Advanced Tricks: Training Your Dog To “Retrieve Over High Jump”

Should your dog be only so-so in any elements of basic obstacle or retrieving training, shore up weak areas prior to initiating the “Retrieve Over High Jump.” Otherwise, the animal may extend previous problem behaviors into the new activity.

When starting the Retrieve Over High Jump, begin that day's session with a Retrieve followed by a recall over the jump. If your dog doesn't perform each exercise well, work on problem areas until you're satisfied. Initiate formal High Jump retrieving by having your dog Sit in front of and facing the jump from a distance of ten feet. Set the height even with the animal's elbows. Have him take and hold a dumbbell.

Command, "Stay," verbally and via the hand signal. Walk to the jump's opposite side, preferably by stepping over it (to suggest the correct route). Position yourself within touching distance of the obstacle. As one flowing action, slap the top board's edge, command, "Bring - Hup!," and back away to create landing room. Repeat the sequence three times, and end today's training.

The next day, with pooch at heel, throw a light dumbbell over the jump, sending him as it lands by sequentially commanding "Hup," "Bring" and "Hup." The first "Hup" sends the animal, and "Bring" should be timed while he's airborne, going for the object. Command the second "Hup" immediately after the dog picks up the dumbbell. Now the task becomes phasing out the commands used only for teaching, waiting several seconds before sending the dog after the dumbbell, and gradually raising the jump to the desired height

Tips For The Aspiring Dog Handler

Handling dogs for competition, as well as a living, is an art that can be acquired only through experience. It is not anything you will pick up in several months. It is the culmination of all the knowledge that you have attained through different sources such as reading, studying the different breeds of dogs, digesting the Obedience Regulations, conducting frequent practice sessions, observing top handlers in competition, and developing your own style for Obedience competition. Of course the first requisite is a genuine love for dogs, and if you have that it should follow that you will have the patience and understanding to cope with them. The second requisite is perseverance, for without it you will not get very far. And last but not least you must have a sense of humor, for in obedience trial competition anything can happen.

If you want to learn something you should go to the person who is most qualified to teach it. By qualified I mean he is at the top of his profession because of what he has accomplished personally. The teacher who has made a fine record himself in Obedience is the one who can help you. There are hundreds of Obedience trainers in the country, but most are passing on bits of training advice they have picked up here and there. With coaching like this you can expect very little consistency and much confusion.

The first thing you will notice when you watch a top handler is the relaxed, easy manner in which he controls his dog and the rapport that is evident between the two. The dog will be attentive and responsive to the handler's firm but soft-spoken commands, the signals will be given with just one hand and arm, and the exercises will be performed very smoothly and skillfully. The first time you witness this type of handling you will be more impressed with how easy it looks than by anything else. If you haven't started training you will be quite certain that you could do it yourself - it looked so easy.

The first step to becoming a good handler is to train your dog correctly. Good handling is synonymous with expert training. Your voice is important - give the commands in a firm, well-modulated tone and praise your dog in a very pleased tone that rings with sincerity. When the dog is close to you teach him to respond to commands that are given to him softly. When working away from you, teach him to execute the commands that are given crisply but just loud enough for him to hear. Don't keep repeating commands, rather correct him for not paying attention.

Directed Jumping - Structured Method

Begin by leaving your dog on a “Sit-Stay”, fifteen feet from and facing a Standard High Jump. Walk to the hurdle's opposite side and command, "Hup." Skip the finish. Repeat the exercise, but this time move leftward a few feet as your pet leaves the ground; turning to face him as he lands. Run through this routine three more times, then close the session.

Start the next period by leaving your dog on a Sit-Stay, fifteen feet from and facing a standard High Jump. Walk to the obstacle's other side, and after standing there for a few seconds, move a few feet to your left. Adding an exaggerated hand signal, verbally command your dog over the jump. (Should he attempt to run to you, block him and repeat the "Hup" command while gesturing toward the obstacle. If need be, lift him over the hurdle.) Repeat this new procedure three times before ending the period.



Over the next few sessions, gradually position yourself farther left until you're twenty feet removed from the centerline between the two jumps. Though less distance is required in competition, the extra-mile principle operates here by saying to your dog that he's to clear the indicated obstacle regardless how far you are from it.

The next stage is steadily moving your pet's starting point to your left (his right). "Sit-Stay" your friend three feet left of the two jumps' centerline, and walk to a point opposite his new starting position. Adding excessive body language (stepping and pointing toward the desired jump), command, "Hup."

