2 Jumps - 6 Cues

This video shows 6 different handling cues you can practice on 1 or 2 jumps.

General guidelines - Dog can start stationary on a table, plank, platform or sit stay. You can also start with a tunnel to add a more speedy/challenging approach.

Remember to be giving cues when the dog is at least two strides away so they have time to respond appropriately.

Know what your verbal cues are for each cue and be consistent it them.

The jumps don't need to be full height. Young dogs and dogs learning these behaviors, should be doing them low. When working on getting better commitment, jumps should be low to encourage dogs to take them. Gradually work up to full height.

These are all easier to do on the first jump. Harder if you go to the second jump and they have more speed coming in.

Give balance breaks. Don't do too many repetitions. Play in between reps.

1. Wrap

- Remember the 4 Wrap Principles - Decel (get your feet stopped and planted). Rotation (rotate in the direction you're going next). Hands (use the hand closet to the dog, point low towards the jump bar). Verbal (repeat your verbal cue until the dog has committed).

- It's easier if you start with one jump, harder if you do it on the second jump.

- Try to practice different distances - sometimes go close to the jump you're wrapping, sometimes try a distance wrap and send the dog from a few feet farther away.

- Practice your Send and Go! As soon as you know the dog is committed, run away and have them chase you for the reward.

2. Backside Wrap

- If your dog is unfamiliar with these, or struggles with commitment, move in an easier direction and reward behind the wing (reward should be thrown near where the circle R is) #1 is the easiest direction the handler should be moving in. #4 is the hardest). See the diagram and video below.

- The goal is for the handler to not stop moving, and get to the take off side of the jump before the dog lands. Move slowly if necessary.

- Remember to not block the dog's path. They also need to see the wing you're trying to send them around.

- Make it harder by testing commitment - Send and Go!

3. Backside Slice

- For a backside slice, your marker is the center of the bar. Send the dog by point the arm and foot closest to them to the refusal plane of the jump, while standing at the center of the bar. As the dog commits, run out the their way. See the video below for backside slice foundation training.

- Remember to repeat your verbal backside cue until the dog is commited.

- Make it harder by testing commitment - send and GO!

4. Bypass.

- Remember this is a specific verbal cue (must be different that your threadle cue!) AND a physical cue of patting your side.

- Reward should not be in the hand that is patting - you want the side pat to make an audible slapping sound.

- Do shoulder pulls away from the obstacle, which is demoed first in the video. And running/walking past an obstacle, which is demoed second.

- Below is a bypass foundation video, demoed with a tunnel.

- Make it harder my moving closer to the off course obstacle, or moving faster.

5. Threadle

- A threadle cues the dog to independtly go to the opposite side of the obstacle they see.

- Make sure to use a consistent threadle word, as well as an opposite arm cue. No T-Rex arms! The dog needs to see your threadle hand. Thing about pointing that hand to their nose when you start the cue.

- Threadles are easier if you lead out farther, so you're stationary when you give the cue. But with the dog's success, you want to increase difficulty and not lead out as far. So the dog learns to do the threadle even if you're behind or running.

- Spend time with some one jump threadle training before adding previous obstacle (see video and diagram below)

- With one jump training you want to only change one variable at a time - either the dog or the handler. In the beginning the dog moves around the clock to harder starting positions, while the handler starts in the same spot each time (close to the first wing of the jump). The diagram below shows a visual of the dog moving around the clock.

6. Theadle Rear

- This is a threadle cue followed by a rear cross, so there is a side change.

- It is more of a "U-Turn". Where a regular threadle is a slice jump.

Differences between regular threadle and threadle rear.

- Handler rotates feet to face the direction you're going next. There is more rotation than a regular threadle.

- Farther away from the jump wing - stay "outside" the wing. You should work towards staying on the landing side of the jump.

This video shows one jump training for both Threadles.