Agility jumps are a funny thing. Dogs love them, and, initially, getting a dog over that first single jump is a fairly easy task. But when you start increasing the difficulty, the dog agility jump can become a bit trickier. Check out a few of our easy training tips and tricks for the dog agility jump.
1. Soothe The Timid Jumper
Ok, most dogs do love jumps, but there are a few out there that really don’t like the idea from the get-go. In some cases, you might just skip the jump training and work on equipment such as a tunnel, the pause table or perhaps a dog walk and just go back to the jumps later.
You also can just lay the jump pole on the ground and have them jump or walk over the pole and gradually add some height. Some dogs are great with jumps until you add wing sets and then they show some reserve to jump. For these dogs, you might just set up the wings without the jump bars and then once they are comfortable walking through, add a bar but leave it on the ground and then eventually add some height.
2. Use A Jump Chute
When you hear the word “chute,” you might be thinking of a tunnel-like contraption, but in this case, you set up a row or chute of agility jumps and have your dog practice doing jump after jump after jump. This can be a great strategy to help improve jumping skills. If you have a dog that seems a bit hesitant or jumps too early, it might simply be a case of nerves or perhaps, you’ve been fixated on teaching other skills and those jumping lessons have been forgotten.
No matter what the issue might be, setting up an agility jump chute can be a great way to build up confidence and perfect those jumps. You can even mix it up and interweave different types of jumps. Maybe you’ll start with a single jump, then a double jump, then a triple jump and then another single jump.
We also recommend arranging the jump chute in different configurations. It can be a straight row or curved or even a large circle. We also recommend that you use non-verbal cues for jumps, as sometimes handlers tend to yell a command too soon and this can lead the dog to jump too early. Often just using non-verbal commands and allowing the dog to run ahead can fix this issue.
3. Make Time For Turns
Turns can be one of the trickiest parts of any dog agility course, so it’s crucial that you practice a variety of turns once you set up a full course in your yard or at the dog park. As a handler, you also need to take some time to study the various turns and crosses you might need to make on the course.
If you are just getting started, this can be a bit overwhelming as there are many different turns and crosses that you need to learn about. You won’t use all of them on a course, but learning a few can make it much easier to plan a strategy that will work for any course configuration.
These turns are not just about the direction the dog turns, but also about the way a handler moves throughout a course. The goal is to be able to keep the dog in sight without getting in your furry pal’s way as he zips through the course. The dog might turn left or right coming off of a jump, but the handler also turns or crosses to help guide the dog to the next obstacle. If this all sounds a bit complicated, it can be tricky, and we recommend that you take a few classes and perhaps watch/study videos of dog agility techniques and tips.
4. Think Outside Of The Jump
Jumps are the most common obstacle that you will find on any agility course, so it just makes sense to make time for plenty of jump practice. To make this more successful, don’t start a practice session until you and your dog have warmed up. Not only does a good warm-up increase safety by allowing those muscles to loosen up, it also burns off a bit of steam, making it easier for your dog to concentrate.
With a very young dog or a puppy, skip the jumps until the dog has finished growing. Jumps can be dangerous for puppies and young dogs. For these younger pooches, we recommend working on skills such as the pause table and basic obedience. You can even practice by taking the top off the pause table and just laying it on the ground.
In these early months, it’s all about bonding and building trust and learning obedience skills that will keep your dog safe. Once the bond has been forged and your dog understands some basic commands, agility training will be much easier in general.
We do have mini agility jumps and other mini equipment that can be great for small dogs and puppies, although, again, we don’t recommend jumping for puppies. You can have them simply learn to walk over a jump pole just to get used to the idea of going over a jump. Our mini dog teeter, mini pause table and mini dog walk with rails can be fun items for puppies just beginning their agility training.
5. Attend Some Agility Competitions
While many people love setting up a dog agility jump and a few other pieces of equipment in the backyard for some fun and exercise, some people definitely dive into agility with the goal of competing in mind.
If you would love to compete, we highly recommend that you attend any local agility competitions that you can. As a spectator, you can observe handlers and dogs and truly get a sense of what it takes to compete. People tend to be very friendly at these events and usually are happy to talk about a few strategies or share a tip or two. But, just getting out there and seeing what actually happens and watching how dogs and handlers deal with jumps and turns can provide a huge benefit for your training.
If you need a dog agility jump or perhaps several agility jumps, we have everything you need here at Carlson Agility. In addition to single, double and triple jumps, we have fence wing jumps, wing sets, panel jumps, mini jumps, tire jumps, UKC window jumps and even obedience jumps for those interested in obedience contests as well as agility.
Keеp this going please, great job!
Thanks!