Jumps

Jumps

Training the jumps.

Cindy Brick's Bar Knocking Article Cindy's article as it appeared in Front & Finish, reprinted here with permission from Cindy Brick.

Tuna cans make good jump bar supports for mini dog jump training. Katie Greer

In the beginning set the bars with one end in the jump cup, and the other on the ground. This will form an X in the middle of two bars which will help the dog learn to jump in the middle. It also prepares the dog to begin seeing the bar at a higher level as you approach the regulation jump height it will have to perform in competition. Katie Greer

Cavaletti jumps are borrowed from the horse world, built low and their intended usage is to teach stride and collection for jumping. Not height. An X makes up the end pieces and a bar is placed on the X. The X is made of 11.5" long 2 X 3's and the "bar" of 5' 4 X 4's. (For dogs anyway!) The X provides for 2 jump heights, a low and a high. The X is nailed together at right angles. This is what gives you the two heights depending upon which end you set the X.

It helps to make them think of where their feet are going and what they need to be doing next by placing them in various strides. 1 1/2 or 2 1/2 strides between each jump is considered difficult for most horses although dogs appear to handle it quite well. Katie Greer

To begin jump sequence training, place 3 jumps in a row. Back chain by first using just one, the last one in the sequence. Gradually add one at a time. Do not back up to the third jump if there are problems taking 2 jumps in a row. The owner can run with dog or a helper can hold the dog, releasing it to take the jump on it's way back to the handler. Katie Greer

It's not uncommon to see green dogs refuse jumps during one or several periods during their training. They'll often do weird things with one or more obstacles as they progress. They will also frequently behave perfectly at the next session with whatever obstacle they wierded out on if the handler will go about things matter of factly. Each new session should be approached with a clean slate, so forget your previous experience the next time you go out! End the session on a happy note with something that the dog enjoys doing. Katie Greer

While standing fairly close to a jump call your dog to jump, as it begins to lift give its fanny/rear legs a firm "goose" while saying "get up", or your jump command. You can call the dog around to perform the jump again and do the same procedure. Dogs accustomed to playing games with their owners viewed it as just one more game to play. You'll have to determine whether or not your dog is up to playing this game, or play more with the dog so that it accepts games during practice. Last option strongly suggested!

When you can, find places in practice in which you can perform this procedure during a sequence. Border Collies and other keen dogs who run flat seem to feel that speed is what they need to produce regardless of accuracy. This technique just ups the ante on them and results in fewer knocked bars while maintaining speed. Katie Greer

Broad jump training. Place one of the boards on it's end by itself, allow the dogs to jump it with much the same methods as the other jumps are taught. Gradually add boards, appropriate to the size of the dog. Proceed by laying the first board on the ground as it should be and work up until the dog is taking all of the required boards for its jump height as they should be placed. If problems are encountered back up a step. You can also place a training jump with a bar over top of the broad jump to make it look more like a jump if any are having problems. Katie Greer

Training the tire is much like tunnel training. Set the tire low, and have the instructor hold the dog. The owner goes to the other side of the tire and looks through opening of it at the dog. Call the dog through the tire. Do not rush tire training to attempt run bys as in tunnel training. Careful calculation is required by the dog to pass through the opening of the tire rather than to try cheating by passing through the side of the tire frame. Better to take it slower than to create a problem to fix later. Katie Greer

Here are some methods we've found useful to help dogs understand that they must keep the bars up. Whether the problem is dangling rear legs, flat jumping, misjudging take-off points or whatever, we find that if we can make it important TO THE DOG to leave the bars up, he will correct his jumping style. Before trying any of these, ask yourself if you ever really taught the dog how to jump in the first place........and if not, get out the Clothier Natural Jumping book or Jumping A to Z, or any other good guide,
and put in some foundation work.

1. Click as the rear legs clear the bar.....it helps to have a helper with a clicker stationed beside the jump. (obviously, this works only for clicker trained dogs)

2. Space jumps very widely so you can prevent the dog from going on if he knocks a bar. If a bar comes down, stop running and turn your back to the dog as you replace the bar, then repeat the sequence from the beginning, being sure to click and/or praise for jumps done correctly.

3.Jump chutes with varied heights and varied spacing.

4. Hang a piece of fabric over the jump bar to make the jump appear more "solid". Dogs tend to give solid jumps more respect......LOTS of these will begin to change the dog's jumping habit.

