Barbara
Use an AKC regulation bar for practice, but occasionally use other “bars” as well, such as round PVC pipe or the two-inch board from the high jump. Vary the length of the black and white stripes with electrical tape.
If you don’t have the luxury of practicing in a fully baby-gated ring, occasionally set up at least one baby gate alongside each jump so the dog can practice jumping with this sight picture. Bar jumps tend to “disappear” in the Utility ring, blending into the ring gates or background. It is a jump the dog will always have to look for; remember this each time you train. Practice in dozens of different locales; each time make your dog find the bar jump, no matter how well it is “disguised” in the environment.
Once the dog is comfortable in jumping the bar, understands the concept of being directed to a jump offset to the side, and is capable of a straight go out between two jumps, you can put the three components together for the formal Directed Jumping exercise. If a problem develops on any part, separate that part from the rest of the exercise and resolve it before trying the complete exercise again.
Most physically sound dogs love to jump. If at any time your dog develops a problem on any part of a jumping exercise, remember to look for a physical cause first. Also, don’t let these exercises get bogged down in seriousness. A small dog’s spirit, as well as his body, is capable of flight.
“When you free yourself from dwelling on outside pressures or expectations, when you know that you will continue to be a valuable human being regardless of numerical outcomes, worry is less likely to intrude and disrupt your performance or your life.”
Terry Orlick, PhD
IN PURSUIT OF EXCELLENCE
Chapter 13
BROAD JUMP
To see what will be confronting your dog on the Broad Jump, get down on the ground on your stomach and look at the jump from your dog’s eye level. Only the first board is visible! That means each time your dog jumps, he is determining how far he must jump while he is in midair over the boards.
Because this unfortunate perspective makes this exercise so tough for small dogs, a lot of material “stuff” is employed in teaching the Broad Jump. This does not complicate the exercise; it actually simplifies it. The basic setup is pictured on the next page.
Start with only one board, the lowest. The second board – and the third, if your dog will be required to jump three boards – is added later in the teaching sequence. (Two boards are used for a jump of 16 to 24 inches. Three boards are used for 28 to 44 inches. For dogs taller than 18½ inches at the withers, four boards are used.)
BASIC SETUP
To help the dog visualize this exercise as an “Over,” balance the bar from the bar jump on two cans so that it is a couple of inches higher than the boards. Put the bar where you want the dog to reach the apex of his jump; when there are two boards, the bar should be placed between them. If and when you add a third board, move the bar between the second and third board. Keep a yardstick with your jump, and accurately measure the length of the jump each time you practice.
A flat piece of chicken wire about two feet long is perpendicular to the right-hand corner of the last board. Consider this piece of chicken wire a permanent part of the Broad Jump; it should be there throughout your dog’s Open career.
The Broad Jump and its accessories
A baby gate supported by two stanchions extends about five feet beyond the last board. It is there as a big visual reminder- the chicken wire will continue as a small reminder – for the dog to continue straight on out after he jumps before turning to come in for the front.
TEACHING SEQUENCE
To teach the Broad Jump, work through step three in the following progression using only one board. When the second board is added, start back at step two and work through step four. When the last increase in length is made – the dog jumping full distance – start back at step two and work through step seven.
I like to get the jump to full distance as quickly as possible. In fact, I only increase the distance twice. The first increase is from one board to two boards set at two-thirds the total distance. The second increase is to full distance. If you increase the distance in small increments, each time you practice you challenge the dog’s confidence by asking him to gauge the length of his jump over obstacles he knows are there, but cannot see, until it is too late.
Barbara
Spend as much time as necessary on each step. The same thing is true here that is true for everything you teach: Never increase the difficulty of an exercise until the dog is confident and consistently correct at the step on which you are working.
1) With the dog on a loose leash, command “Over!” and run with the dog, jumping the board with him. Praise as the dog jumps, and continue to run together several feet straight ahead after landing.
Start the dog the same distance from the jump each time. The AKC OBEDIENCE REGULATIONS require the dog to be a minimum of eight feet from the first board. To gauge the best distance from the jump for your dog, have someone watch him from the side. Measure the distance it takes the dog to run three to four full strides before he jumps.
2) You and the dog face each other, centered on opposite sides of the jump. Call the dog and backpedal fast. Introduce this step on a Flexi, then practice off leash.
Steps three through seven are always off leash.
3) With the dog centered on one side of the jump, you stand on the opposite side, centered and five feet beyond the last board, turned so that your left side is toward the dog. Send the dog. As soon as he lands, let him chase you several feet farther out for his praise, treat and release. By centering yourself at a right angle to the last board, you will be encouraging the dog to jump straight across the middle and to continue straight on out after landing. Never cut the dog’s jump short!
Let the dog chase you several feet beyond the last hoard.
4) In several successive practices, work your way around the baby gate, keeping your left side to the dog when you command “Over.” After you send the dog, turn and backpedal, encouraging the dog with a “Come” command when he reaches the end of the baby gate. The dog does not need to front.
