Agility

Who wouldn’t love to own a lush green training field dotted with brightly coloured agility equipment? For the majority of dog owners this idyllic dream will always remain just that. The good news is that a great deal of agility training can be accomplished with minimal equipment. Last issue we looked at some foundation skills for agility that required no equipment at all. These included:

• A reward system.
• A reliable ‘stay’ and release.
• A reliable ‘come’
• A send ahead to a toy or food treat
• Run by my side left and right.
• Turn ‘back’
• Move ‘out’.

This issue we learn how to apply these skills over a single jump.

Jump Heights
Dogs under 14 months of age should do very little jumping as their growth plates are not yet closed leaving them susceptible to joint damage. This is particularly true for the larger, heavier breeds. The exercises below may still be practiced however with bars placed on the ground or just a few centimetres above. The principle of controlling your dog over and around the jumps will remain the same. Even for older dogs there is no need to quickly raise the height of your jump. Your dog needs to develop his jumping athleticism slowly gaining in confidence at each step along the way. For a healthy, adult dog of normal weight, start with the bar at approximately the height of your dog’s elbow . As your dog grows in confidence you may raise the bar to a little over shoulder height – which would be all that would be required even in competition.

Teaching a Jump Cue
In the early stages, it is not important to have a word to tell your dog to ‘jump’. Dogs pay most attention to the direction you are moving, the position of your body and only minimally, the obstacle name. Your set-ups and body movement should be enough to help your dog understand you would like him to jump the obstacle in his path. Add your cue word only when your dog is regularly moving forward and over a jump with you. As there are more jumps than any other obstacles on an agility course choose a word that you can say quickly and repeatedly without becoming breathless. Common cues for jumping are: “jump”, “over”, or “hup”.

Send Ahead
General obedience training encourages dogs to look directly at their owner. One of the skills your dog needs to learn in agility is not to look directly at you. The agility dog must focus on the obstacles ahead while at the same time using their excellent peripheral vision to remain attentive to you. The target plate or toy we worked with last issue will help your dog to understand it is ok to look and move away from you. If your dog is performing the send ahead from last issue, adding a jump will be easy. Place your target plate or toy about 2 meters past the jump and your dog two meters in front. Release your dog to the target as you say ‘go!’ If you are using a toy as the target, you may want to follow and have a short game when he picks up the toy.

‘Come’ over the Jump
Leave your dog in a sit stay about 2 meters in front of the jump. Move to a similar position on the far side of the jump.
Turn and call your dog to you – reward in ‘front’ position. Alternatively, face the direction you want the dog to travel, call him and as he comes to you reward by your side.

Running with your dog over the Jump
Begin by placing your dog in a sit position in the centre of the jump while you take up a position parallel but wide enough so that you are able to run straight ahead without running into the side of the jump. If you start near your dog but then move wide to avoid the upright, your dog is likely to follow you around the jump rather than go directly over it. Release your dog from the sit and move directly forward. If your dog has already succeeded in performing the first two exercises, he will most likely move forward and over the jump with little hesitation. Reward frequently and sincerely.

The Post Turn
The Post Turn is the first and simplest turn over a jump. Sit your dog in front of the jump while you take up a position next to the upright facing the same way as your dog. Release him and as he moves forward over the jump turn away from your dog 180 degrees ‘catching’ him with your outside hand. Reward. You are now between your dog and the upright. Repeat several times starting with your dog both on your left and your right.

The Pivot Turn
The Pivot turn and the post turn are nearly identical from your dog’s perspective except that now your dog will have to turn a little tighter and be rewarded from your inside hand. Take up your position as before, but this time as you release your dog turn toward him 180 degrees and reward from your inside hand. The dog should now be between you and the upright.

The Figure 8
Last issue you learned how to perform a figure eight. Now it’s time to incorporate a jump into the exercise. Stand in the centre of the jump with your dog by your side about 1 meter from the jump. Send the dog over the jump with your right hand, followed by a post turn to the right. As your dog completes the first circle, turn into your dog, rotate clockwise as you pick your dog up with your left hand and drive him over the jump and around the second post. The first few times reward at this point. When you are comfortable with this exercise it may be repeated several times in succession – as long as you and your dog don’t get too dizzy, As you and your dog’s skills develop you will be able to stay stiller and nearer the centre of the jump as you guide your dog over the bar and around the uprights in the familiar figure eight pattern.

‘BACK’ or Turn Away from Me
Last issue you learned to spin your dog 180 degrees away from you with a ‘back’ command. The turn can now be cued before or after a jump. Move with your dog close to and parallel to your jump. Cue “back – over” and your dog should turn away from you and over the jump. Repeat in both directions.

‘OUT’
Is similar to the ‘back’ command except that you and the dog will continue to move in the same direction – it is simply a lateral move away from you. Again move parallel to your jump and say ‘out’ as you extend your arm out toward the jump. Slowly increase the parallel distance from the jump before asking for ‘out’. This command will also be useful when you are faced with two obstacles side by side and you require the dog to take the one furthest from you.

Improving Jumping Form
The purpose of this exercise is simply to improve your dog’s flexibility and strength, encouraging him to lift his rear legs cleanly over a jump. Place your dog in a sit on one side of the jump as close as possible to the bar. Straddle the bar so you have one leg either side of the bar. Using a food lure or toy, encourage your dog to spring up and over the bar. Repeat several times in both directions but don’t overdo it as it is a very strenuous exercise. Again start with low jumps and slowly over time build to full height

Solid Foundation
Basing these exercises on just one jump means that you can train important concepts in the privacy and convenience of your own backyard. When your dog understands the principles involved, you’ll be able to progress through classes and courses much more quickly. Even if you never plan to compete in agility, a little jump training can add fun and interest to the life of any dog.

© Karin Larsen Bridge Get S.M.A.R.T. dogs – other than for personal use no part
of this article may be reproduced without permission of the author- This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

First appeared in Dog’s Life Magazine Nov/Dec 2006