5. Handler "straddles" the jump with his back to the jump support and has the dog jump back and forth over the bar with reward for clearing it. This is very effective for "lazy legs"

6. Once the dog seems to really "care" about keeping jump bars up, Patti Hatfield's "city-highway" exercises as published in Clean Run are great for honing jumping skills.

One more thought on the "dangling rear feet" question. We have found that when a dog that is in the air over a jump turns his head to "check back" with the handler, the opposite rear leg often drops. This can be caused by poor timing of a command, poor handler position, or big, unnecessary arm and hand movements or excessively sharp or loud voice commands which distract the dog, so it may be helpful to videotape some runs and see if the problem might be solved by correcting the handling instead of the dog. Sherry Wargo

I have experience with a border collie who used to knock the first bar and the first bar only. Time and experience have mainly solved the problem, but some things I did:

1. The first jump is DIFFERENT from any other jump on the course because you take it from a sit or a down or a stand.

2. I practiced using different positions (sit, down, stand) at various trials and various distances from the first jump. I kept practicing and experimenting until my dog no longer knocked the first bar.

This is what I found with MY dog. I have to PACE OFF the distance from the first jump to where he begins from (has to be 5 LARGE strides or more). He begins best from a DOWN.

Keep going, you will eventually find out what works. I remember it being VERY frustrating while going through this.

3. Practice starting your dog from various angles. My dog began by not knocking the first bar straight on but was still knocking it from angles. Practice ALL kinds of angles over and over, preferably everyday.

4. Another thing I did if he knocked the first bar in practice, I put him up and worked one of my other dogs. He NEVER knocked the first bar when I got him out and worked him again.

These techniques worked for us, and my BC is FAST! But, not a bar knocker anymore! He loves to play too much! Terry Woods

You say that you lead out "just past the first jump". Sometimes dogs will jump short, if you are not far enough past the first jump. You may want to try leading out a little further, or running with your dog. You'll have to experiment and decide what works best for your team.

If she is jumping flat, and knocking other bars on course, you may want to do some work with straddling a jump and sending her over it, and making it clear that the reward happens when the pole stays in place, but nothing happens, other than resetting the pole and trying again when the pole is knocked or ticked. I had a youngster, who used to not care about knocking bars, but training using this method made it very clear what was acceptable and what was not. I continue to do occasional refreshers with him. Karen Mast

Re: Dogs knocking the first bar.

Don't go beyond the first jump. Start her further back to give her the chance to put in a stride before take-off point. Use calm voice & body language when you call her, and don't start to run until she is at least right above the jump. If you are too excited, start to run too soon or don't give her time to think before she needs to take off, she will jump flat. I've found it works for my dog. Jac Bromwich

Lines of low jumps with varing spaces to teach stride patterns are a very good idea. The book "Jumping from A to Z" - Chris Zink & Julie Daniels, is also very good as has been said. That will take you through all the steps to produce a jumping dog that really knows his stuff.

A point here if you do set up grid work for your dog, as far as possible remove yourself from the picture. Stand still and say nothing. Many dogs knock jumps because they take off on their handler's cue if you watch closely. Begin with sends and recalls and work gradually to running with. A moving handler is very distracting!!

Jon Hoadley suggested video taping your dog if possible and this is another
really good idea. Where were you and what were you saying when he knocked
the bar? Was it a turn? Which way were you facing? When you've found out which combination does it, set it up and train for it!!!

Once a dog has had the training to jump lines of jumps, with varying heights and is well able to judge his stride pattern, the next thing you have to do is teach him how to turn. Here it is worth mentioning that to turn, a dog must bring his haunches under him, when a dog is going in a straight line, I'd expect him to be fully extended. It follows that if your dog is flying down a line of jumps and you call him in the air for a turn, he's likely to
knock the jump as he brings his haunches under him for the turn. You therefore need to let him know that there is a turn coming so that he can jump "collected". Again the book, Jumping from A to Z has a good section on an "easy" cue, I use "steady" and actually use jumps to teach it. Jo Sermon

I have the same problem with Siren who is reluctant to turn tightly on hard surfaces due to elbow arthritis. Here are a couple variations of a training drill I picked up from recent seminars (Elicia Calhoun and Brenda Buja). Please pardon the poor ASCII art...I'm not very good at this stuff!

