# How/how often do you train the full height jump



## pfitzpa1 (Apr 26, 2011)

We have a jump that has 3 sections. Each section is about the same height. My girl will jump/retrieve the 2 section jump (about 660mm) easily and quickly, but when I put in the last section to make the full meter, she hesitates on the jump. If I run with her and encourage etc she will jump it but she has yet to make the full jump without needing this encouragement/motivation from me. We don't really have any interim height between 660 and 1m to be able to gradually build her up, so I'm wondering how to work this out. My initial thoughts are to drop the retrieve for a bit and just work on getting her to jump and return jump.
I'm curious as to how others would approach this, maybe a few 2 section jumps then attempt just one good 3 section jump , or work solely on 3 section jumps.

She has no problem with the climbing wall even at full height, but the 3rd section in the jump seems to be a mental barrier for her.


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## lhczth (Apr 5, 2000)

Is there a way to make something so you do not have to increase the height so much at a time? I like to go up about 2" at a time. I also teach the jump separately from the retrieve and only add in a retrieve once the dog is cleanly doing full height. I then start low again (same with the wall). 

Once my dog is comfortably doing a retrieve at full height, I tend to work my dog up to that height before a trial and then will drop them back down until a month or so before the next trial. I jump them 2-3 times per week. I don't feel the need to pound their front ends anymore than that. Proofing of the exercise itself can be done at a lower height.


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## Liesje (Mar 4, 2007)

I do agility so I train jumping the same way, basically a Linda Mecklenberg (sp?) style. My dogs will clear the 1m SchH jump from a platz position right in front of the jump. If the dog has bad jump technique, often the more distance you add just makes them flatten out more and is not going to help. Also I train jumping with kibble because more drive can also cause dogs to flatten out (for example yesterday my dog did several jumps at full height from a sit in front of the jump, then did two full retrieves clearing the jump, then I whipped the ball out and tossed it over the jump, he lost his mind and smacked the board). I don't use high value food, toys, or even toss dumbbells until the technique is there. Like Lisa says, full height is not necessary all the time. Dogs that have good technique can jump 12" or 40".

I would drop the height significantly (honestly I start at like 8-12") and build from there but train the technique, not just leading the dog over and back. If you want more details let me know.


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## pfitzpa1 (Apr 26, 2011)

Thanks. I'm going to borrow the club jump for a few days and see if I can use 2 of the boards and raise up from bottom with some sort of variable height wedge. She does 30 inches easily so I'll work up from there.

What sort of increments do you recommend, I need to build up from 30 to 40, so over 5 (non consecutive days) I could go 2 inches/per day.

Our trial is in the first week of May.


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## Liesje (Mar 4, 2007)

The way I train my dogs is that they should be able to pop over and back (from sitting or down at the jump, no stutter steps or lead up) 5 times in a row without nicking the jump. Then I add 4-6 inches (in agility I'd add 4", in SchH I'd add a board which are about 6" where I train) and rinse, repeat. When I'm doing these I am on my knees even with the jump holding a piece of kibble under the bar or at the jump, not throwing or placing rewards out away from the jump. The dogs learn to tuck and collect themselves over the jump. This is not really important in SchH where they are only jumping once in a straight line with infinite distance, but if you can get a dog doing this then there's no reason the dog should refuse the jump or touch the jump in SchH. Once they can easily clear the full height SchH jump from a sit or platz in front of the jump, I do that maybe once a week or once every other week at full height over and back 2-3 times just to maintain the conditioning. There's also an exercise you can do where you place a short jump (8-12") in front of the full height jump. This forces the dog to *jump* and not take off too early thus jumping flat and knocking bars or hitting the SchH jump. I'm doing this right now with Nikon as I get him back into agility. Some dogs will tuck over a jump and some will kick out. In my experience almost all GSDs will tuck. We have a Dobe in our club that kicks out and it looks amazing in still photo. You have to learn about how your dog jumps and then adjust the exercises to make sure you are promoting (if not forcing) the correct technique. If you have any agility people in your club they should be able to help with this.


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## pfitzpa1 (Apr 26, 2011)

Liesje said:


> The way I train my dogs is that they should be able to pop over and back (from sitting or down at the jump, no stutter steps or lead up) 5 times in a row without nicking the jump.


How close to the jump is the dog? Literally right in front?

Also, do you warm up the dog before jumping?


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## Liesje (Mar 4, 2007)

Yes. I can try to make a video. I used to have one but can't find it. To warm up I might lower the jump a tad for a few reps.


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## Liesje (Mar 4, 2007)

Here, this is how I train it but obviously we work up much higher (this is a smaller breed and a young puppy). But this video shows where I am in relation to the jump and the dog simply popping over and back, head down, collecting over the jump.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fp9xysnbroM


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## pfitzpa1 (Apr 26, 2011)

Liesje said:


> Here, this is how I train it but obviously we work up much higher (this is a smaller breed and a young puppy). But this video shows where I am in relation to the jump and the dog simply popping over and back, head down, collecting over the jump.
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fp9xysnbroM


Nice, thanks!


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