Advanced Dog Tricks: How To Train Your Dog For The High Jump

With your dog present in front of you, erect both jumps, configuring them at low height and setting them ten feet apart. Do it again. Then walk your dog to a point between the obstacles and a dozen feet behind them. Aim the animal toward the High Jump, and command, "Stay." Walk to an equidistant spot, relative to the obstacles and the dog. Emphatically point and step toward the High Jump and command, "Hup."

As your dog sails over the correct jump, praise, "Good Pup," and take him back to the starting point. Command, "Stay," return to the location opposite the animal's, and repeat the exercise. Do the routine twice more, then end the session. On the next day, repeat the preceding exercise once. Then "Stay" your companion, having first aligned him toward the other obstacle, the Bar Jump. Return to your command location, and - adding pronounced body language - command him over this second jump. If he does as well with it as he did with the first hurdle - and he probably will - great!

Now the work is gradually raising the jumps' heights, repositioning them until they're eighteen to twenty feet apart, phasing out aligning pooch toward either jump, and starting him from at least twenty feet. During the teaching sequence, should your pet take any action other than the correct one, don't chastise him. Perform some work at which he excels (to finish high), and call it a day. Initiate a more structured method tomorrow.

3 Basic Tips For Better Handling Of Your Dog

Dog Training has been taught by many different schools of thought. Teaching your dog new tricks and handling obedience training takes both dedication and patience. It also takes a sense of skill and personal awareness of not only your dog's actions, but your own body language and training practices as well. Below are two tips that any dog trainer can utilize when handling their pets:

1. Signals should be given to your dogs with one hand and arm only. In the earliest stages you may exaggerate the signals to gain the dog's attention, but in the final analysis all signals must be given smoothly and swiftly without any excess body motion. The size of your dog is not a factor here, for you can train any dog to pay attention, and if he is paying attention to you he will see your signals.

The people who would disagree with this theory are those who have yet to learn how to make their dogs pay attention to them. You will have to watch yourself very carefully to avoid giving unintentional body signals to your dog. It is natural for a beginner to nod his head, lean forward, or move his hands when he calls his dog. He is so intent in watching his dog that he is unaware of his own actions. Have someone watch you so he can tell you when he notices you doing this.

2. Be consistent - never scold a dog for a misdemeanor one day and praise him the next for the same act. You cannot expect your dog to understand an exercise if you keep changing your training methods each time you try it. Dogs learn the basic work by repetition, and the entire training program should proceed smoothly and consistently. For instance, the techniques that you will use in puppy training will be repeated in advanced exercises when your dog gets older, and your handling will be just the same.

3. You should study your dog so you can foresee his reaction to any situation. You should become attuned to your dog's sensitivities. If you have a gentle, quiet dog, do not antagonize him by rough treatment. He will become very alert and responsive if you train him in a calm and gentle manner with consideration for his feelings. Aggressive or overly playful dogs need a more forceful approach.

A Few Of Your Dog's Favorite Things

There are many ways you can reward your dog other than giving him his favorite treat. Generally, the more reliably your dog has learned a behavior, the more you can give him rewards in place of foods. For dogs who love certain things more than a treat, rewards can become a more important primary motivator than food. Many dogs will turn up their noses at treats if you offer him a game of catch.

Below are 10 examples of great rewards that you can give to your wonderful pet:

1. Chasing a ball or a Frisbee

2. Playing with other dogs

3. Chewing a chew toy

4. Digging a hole

5. Going outside or coming inside

6. Playing tug-of-war or chase

7 Taking a walk or going for a car ride

8. Swimming

9. Chasing birds in a safe environment

10.Anything else your dog loves to do

4 Things To Look For In A Dog Training School

Enrolling in a dog obedience class can be a rewarding experience for both you and your dog, but choosing the wrong class can make the experience unpleasant for both of you. If you are lucky enough to live in an area where you have a selection, shop around. Observe the class prior to taking your dog.



Below are 4 things to look for in a dog obedience class:

Individual Attention: Is the size of the class such that the instructor is able to give individual attention when needed?

Pleasant Atmosphere: Is there a relaxed friendly atmosphere in the class? Tension and disorder will affect both your ability to learn as well as your dog's.

Training Concept: Is the approach to training used in the class consistent with your own
feelings about dog training? Does the instructor wants you to do something to your dog that you are unwilling or reluctant to do?