Elicia's "Boob or Belly Sweep": Set up a series of four or six jumps. Set them up facing each other, about 4-5 foot apart, roughly 6 foot between rows:

     1 *----*          3 *-----*          5 *-----*

O (handler) --------------------------------------->
X (dog -- S curve thru jump 1 thru 6)

              2 *----*           4 *-----*           6 *-----*

You may want to practice this a few times just walking through without the dog until you get the rhythm correct. The goal is to be able to walk straight down the middle of the jumps, always facing forward, as the dog goes out and over each jump making a tight S curve pattern through them.

With the dog on your RIGHT, step forward and give a sweeping RIGHT hand signal across your body toward Jump 1. As the dog goes out over the jump step forward until you're next to the jump upright furthest away from you. Do NOT turn into the dog! Face forward with a yummy treat in your left hand held tight to your left side. Give the treat when the dog comes to your hand. Don't reach to the dog.

Now repeat this for the jump on the right. With the dog now on your LEFT, step forward and give a sweeping LEFT hand signal across your body toward Jump 2. As the dog goes out over the jump step forward until you're next to the jump upright furthest away from you. Do NOT turn into the dog! Face forward with a yummy treat in your RIGHT hand held tight to your RIGHT side. Give the treat when the dog comes to your hand. Continue this pattern through the rest of the jumps.

Brenda Buja variation:

If you haven't got enough jumps or you'd like to do more repetitions without wearing out the dog, swap the jumps for single jump uprights or cones set in a similar pattern.

     1 ()         3 ()          5 ()

O (handler)
X (dog)

              2 ()         4 ()          6 ()

As before, start with the dog on your right. Signal your dog "get out" or "get around" the #1 upright. Stand up straight and meet them on the other side with a treat in your right hand as they turn back to you. You can begin with simple pivots around each cone, then get fancy and practice front crosses, blind crosses, and "scoops"... The key is to make it a fun game by C/Ting the dog when it wraps tightly around the uprights. Bonny Georgia Griffith.

You could do better (not to mention more easily, cheaply and without the potential for scaring the dog) by attaching a few cheap bells (the kind you can buy anywhere around the Christmas holidays) to the bar with short pieces of string. Any contact with the bar would result in the bells jingling. This way both you and the dog would know when he ticked or knocked the bar and you could focus your training on not making *that* noise when jumping. Melissa Charron

I've had several requests to elaborate on the concrete forms that Sharon Nelson uses, so here goes:

The jump bar is inserted through the tube, then hung on the jump. Because the tube extends from the bar, fore and aft, a more rounded trajectory is noticed when the dog takes the modified jump. (Take a pencil and insert it through an empty toilet paper roll. Get the idea?)

Tape record the dog before and after using the tubes, and you should see a difference provided you have done enough repetitions. If the dog touches the tube, it will displace along with the bar. There's no discomfort.

The tubes are used for making concrete posts, so they are made of a heavy, laminated cardboard. Some people seal them with a spray lacquer or spray paint. You may also want to duct tape the ends of the tubes to keep moisture out.

Our Home Depot carries 8", 10" and 12" diameters. For larger diameters check out a specialty concrete company (see yellow pages). Hope that helps. Peter Vollmer.

We have what we call the long jump, which has 5 pieces and is set to 5ft in
length. Is this similar?

If so then it definitely needs to be systematically taught. We begin with one board and gradually add the others one by one until the dog can clear the full obstacle. We then do some discrimination work to make sure that the dog can distinguish the cue for the long jump from the other jumps - not only that, but on hearing the cue can "find" the long jump too.

For mistakes we simply don't reward - for really hyper dogs the handler also turns their back and sighs dramatically.........<G>......"What a shame.................." "Oh dear................." Like Ian I'm not a fan of food in Agility training and so generally I'm the wicked person that refuses to give up the ball if the jump isn't done correctly <G>.

Like most discrimination exercises I generally use a chair for the handler - not being any where near as nasty as Ian <G> I am sometimes at a loss to stop handlers flinging arms about etc otherwise. When teaching a discrimination exercise you really do need to isolate the cue. You then simply give the cue and reward the correct performances. Gradually bring in other jumps until the dog has to go past them to do the long jump - at this point you are well on your way to having a dog that knows what it is doing! Regards,
Jo Sermon and Beardies from Surrey in the UK.

I use a bar jump, as Ali did, at the center of the broad jump but I carry on using it for several lessons. This helps considerably because by the time we start on the broad jump the dog will be very familiar with bar jumps so that with the bar above the broad it is really not much different from what it has been doing previously. I have the bar at lower than normal heights. For large and medium dogs probably at 16" and 6" for toy dogs and 12" for dogs jumping 16".

