How do you get a dog to jump?

**errica** · 08-20-2008, 11:58 AM

My plan is to get the puppy used to the equipment, but not jump him until he's all done growing, and get Athena (3yr old female) into agility. She's done obedience and loves to have a job.

So I spent all morning, okay an hour, making two jumps for the dogs and when I let them out to see them they were less impressed with my construction skills than I had hoped. I put the puppy up and tried to get Athena to jump over the smaller of the two jumps with toys, treats, anything. She'll run up to it, sniff it, run around it, etc...

My question is this: how do you teach a dog to jump? I see pictures of other dogs just flying over the jumps with a smile on their face...I want that!

Julie W · 08-20-2008, 12:00 PM

Start little and work your way up. It should just be something for them to "step" over when you start out and you can simply step over it with them.

**errica** · 08-20-2008, 12:04 PM

So it was unreasonable to expect my dog to look at my hard work and say "wow mom, thanks, let me jump over them for hours and impress you and your friends!"? Damn.

I have some leftover PVC pipe that I will use to craft a tiny jump.

At what age can I start jumping the puppy?

**ellenm** · 08-20-2008, 12:06 PM

I start with the dog on lead and jump with them over low jumps. (Or put the jump in a narrow corridor where the dog can't get around it) Use a word like "over" or "jump" to mark the skill. Give treats and praise like crazy.

Make sure you are jumping in a nonslip area, so if on grass, make sure it is a level place. Dobes usually love to jump!

** Low would be about 9-12" for a full grown Dobe.

**TracyJo** · 08-20-2008, 12:06 PM

Start by laying the jump pole on the ground (no height) and ask her to step over it - then praise like crazy - gradually add height.

Most importantly, keep it positive and fun - don't get discouraged and take a break if you do.
Oh and take pictures

alwayshadpets · 08-20-2008, 01:16 PM

No high jumps until the growth plates are closed, usually around 18 months.

Puppy can go over pc pipe that is layed on ground. No formal jumping.
I used the clicker in the very beginning, but you don`t have to and I don`t use now. The dog has to know that the sound of the clicker means the behavior is correct and a treat is coming.
Teaching the jump.
Dog on leash, take cheese, hot dog , give the command word you want to use--jump, over, or?? toss cheese.Dog gets cheese treat, toss treat going back the other way.
Dogs love this. Athena having done OB work will be very easy to work with. OB is a plus to have in agility.

Khiera · 08-20-2008, 01:24 PM

Before doing agility (i wasn't planning on doing agility originally), i taught Dante to jump just for the fun of it over logs and fallen tree branches on our walks in the trails. I would stand to one side of the log, call to him, and he'll typically hop over the log to get to me and the treat in my hand. As he got the idea, i would stand to the side of the log or branch and "wave" him through with a treat in my hand. Pretty soon he figured out what the gesture and "jump" meant. When we started doing agility, it was easy to just transition to the actual jump equipment.

**Burns** · 08-20-2008, 01:24 PM

Thanks for this thread, errica - I am looking to get Red into agility in the spring, but I don't have the slightest clue on how to start training some of the basic agility skills at home, so this is really helpful

**dobermansrule** · 08-20-2008, 01:26 PM

I stood on the other side of the hurdle with a liver treat - next thing I knew there was a flying puppy in my face. He's been a jumper ever since.

robinb · 08-20-2008, 01:57 PM

I use a 10 foot leash and run the dog up to the jump and toss the tug toy over the jump and tell the dog to up, then when he goes over and gets the toy say bring and make him come back over. For shutzhund you need to train for coming back over the jump from the start. Keep them on the long leash for a time so they come back over.

Agility is different, hopefully some agility people will jump in here!!