Jump training advice needed - Page 1

I competed in AKC obedience for years, and although I have done SchH training, I have not competed.  (Long story.)  What I realize now, with my 22 month old pup, is that AKC jumps are so low as to be incidental, but a meter board is a very different matter.  My pup definitely does not think a meter jump is a cinch and I have been trying to get him in shape for it.  (I am sympathetic as the high hurdles -- 42" -- were one of my personal nightmares in the decathlon.) 

So here are my questions:

1) how much physical training do you do to move your dogs up from say two foot jumps to a meter board?

2) what sort of training do you do?

He is an enthusiastic jumper and tries high fallen trees in the woods where we run and I hurdle/climb, so it is not about motivation, although it may well be about technique -- so if you know tricks for teaching a dog to jump HIGH I am all ears.

In the past, my dogs swam miles with me in lakes in the summer and built up their chests and fronts but this sweet boy is a bit skittish about swimming in deep water and I am not the swimmer I once was (and it's still cold up here!) so I need non-swimming conditioning ideas.  He's a big, long bodied boy, but no moreso than big males I have had in the past who jumped AKC heights easily.

If your answer is that you do nothing special and that 22m gsd's easily clear meter boards without training, then I have to face the possibility that my lad is not a good jumper or has something physically wrong with him.  He will obviously be getting his hips xrayed soon for OFA.

Please don't tell me to get a mal -- I KNOW they jump like rabbits, are great at OB, are high drive, etc.  I'm too old and loyal to switch now.

If he can't handle meter jumps I will just stick with AKC titles where I think he will be competitive going over 26" jumps.

Thanks in advance.

Get an adjustable jump and slowly raise the height.  The 1 meter jump is really not high for a 2 year old GSD, A healthy dog should be able to clear this jump rather easily.  At 22 months or practically 2 years he is no longer a pup and hasn't been one for a long time.  Teach him to jump lower obstacles and teach him a "hup" command.  Praise him enthusiastically and reward with a toy.  Go to a school and teach him to jump the bike racks, benches, etc.  He will soon learn that you enjoy it when he jumps obstacles and will offer the behavior on his own.    Then teach him to jump the one meter wall with a toy and praise as a reward before adding in the dumbell. 

If you are considering doing schutzhund, remember there is no sleeping on the long down. 

FWIW,

Jim