Instructor Expertise and Ability to Teach: Does the instructor seem knowledgeable about dog training? And beyond that, is the instructor able to communicate his or her knowledge effectively?

Words That Your Dog Should Know (Part 3)

Enough (Whatever you are doing was Ok, but I've just changed my mind and now I want you to stop it, as opposed to “No,” which means whatever you are doing is unacceptable and should never be done). The command “Enough” is taught mainly, believe it or not, by tone of voice. It is usually learned rapidly and can stop excessive barking, a game of roughhousing that has gotten out of hand, or any activity that is usually ok but cannot, for whatever reason, continue at this point. It can calm a dog instantly. It can give you the full attention of a dog who was, up until a moment ago, acting up or acting out.

Out. This word can mean as in “Do you want to go out?” It is also used for getting the dog to give up what he has retrieved. In addition, “Go Out” by itself means leave this room and go to any other place in the house.

Biscuit or Cookie (Dog biscuit). The two words offer the fun of anticipating a treat. Therefore, when you say “Do you want a cookie?” he gets more than a dog biscuit. He gets to salivate a little imagining a dog biscuit.

Speak (Bark). This word should be taught verbally and then as a hand signal.

Take It (Take this in your mouth). As long as you are going to play with your dog, to toss a ball for him to bring back or to encourage him to carry small packages or help pick up his toys, you might as well add the phrase for that skill to his vocabulary. “Take It” is commonly used as a fetch or pick up command. Young puppies love to chase a toy or a ball and sometimes bring it back. If you keep retrieving fun for the dog, and if you name this activity, you have a nice game plus the option of tightening play retrieving into reliable retrieving on command later on.

Wait. Some dog owners do not like to use the command “Stay” except in the formal sense, the freeze on command. When letting the dog know he is not going on an excursion or not getting out of the car just then, they say “Wait” instead of “Stay.” This can also communicate something important to the dog who is off-leash trained. It would make more sense to say “Wait” as your dog bounds toward the corner or toward the exit of the park than to say “Stay” which would be asking him to freeze in mid-leap. “Wait” tells him not to cross the street, leave the park, rush out the door, until you tell him to. But it allows him to be at ease while waiting. It's worth teaching.

Words That Your Dog Should Know (Part 2)

The following is a list of words that are crucial to training your dog:

Stay (Freeze). Actually, the “Sit, Stay” is the way to teach vocabulary to a dog. It is through this initial discipline, which can be done very gently and without a choke collar on a very young puppy, that the dog learns how to listen and then how to learn.

What you request in the “Sit, Stay” is clear and comprehensible to the dog. Therefore, in the initial teaching of the command, he can absorb the concepts of both words. He will, for example, try to move from the spot. When you return him to it, he gets the “Stay” part. Now he'll lie down, figuring if he's going to be stuck in the spot, he might as well get comfortable. When he is returned to the “Sit” position by you (gently and with patience), he learns the exact definition of the word “Sit.”

Your dog therefore learns two vocabulary words that stand for two separate concepts. In addition, he learns how to learn. You will readily see the difference in the intelligent look on his face. Furthermore, the “Stay” command, once added to your dog's vocabulary, not only covers a multitude of situations, but it is the beginning of teaching your dog long sentences and important concepts. It is a great aid in keeping the dog from harm.

Heel (Walk at my side). “Heel” is a great command for a dog to know for two reasons. First, sometime he must leave home to see the vet, go visiting, or go to the boarding kennel. Second, he needs to be out. He should see the world beyond your yard, for his pleasure and to keep him from getting scared of new things, of strangers, of other dogs. He needs variety in order to be well socialized.

Many dogs who are raised in an ideal country setting, who are fed well, who are groomed and loved and cared for, get weird when they are outside their house. A well-balanced dog must be able to leave his own turf and be able to feel comfortable wherever he goes. Therefore, he should learn to “Heel” so that you can take him places neatly, easily, and frequently.

Down (Lie down). This command, if enforced rapidly, can be a life saver. It can calm a dog. It can cover hours of waiting anywhere with your dog. It can also give you peace and quiet while you read a book, make dinner, or talking on the phone.

Stand (Stand). Whether it's in the tub, in conformation or obedience competition, under the grooming brush, or to negate the automatic sit on a rainy day, “Stand” is a neat word to have in your dog's vocabulary.

Go (Move away or move away in the direction in which I am pointing or accompany me somewhere). The command “Go” is a good word to teach dogs. Often, you can point and look forbidding and say “Go” and your dog will have learned it, just like that.