Jump training advice needed - Page 2

Once the flat is quick out and back he will be ready for the jump. Each dog will develop their own style. Some tuck their legs going over while some kick their rear legs back. What I like to do is have someone watch us from the side. I want the dog to gather itself for the leap in full stride. You do not want the dog to take a few stutter steps near the jump as he loses speed. Once I have the distance right I stay at that spot to make it easier for the dog to develop his technique. Once the dog acquires confidence and speed you will have to move slightly back. As to the age thing he is more than old enough.

I realize that run up distance and speed matter -- it did for me as an athlete, too.

Again, my basic question needs to be rephrased.  I was not actually asking how one teaches jumps -- I have done that often, but have learned something here anyway.  I was asking about the PHYSICAL training for building up jumping ability.

For those of you with great natural jumpers who can jump 3, 4 feet with ease.  What if your dog had to jump a 5 foot barrier?  What would you do to increase his jumping ability to Olympic levels?

Refering to Mystere's advice.  Suzanne Clothier had developed a technique to teach jumping skills.  It did involve cavaletti work.  Not all dogs are natural jumpers.  My female was a horrible jumper she didn't care if she knocked bars or not.  Her retrieves were lightening fast, but I never competed in agility with her because she always knocked too many bars.  She developed spondylosis in her spine at around the age of 4 1/2 so she was retired early.  This is not to say your dog has a medical problem although it should be ruled out.  I don't remember the details of her method but you might be able to do a search and come up with it.  It also may be in one of her books.

My GSD male 20 months in the picture, now 23 months loves jumping where we started over that bench and progressed from there. We have a routine on our walks where we jump park benches well over a meter, a couple of fences and his very favourite is an old wrecked car where he jumps up on the hood, over the roof, down the trunk. He could spring up at leat 3.5 feet from a standstill and with a run up 4.5 feet. I am confident he could climb the Schutzhund A board without too many problems. A lot of praise and brisk rub around his face after he completed a jump seemed to wind him to do it again and again. He can clean jump over a couch from a standstill with a "jump" command and over he goes.

Thanks, folks.  I learned to watch my dog more closely and he seems to have an inclination to jump horizontally, not vertically.  (I was like that, too!)  With some instruction and motivation, he jumped 28" without ticking the boards, so I think we are on our way.  He is also doing a 7-ft broad jump with little run-up and over about 18" in the middle.  So I don't any longer think it is a physical problem, he may be fine.  But we have added some running and harder retrieving to the program.  Blue bumpers coming soon.

My boy does like to jump onto picnic tables but not over them.  We are doing a lot of them on our runs.

I may have just gotten spooked because my last dog was a tight female with a huge leap.

Thanks again.

Here is another great training thread.  Boy I miss the good old days when we all discussed GERMAN SHEPHERD DOGS and TRAINING ISSUES.

MVF:  How are you doing now?