14. HIGH JUMP

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LEVELS BOOK

LEVEL FOUR

Dog seeks out, takes 2” jump over & back, body language cues only (being near jump, the dog should commit and jump following handler’s body language for direction). This is an optional behaviour.

DISCUSSION: With the height at 2", the behaviour here is to go between the uprights, and to volunteer the behaviour. Volunteer behaviour builds enthusiasm, responsibility, and commitment – useful in all kinds of sports!

EASY BEGINNINGS: My favourite way to start this is shaping. Sit down, make yourself comfortable a few feet from the jump. Click her for noticing the jump, for looking at it, walking toward it, interacting with it (don't be afraid, let her touch it), getting to the other side There's luring in this shaping as well – by where you toss your treats, you can control how she approaches the jump and how fast she goes over it.

Or you stand to one side and cue her to go around on of the uprights as if it were her pole. If she has trouble with this, put her regular pole right beside the upright for a couple of repetitions until she knows what you want. If I wasn't at all interested in obedience competition but was working on agility, I'd either start this way or use a baited target.

Or you could stand at one pole and simply toss treats back and forth from side to side until she's volunteering the jump, trusting that there'll be a click and treat on the floor on the other side when she gets there.

My second favourite way to teach the High Jump, though, is to stand on one side of it holding the dog and facing her toward the jump. Show her a treat and toss it over the jump. Let her go get it (you were standing close enough to the jump and the jump was low enough that there was no thought of her running around it). As she's picking up the treat, step forward to the jump, stick your hand with another treat over it, and lure her back to your side. Once she understands that and you've been able to back away from the jump a bit and she's continued to go over and come back between the uprights, and since you're working on Level Four, you can ask her to Sit in heel position, Stay while you toss the treat, then you can release her to get the treat, at which point she should automatically turn and come back over the jump to you standing up straight in "give me a Front" position. Have you noticed that you just taught the dog EVERYTHING she needs to know about the High Jump except height and the retrieve? If you're asking yourself what else there is to the High Jump besides height and retrieve, break it down further: Stay while I throw something. Go when I tell you to. Go over the jump between the uprights. Search for something. Find it. Pick it up. Turn to come back. Come back between the uprights. Front. Finish.

For testing this Level Four behaviour, though, we're going with the agility-style behaviour, which is for you to stand within a foot or two of the upright and simply have her follow your body language from one side to the other and back again.

PROBLEM SOLVING:

       THE CLUMSY OAF IS TRIPPING ALL OVER IT! Don't worry about it. Teach her to go joyfully from one side to the other and when you start raising the height, she'll start jumping.

       SHE'S GOING AROUND IT! Training isn't the same as testing! Ask for virtually nothing in the beginning, and for Heaven's sake don't ask for thinking. I've taught the High Jump to dogs using a leash spread on the floor across a doorway – this has all the elements of a High Jump: uprights (the sides of the door opening), and something to jump over (the leash). Then I put the 2"-high jump right at the door. Thus no dekeing around the uprights (there's a wall in the way). Unless your dog has some unfortunate history with High Jumps, though, and unless you ask for too much in the beginning in the way of height or distance, this behaviour will be a no-brainer.

ADDING A CUE: Not yet, let the sight of the jump make her eager to perform it.

CONTINUING EDUCATION: Change your position in relation to the jump. Agility trainers work "around the clock", meaning they want the dog to be able to aim for and perform the jump from any angle and any distance, so if they start sending the dog from 6 o'clock, the next time they send from 7 o'clock, then 8, then 9, then 6, then 5, then 4, then 3, then move to the other side and do it again.

LEVEL FIVE

Dog performs a 10’ Retrieve over a 2” jump. Appropriate cues. This is an optional behaviour.

DISCUSSION: This is a true chain. We're not looking for a SitStay or Front yet. You may hold the dog while you throw the dumbell, or tell her to Stay. We're looking for her to go over the jump between the uprights, pick up the dumbell, return with it between the uprights, and give it to you.

LEVEL SIX

Dog does a 20’ official Retrieve over a half height jump. Dogs under 18 months may do this over an appropriate jump, but it must be 30’ long. This is an optional behaviour.

DISCUSSION: Anytime I use the word "formal" to describe an exercise, I mean it to include the full competition exercise. The formal Retrieve Over High Jump therefore includes a SitStay at least 8' from the jump, handler throwing the dumbell, sending the dog to take the jump and retrieve the bell back over the jump, Sit in Front, holding the dumbell until it is taken by the handler, and a Finish. Height of the jump must be practiced to ensure the dog understands how to handle it. Other than needing practise, height really has very little to do with this exercise. Can you see that this entire formal exercise, except for height, could be taught to a 6 month old puppy?

LEVEL SEVEN

Dog performs the full Retrieve Over the High Jump exercise. This is an optional behaviour that must be performed with no food or clicker in the ring or area.

DISCUSSION: Here we have the complete, formal exercise just as it would be done in the Obedience ring.