Work your way around the baby gate in successive practices.
5) Stand at the side of the jump with your toes almost touching the baby gate. Send the dog, then turn to the right and back up as the dog jumps. Direct the dog into a front.
6) Stand one foot away from the jump. Send the dog and praise him as he jumps. The dog should come around the baby gate and front without additional commands or direction. Add the finish occasionally.
7) Stand two feet away from the boards and execute the Broad Jump exercise in its finished form.
After several successful practice sessions at full distance, remove the bar; several sessions later, remove the baby gate. The dog should not try to cut the corner or turn too soon after landing, because the chicken wire will have been left in place. If the dog starts jumping on or between the boards, replace the bar. In any jumping exercise, it is far better to rely on training aids than to correct the dog if things start to go wrong. In fact, the quickest way to stop a dog from jumping altogether is to correct him on any part of a jumping exercise.
Anytime you utilize chicken wire, select a fine gauge. Tootsie considered standard chicken wire laid on top of the Broad Jump just another refinement of the exercise as she daintily picked her way through the holes!
Barbara
REFINEMENTS
Have you practiced with someone standing where the judge usually stands in this exercise? Most judges position themselves about 15 feet beyond the last board, facing and directly opposite the dog. Would your dog be willing to jump into a stranger? Would he jump on the judge’s command or wait for you to relay the judge’s command to him? What if your judge has a loud and enthusiastic “Send Your Dog”? Proof train this exercise with friends playing judge so you – and your dog – will know the right answers to these questions before you show!
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br /> When you leave your dog, do you line up with the first board of the jump, the last board, or somewhere in between? Lining up with the first board gives you a better chance of a straight front because the dog has more time and space after the turn to align himself. Lining up with the last board gives you a better chance of having a dog who doesn’t try to cut the corner, failing to clear all the boards. Experiment to find what is best for your dog, then stand in that same spot in relation to the boards every time you practice and perform. Your dog will learn to gauge the distance he must jump by where you are standing.
A dog who is determined to cut the corner might be trying to jump and front at the same time. With practice, he will learn that it is all right to jump past you and then turn and front. For the dog who angles his jump across the boards, you can lay something “suspicious” – such as your leash – on the right hand corner of the last board. The dog will avoid it when he jumps and can be praised for jumping straight.
If your dog starts stepping on or between the boards each time the bar is removed, lay a piece of chicken wire across the boards. You can also stretch a white towel across the boards, stand each of the boards on edge, or keep a bamboo pole or piece of flat chicken wire on the ground between them. These are not attempts to trick or fool the dog; they are efforts to help him view two or three separate boards as one connected jump.
Don’t be too quick to command “Come” after the dog jumps. Let his momentum carry him on a few steps, praise him for that part of the exercise, and then command “Come.” Years ago, people liked to see their dogs pivot for the front as they landed. Many sacrificed shoulders later, the pivot is no longer considered stylish.
To save further wear and tear on the dog’s shoulders, practice the front separately from the jump itself. Leave the dog standing in the place and direction he would land after jumping and then call him, using boards or dowels to channel him into a straight front.
It may be worth only 20 points, but the Broad Jump is not a “gimme,” especially for a short dog. Don’t lose your patience when teaching this exercise. Understanding will come. When you’re a shorty, the Broad Jump – over what? where? why? – can be a very confusing concept.
Chapter 14
SIGNALS AND DROP ON RECALL
The Utility Signal Exercise and the Open Drop On Recall have similar prerequisites. Before you can teach either exercise, your dog must have rock solid stays, a fast Novice recall, good response to random verbal commands to down or sit, and the capability of giving you his undivided attention, even at a distance.
In addition to the prerequisites, there is another similarity: In both the Signal Exercise and the Drop On Recall, it is very difficult to correct a dog for his mistakes. Trying to correct at a distance will destroy the dog’s confidence, and when his confidence goes, so does his performance. When the dog is ready to learn these two exercises, invest most of your teaching time close to him. If something goes wrong, don’t correct. Reteach. Be fair (no “Gotcha!” corrections), be fun, but above all, be patient.
THE UTILITY SIGNAL EXERCISE
Signals were introduced with verbal commands when the dog was taught the meaning of heel, stand, stay, down, sit, come, and finish. You can now combine these commands into a set sequence for the Utility Signal Exercise.
The dog has been taught the signals as separate commands, and contrary to popular opinion, there is simply no reason to “mix ‘em up” when teaching the formal exercise. In the ring, the judge’s directions never change: two or three verbal commands of “Forward” for heeling, about a minute later a verbal “Stand Your Dog,” followed by signaled directions to down, sit, come and finish. Why change this sequence in practice? Given the complexity of the Utility exercises and the distractions around the ring, the dog has enough of a challenge just keeping his attention focused on you. Pattern train – these are not blasphemous words! – and keep this exercise simple.
