Here are some exercises for increasing understanding and obstacle commitment in the various ways of taking a jump. The jump is the most common obstacle on agility courses, the training of which is, however, often neglected. Hanne Skjelstad, a wonderful agility handler from Norway, and member of Team AgiNotes, has prepared a set of simple exercises for obstacle commitment. These are great agility exercises for your own backyard or other small space, and all you need is one jump.
Training topic: Foundations, obstacle skill: jump
Exercise 1: Taking the jump
I start off close to the jump and reward my dog for taking it. When the dog has an understanding of the task, I add a cue for taking the jump. Then I gradually increase the distance to the jump. After increasing the distance, I gradually start increasing my movement in the opposite direction of the jump. That way I strengthen my dog's obstacle commitment, so that I can move in any other direction, while my dog takes the jump.
Exercise 2: Taking the jump from the backside
I use the same procedure when teaching the dog to take the backside of the jump, with gradually increasing distance and handler movement.
Exercise 3: Discrimination between taking the jump from the front and from the backside
When my dog has developed nice commitment for taking the jump both from the front and from the back, I start mixing the two cues. That way my dog learns to listen to my cue, as well as watch my body language.
Exercise 4: Wrap
After building an understanding for taking the jump from the backside, I start developing it into a wrap. I send the dog around the wing closest to me, and gradually begin to move past the obstacle and the dog's line, while the dog takes the jump. This means that I can send my dog to the backside of the jump and continue moving forward, while my dog turns back to take the jump, before following me.
Exercise 5: German turn
After building an understanding for taking the jump from the backside, I start developing it into a german turn. I send the dog around the wing furthest away from me, and gradually begin to move past the obstacle and the dogs line, while the dog takes the jump. This means that I can send my dog to the backside of the jump and continue moving forward, while my dog turns back to take the jump, before following me.
Exercise 6: Taking the jump from the inside
I start by placing the dog close to my side of the jump and reward it for taking the jump, from various angles. Then I increase the distance to the jump and alter the angle from which the dog sees the jump, so that it gradually has to run around the jump to take it from my side/from the inside.
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