We are often asked, "How many jumps should I start with?" You can never have too many single jumps to practice agility. A good starting place is four jumps. This is the absolute minimum number of jumps that we recommend.
It is possible to teach your dog a wide range of exercises, skills and drills with four jumps. The four jumps will make it possible to work on short jump chute or jump grid. You can also setup a "box" with the jumps and teach collection, handling and 270 degree jumps.
It is possible to teach you dog to jump right and left. You can stand outside the box and send your dog; or handle from inside the box. You can practice serpentines and treadles by setting up the jumps in a horizontal line.
The next step in the training is eight jumps. Here you can setup two boxes and one opening jump. Now you have multiplied the maneuvers that you can train with your dog. The jump grids can be of suggested size and number of jumps.
You can also setup your jumps in a circle with the jump bars perpendicular to the circle or on the circumference of the circle. This pattern also enables you to train a variety of skills.
Now it is time to start thinking about double jumps and triple jumps. It is fine enough to setup two or three single jumps, but double and triple jumps is of much more value to the dog agility practice. It is not unusual to see a dog doing a clean course until the last triple jump; and then lose it all, because it is not ready for it.
Two sets of eight jumps will really set you ahead of the pack. It is the ultimate in practrice because you can have a jump grip up that is separate from your course training, and have eight single jumps for course training. And when you then include the double and triple jumps, you can really train all the jumping skills and drills needed to get you those "Qs".
It is possible to teach your dog a wide range of exercises, skills and drills with four jumps. The four jumps will make it possible to work on short jump chute or jump grid. You can also setup a "box" with the jumps and teach collection, handling and 270 degree jumps.
It is possible to teach you dog to jump right and left. You can stand outside the box and send your dog; or handle from inside the box. You can practice serpentines and treadles by setting up the jumps in a horizontal line.
The next step in the training is eight jumps. Here you can setup two boxes and one opening jump. Now you have multiplied the maneuvers that you can train with your dog. The jump grids can be of suggested size and number of jumps.
You can also setup your jumps in a circle with the jump bars perpendicular to the circle or on the circumference of the circle. This pattern also enables you to train a variety of skills.
Now it is time to start thinking about double jumps and triple jumps. It is fine enough to setup two or three single jumps, but double and triple jumps is of much more value to the dog agility practice. It is not unusual to see a dog doing a clean course until the last triple jump; and then lose it all, because it is not ready for it.
Two sets of eight jumps will really set you ahead of the pack. It is the ultimate in practrice because you can have a jump grip up that is separate from your course training, and have eight single jumps for course training. And when you then include the double and triple jumps, you can really train all the jumping skills and drills needed to get you those "Qs".
About the Author:
Martin Elmer is the editor of Hundefan - a website about udstyr til hunde. Here you can also read about hundetasker.
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