Agility Jumps: Advice For Your Backyard Training

By Cheng Bernhardt


Agility training is an excellent idea for almost any dog, large or small. Not only does it improvement overall obedience, it's a great way for your dog to exercise and it even improves the bond between animal and owner. You can even set up agility equipment in your own backyard for your dog to practice and enjoy.

Agility jumps are a big part of training, and many people wonder how many jumps they should set up in their backyard. Dogs love jumping, and it is a crucial skill if you ever plan to compete, so at the very least it is recommended that you include a minimum of four jumps in your training circuit and perhaps as many as eight jumps in all.

There are quite a few different kinds of jumps, and one of the most basic is simply known as a single jump. This is just a single pole that the dog will leap over and the height can be adjusted. Begin training with several of these single jumps and have your dog approach the jump from the right and the left and in combination with other skills such as a teeter, a tunnel or the pause table.

Once your dog seems confident with a single jump, add a double jump and triple jump to the mix. These aren't higher, but farther. Instead of jumping over just one pole, dogs leap over two poles or three poles for a longer distance jump. Some jumps also are not made with poles, but with panels and you can also consider factoring in a panel jump obstacle or a fence wing jump with either poles or panels. Another fun jump is the tire jump, and every course includes one of these so you definitely will want to practice that skill.

In the beginning, it is probably all right to simply place two single jumps together to form a double jump, but eventually you will want to invest in an actual double jump and also a triple jump. This allows you to spread a bunch of jumps out in your yard for a solid practice section. Dogs really need to master that triple jump, so having one at your home can equal better success during a competition.

Dog agility equipment can be purchased online from retailers including Carlson-Agility.com. They offer handy starter kits for dogs and owners just getting started with agility training. In addition, they sell every imaginable piece of agility equipment you could ever need. You'll find every style of jump, as well as weave poles, dog walks, teeters, pause tables, chutes, dog tunnels and much more.




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