01/09/2026
I’ve decided to switch about-turns with Croc.
Up to this point, we’ve been doing FCI about-turns (flip turns), but I’ve struggled for years to get him flipping faster and more correctly. So, I’m abandoning ship and trying this out.
A few years back, I briefly tried teaching the German about-turn (around turn), but he was going REALLY wide around me, and I didn't know how to fix it at the time. But recently, I had this idea to use sticks.
I'm only about 4 weeks into working on this.
Here’s just a little glimpse into the process.
I started by having him run around me from basic position. Then, I added my turn as he was going around, still from a stationary position. After that, I worked from motion, but with him running all the way around me (a full 360). This, I believe, teaches dogs to REALLY commit to going all the way around and to do it faster, so when you add your turn in, it’s much quicker.
Then, I added my turn from motion.
I removed the stick in my left hand because I realized he only goes wide on my right side, so I didn’t need it at the end when he finishes.
As for my verbal cue, I started with “around,” then layered in a nose sniffle (sniffle → “around”).
If you’re wondering why I have an e-collar on him, I’m not using it for the about-turn and didn’t use it at all in the video. I just always hold the remote so it presents the same, consistent picture and so I’m ready to use it for other things if needed. I typically only use it for activation (e.g., barking, drive building), if he’s leaning on my leg, or sometimes for faster downs—but nothing connected to the about-turn.
