Good observations and good questions, Mary! I ask him to pop up and "touch" as we move between exercises both as a reward, and also as a way to keep him engaged and "checking in". For Kodi, those unstructured moments between exercises are the times I am MOST likely to lose him, and then it's much harder to get him back again. So I work VERY hard to keep him engaged, happy and motivated between exercises. (sometimes more successfully than others!
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You're not technically being judged between exercises, so you CAN play with your dog at those times. There are still a few things that could NQ you then, however:
*Not being able to GET your dog to the start of the new exercise.
*Feeding after you move from the end of the last exercise. (In CDSP, you can provide a food reward, but it has to be in position, before you move away from that spot)
*Eliminating in the ring
*Leaving the ring
*Showing aggression
As far as the direction of finish is concerned, you can finish either way at any time. MOST people finish left most of the time, because the chances of getting a straight finish are better that way. Most people finish right after the broad, because (especially for a big dog) there often isn't enough space between the broad and your feet for them to finish left without hitting the jump. Also, you have the support of the broad jump beside you to help keep them straight there. (I'll have to go back and check, but I suspect that I did a right finish at the broad?)
People who have very large breeds often choose to do right finishes most of the time, because it is easier on the big dogs. Most people with medium sized dogs or smaller do mostly left finishes, because they not only are more likely to end straight, but they also look snappier.
The other reason people sometimes choose one finish over the other is if they have a dog who has been anticipating. It is not uncommon for dogs who have been doing obedience for a while to reach a point where they think, "I know that the next thing I need to do is finish, so I'll just surprise her and go there before she asks!"
By alternating which way you finish, you can help the dog understand that he needs to sit there and WAIT for you to cue him, rather than take matters into his own paws!
Oh, and except for being able to feed at the end of an exercise, all the above applies to all Obedience venues… AKC, CDSP and UKC.