Peggy, I have the written version of the Around The Clock method on my laptop. While it is helpful to have someone experienced in the method to consult, it can certainly be done from the written version. If you would like, I can send you my copy. I need to edit and proof it first.
The gist of it is that you use spray cheese/peanut butter/something you can put on the bar of the dumbbell, and teach the dog to search for that. Gradually you lessen the cheese and increaseyour scent on the bar. The true version has the dog working on leash a lot in the beginning, but since I rarely work my dog's on a leash, I find it more distracting. Depends on the dog.
p.s., are Rippin Good cookies still made? ESP. The frosted animal crackers? Drooling over 30 year old memories!!!!
I also have dogs that do field work and obedience. I have not had any trouble with my dogs learning the traditional obedience signals--they get the context of where they are and what they should do.
My older girl who had her SH before learning articles (and has a UDX and OTCh points now), learned the tie down method. I tried a little of the Morgan Specter method, but she needed me to make it black and white that the exercise was not pile work. My young girl learned articles at the same time she was doing pile work. It was not a problem. She was taught with a method that uses cheese like the Around the Clock, but also kept the articles rubber-banded to a board. The cheese taught her to sniff, the rubber-bands corrected errors, and the leash on the dog (not a flexi) made sure she returned as soon as the right article was in her mouth--no shopping. She also got a big helping of squeeze cheese on the return.
Like Gerrie said, I say jump instead of over. I also say trot with my young girl instead of heel for her heads up heeling.
The thing that surprised me most was how much we have to realize that a go-out is not a mini blind. They really need to be taught the geography of the ring and learn to mark the stanchion and run a path between the jumps. Connie Cleveland is very clear about making that point to dogs that do both field and obedience. Janice Gunn teaches her dogs to mark the stanchion too.
Janice and Connie both have video clips you can watch. Janice has a little library you can pay to use for a couple of weeks. They are both very nice women who would likely answer emails if you emailed them--they have done that for me.
The cookie factory is still going strong. Not a cookie fan, myself, so I don't know what kinds they make. But there are days when you can't miss the aroma!
