on the things you pointed out and you always made me feel good about our effort.
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Guest Instructor: Bronagh Daly