I start with one broad jump board placed in front and close to the bar jump then have the dog jump over that combination enough times so that it is happy and comfortable doing it. The next stage is to place another board close to the bar jump but on the far side.
Practice until again the dog is happy. Over the course of several lessons keep adding boards in front and behind up to the number required for your size of dog.

Up to this point the boards are quite close together with little space between them. The next stage is to separate out the boards and *slowly* increase the length of the jump until you finally reach the required length for your dog. Once you have reached that max
length keep the bar jump in place for another two or so lessons then try removing the bar but leave the uprights for a while longer. If the dog steps on a board, go back to using the bar pole for a while longer.

Sometimes at any of these stages, if I am having trouble, I might place one or two boards on their side so that the dog has to jump a little higher and hopefully does not step on a board or in the space between but this is not usually necessary. Ian Pate

I use a bar jump, as Ali did, at the center of the broad jump, but I carry on using it for several lessons. This helps considerably because by the time we start on the broad jump the dog will be very familiar with bar jumps so that with the bar above the broad it is really not much different from what it has been doing previously. I have the bar at lower than normal heights. For large and medium dogs probably at 16" and 6" for toy dogs and 12" for dogs jumping 16".

I start with one broad jump board placed in front and close to the bar jump then have the dog jump over that combination enough times so that it is happy and comfortable doing it. The next stage is to place another board close to the bar jump but on the far side.
Practice until again the dog is happy. Over the course of several lessons keep adding boards in front and behind up to the number required for your size of dog.

Up to this point the boards are quite close together with little space between them. The next stage is to separate out the boards and *slowly* increase the length of the jump until you finally reach the required length for your dog. Once you have reached that max
length keep the bar jump in place for another two or so lessons then try removing the bar but leave the uprights for a while longer. If the dog steps on a board, go back to using the bar pole for a while longer.

Sometimes at any of these stages, if I am having trouble, I might place one or two boards on their side so that the dog has to jump a little higher and hopefully does not step on a board or in the space between but this is not usually necessary. Ian Pate.

I haven't read all the posts about bar knocking, so I don't know if maybe someone suggested this already, but somebody suggested this to me and it seemed to work pretty well, at least for bars down due to the dog not tucking the rear legs. You get some of those hair scrunchy bands and put one on each of the dog's hind legs around the hocks. I think the idea is that it draws their attention to that part of their body and makes them more aware of what their back legs are doing. Sort of like if you aren't used to wearing a watch - when you do put one on you notice your arm a lot more for the first hour or so until you get used to it. Then you jump the dog and mark with a verbal or other signal when the dog jumps correctly and when he doesn't. Because the hair bands are hopefully making him more aware of his back legs, the idea here is that he'll more readily connect what works and what doesn't with what he's doing with his back legs. I did this with my younger border collie when I started showing her. I started showing her fairly young and didn't want to jump her full height too young, so she ended up learning how to do the higher height jumps only a very short time before our first show. We had quite a few knocked bars in the beginning. Also, this must be something genetic in her
case, because all five of her other litter mates live locally and all of them jump the same way she does, with a tendency to really leave those back legs dangling low at the apex of the jump. We still get a bar down on occasion if I do a sloppy cross and she kicks her back feet out as she comes down over the jump, but otherwise she's pretty consistent about clearing the jumps these days. Diana Antlitz

Tire: Sounds like your puppy just doesn't get the idea of going through the hole. So, that's easy to fix, and fun. Get some of her favorite treats (or toys, whatever) and a tire and go to work! Start close and straight on to the tire, and reward several
times for going through the hole. If she misses the hole, no big deal, just ignore it. When she doesn't get a reward for missing the hole, she will start to catch on. As she
hits the hole from close and straight on 9 times out of 10, (be sure to work her from your right and left side!) then start to change your position and hers for different approaches/distances. If she misses the hole two times in a row - that approach
is too tough! Go back to an easier spot, and work back up to the tough spot. Reward generously for every time she goes THROUGH the hole, and simply ignore if she
does anything else.

You should see a huge improvement in a short time. Work in short sessions ( a few minutes on the tire, on to something else, then maybe back to the tire for a few
minutes). Keep it upbeat and fun. The lack of rewards for missing the hole will soon make it evident to her that the HOLE is the important thing. Good luck and have fun!
regards, Elaine Coupe.

