In dog agility there is a group of obstacles called the ‘contact obstacles’. The contact obstacles comprise of the dog walk, the A-frame, the table, and the teeter. On these obstacles (except for the table) there are two “contact zones” (yellow areas). One is on the up side and the second one is on the downside of the obstacles; the dog must touch the second zone with at least one paw. You can teach a certain position to make sure the dog hits the down ramp’s contact zone. Most people teach what is called a 2o2o (2on 2off position). The 2o2o position is when the dog has his or her two front feet off the contact zone and his or her two back feet on it. Even though this is the most popular choice, there is a new choice rising to fame; running contacts. Running contacts (depending on how it is taught) teaches the dog to run down the board, hit the contact zone with all four feet, and to keep running while never slowing down. Though running contacts and 2on 2off can be equally reliable, running contacts are generally safer for the dog and typically faster.

When training 2o2o you can choose from a variety of methods, but no matter which you choose the destination will be to get the dog with two front feet off the contact zone and two back feet on it. Any dog can easily and quickly learn this position, but depending on the dog it can be hurtful to the joints. Because some dogs run at full speed to the bottom of the contact obstacle, they can put a lot of stress on their shoulders when they come to an abrupt stop to go into the 2o2o position. Repeating this position over a long period of time can actually cause injury to the dog. What can also happen when training 2o2o is the dog can learn to be hesitant and go very slowly on the down ramp. In agility every second counts, so you don’t want your dog to be slowing down to get into 2o2o.

Running contacts are a growing choice of favor. They have become immensely popular, and for good reason. When teaching running contacts you can pick from a long list of methods, the most popular being the Silvia Trkman method. In this method you teach the dog to stride down the down ramp and touch all four feet in the middle of the contact zone. Any dog can learn this method, but it can take a lot of dedication and months to perfect. The dog learns through repetition, so you would have to do at least 10 repetitions a day for a few of months. Although this can be difficult and untimely to teach, it also is a better choice because it reduces the stress on the dog’s joints. This is because the dog keeps running at full speed, never stopping, nor slowing down. And because every second counts in agility, this can cut down your run by at least 2-3 seconds (depending on the dog and course) and can make the difference between first and last place.

For some dogs it is better to teach 2o2o, but for others it would be better for their health if you taught running contacts. Because some dogs can run extremely fast and energetically, we would want to teach them running contacts so they wouldn’t slam into the 2o2o position and cause serious stress to their joints. For other dogs who are slower but don’t catch on to things as fast as other dogs you would want to teach them 2o2o; because the process of teaching running contacts can involve pickiness and caution of foot placement. Though any dog can learn these methods with the right trainer and a little patience.