Dinkie was in Utility for the first time. I left her on the stand in the Signal Exercise and walked across the ring. When I turned, I saw that the judge was studying me with obvious concern. The judge signaled “Down.” I signaled “Down.” Dinkie dropped. There was too long a pause before the judge reluctantly signaled “Sit.” I signaled “Sit.” Dinkie appeared to be squinting at me, but slowly she sat. The judge’s concern turned to anger. I panicked. What was I doing wrong? Suddenly the judge said, “That will do!” She walked straight to me, and then past me, to a group of children who were standing on the other side of the ring gates behind me. It seems the moment I had turned my back on them, the kids had started giving my dog signals, real ones and some of their own invention. After a few stern words from the judge, the kids dispersed. Dinkie and I were able to repeat the exercise, which we passed. If Dinkie had not been pattern trained (i.e., conditioned with suitable repetitions), it would have taken us weeks to sort out the confusion that would have resulted from this experience.
Barbara
The signals you will use in the ring, when you are as far as 40 feet away from your dog, must be dramatic to be seen. But starting with a dramatic signal when you are teaching three feet in front of a small dog can be intimidating. When you are working close to the dog, keep your eventual signal in mind but pare it down. As you increase distance, increase the signal’s magnitude.
TEACHING SEQUENCE
First, review in Chapter 7 the signals for the down and the sit when they are given while facing the dog. These will be the first two signals to be combined for the Signal Exercise. Start on your knees with your dog on leash standing in front of you. Give the windmill down signal, abbreviated as necessary. (This exercise is never communication by intimidation!) The down is the only signal which begins with the hand and arm moving backward, away from the dog; all other signals are to your side or toward your dog. Most dogs are quick to pick up on this and will start to drop as soon as they see your hand move away from them. In teaching, give a verbal “Down” when the hand is as far back as it is going to go.
My down signal is the right arm moving straight up and then down, with the palm opened toward the dog at the height of the signal. I use this signal because I feel it is more emphatic than the windmill signal.
Gerianne
If the dog does not drop or does not drop completely, at the end of the signal grasp the snap of the leash and gently push the dog back into a crouch. He should fold backward into a sphinx-like position; don’t let him roll onto a hip or get comfortable. This is not the long down; this is a drop. You want the dog to realize that another change of position is imminent.
Praise quietly for the down. Tell the dog to “Wait” and pause for a moment. Then give the verbal command and signal to sit. Say “Sit” as you begin the signal, a circle or scooping motion at your side using either the right or left arm. If necessary, catch the leash from beneath as you are finishing the signal and gently pull the dog up and back into a sit. Verbally command “Wait,” praise the dog, and then release.
Don’t use a signal when reminding the dog to “Wait” after the down or the sit. The only wait or stay signal in this exercise is given when leaving the dog on the stand. To avoid confusing the dog when teaching and training, the “Wait” between the dog’s down, sit and come is verbal.
At this early stage in the teaching process, don’t wait to see if the dog is going to respond to a signal, then place him into position if he does not. Incorporate putting the dog into position at the end of, and as part of, the signal itself. If you are using a treat, keep it in your signal hand, which is the hand you want the dog to be watching. The dog gets the treat only when he is in the proper position.
When the dog shows he understands what you are asking him to do, you can stand up and then start backing up one step at each successful practice. Continue to give verbal commands, but make them softer each time until the verbal is eliminated altogether. Don’t give up the leash or go further than six feet away until the dog is completely reliable without any verbal reinfor
cement on the down from a stand and the sit from a down. From 6 to 40 feet, distance is increased literally inches at a time.
The down from a stand and the sit from a down are isolated from the rest of the Signal Exercise and taught first to give the dog time to internalize the idea that he can move from position to position while staying in the same spot. Creeping forward on the signals is a serious problem and can be difficult to fix. Prevention is better; don’t be in a hurry to increase your distance from the dog. Devote plenty of training time up close, reinforcing a drop into a crouch and a scoot of the front feet back (not the rear-end forward) into a sit.
If your dog does try to creep, your first correction should be just an “Ahh!” to intercept the movement and then a verbal reminder to “Wait.” It is impossible to physically correct the dog without moving yourself, adding yet more “signals,” most of them threatening. (If this is confusing for you, think of your dog!) If a verbal reprimand is not enough, slow down; you are probably trying to progress through the teaching sequence too quickly. With some dogs, it may also be helpful to teach the down and sit with the dog placed behind a barrier, such as chicken wire or a propped up broad jump board, to physically prevent the dog from creeping forward.
Before adding the stand and stay to the down and sit, reread Chapter 10, “The Four Stands.” Review the doggy-in-a-basket with your dog, and then practice and perfect the stand signal given within a step or two after a right, left or about turn. The only thing you might need to verbally reinforce is the dog’s stand at heel during the pause before the stay signal is given because many dogs will think, I’ve got it! I stop in a stand, and then I sit!
Competitive Obedience Training for the Small Dog Page 13