Jump style discussion:

>my older dog (cocker) always had a beautiful, efficient style that somehow he learned on his own, and my youngster Pap while not perfect can fly over anything.

Many factors may affect the style used by a dog to get over a jump. Some breeds have specific characteristics. But as a comparison between these two dogs, I would comment that I expect the cocker to have the "tailless" style of jumping and the Papillon to have the "tailed" style of jumping.

>[the Pap] tends to tuck his little feet up underneath him, rather than extending them backwards.

As a look at different styles, look at this page, where we see different dogs going over jumps. http://www.netscenes.com/pawsabilities/mxpage.htm

I can't tell too much about Whozit style - there's a lot of hair. But the head is up and turned as she clears the bar, legs extended, she appears to be a confident jumper who isn't particularly worried about her ability to keep the bar up. But take a look at Corey, the Dobe. While the Dobe is tailless, many dobes, as well as Bostons, extend the leg all the way through the hock so that when the dog clears the jump with the rear, the paws face upwards, as this dog will do. Note especially in this photo that the back appears pretty straight and the head is extended forward, rather than held up as the cocker's was.

Now drop down the Tucker, the schnauzer, and note a mixture of two techniques used by tailless dogs. The paws are pointed upwards, but the hocks may not be quite as extended as the dobes were. But there is a definite arch in the back, although not extreme. Head is up, front legs already extended, as they should be at this point in the arc.

Now what is interesting is Taz, the sheltie, who is using what I think of as a tailless method. Note that the withers and rear are roughly the same height, but the extreme arch in the back. And the tail is being used to adjust trajectory - my assumption is that the dog was turning on the right lead, rather than jumping straight, using the back (and the extended legs), to clear the jump in the rear. Note forward extension of head. A smart jumper.

But it may be possible that when you say legs extended, you mean the stifle horizontal and the rest of the leg ending up just wherever it happens to end up. http://www.kolumbus.fi/kari.mankinen/projektie.htm This dalmatian shows a style typical of many dogs, keeps her front legs tucked at she clears the bar, lowers head after the frontier has cleared to control center of gravity. Not a lot of involvement of back legs, stifle generally horizontal or compressed toward the body, but hocks fairly relaxed. When using a bit less energy in the jump, the tail lifts to arch the back and shift back legs up to clear the jump.

This dog also jumping in a similar manner, stifle horizontal, hocks relaxed. http://members.tripod.com/~hermes_munsterlander/index-4.html

But this dog is using a tucked position. http://www.agilityability.com/maggie.htm Dog's front legs extended before it reaches the bar, no evident lead leg, back in an s-shape, rather than an arc, rump tucked so the tail appears to come out of the middle of the body, back legs compressed so that stifle is horizontal to the ground but under the body.

Although this Chihuahua is exhibiting the more common style of relaxed hocks. http://www.agilityability.com/ruffian_&_spud.htm As is this one
http://www.agilityability.com/peppy.htm

This one has pretty good extension like the dobes do http://www.agilityability.com/doogie.htm

So does your Pap jump with a S-shaped back? Most dogs do jump with relaxed hocks but that is dependent on the flexibility and speed of the dog, as well as the jump height and what the dog is going to do on landing.

>He also at times gets too much "air" under him, > but I can't tell whether this coincides with the foot-tucking or not.

As this dog is doing in the second photo? http://www.agilityability.com/chicklet.htm
Both front and rear are collected under the dog.

>I suspect that due to the speed of the course and the distance between jumps that he was extending his legs... I don't know whether I should be concerned or not - anyone have any comments about these two jumping styles and the implications for successfully doing the obstacle?

An odd observation that many dogs doing obedience jumping tuck the rear legs. In agility, a dog who usually jumps in the tucked position with rear legs isn't using their body as well as they could. And jumping in the tucked position, allows any problems in landing to be solved right away since the back legs are immediately available for placement on the ground. A dog jumping with hocks relaxed or extended trusts landing on the front to be stable and weight held longer than in a tuck. So some problems in the front may make a dog favor a tuck which allow body weight shifted from front to rear sooner.

Most dogs, with the exception of some breeds like the dobes and bostons, mature into the style of relaxed hocks and head up - jumping with the head up means the strength of the jump is sufficient and the dog is not shifting center of gravity with the head to clear the bar. Some dogs, in spite of maturity, have discovered the means of shifting weight with the head and don't mature to the head up. Barbara Nibling.