Any jumping riders doing dog agility?

[monstrpony]

Anyone out there with a background in developing jumping horses (eventers, hunters, jumpers–whatever, over fences), who also does dog agility? What carries over from horse training/development in developing a dog’s jump? It seems that there is less emphasis on the athletic development–it’s sort of “all dogs jump, right?” Chiro, massage, etc, are used to deal with the consequences, but I haven’t been exposed to much to do on the front end to prevent injury. The exercises I’ve been introduced to might involve having the dog in a sit, and then one stride and over a jump. Or very low, close cavaletti.

Anyone use cavaletti? Grids? Oxers? Other strategies? Is it necessary?

I’m new to this, and the dog I’m working with is large; since courses don’t change spacing based on the size/stride length of the dog, he needs to be very efficient between obstacles–doesn’t have too many strides to adjust, bend, whatever. Just wondering if my instincts based on a riding background are worth following. Or what info might be out there that I haven’t found my way to yet.

[stargzng386]

Dog agility is much simpler in my opinion. As long as your dog is in good shape it’s not that much different than running around. They aren’t allowed to jump higher than the height of their shoulder so it’s not that much of a strain on them. I also think it’s a lot easier for them to adjust their stride. I think the best benefit of having jumped horses before is the ability to remember agility courses easier. I have a younger dog doing agility and the only thing I changed was to add a joint supplement. I do regularly take her on 2+ mile off leash walks with other dogs. Trust me the running and jumping she does in the woods is a lot more strenuous than anything in agility class. At the barn I’ve used cavaletti’s and cross rails for practice just for fun. I wouldn’t do an oxer at least in the beginning because most agility jumps are single jumps, esp in the lower levels.

[Bicoastal]

LOTS of things

Tons of horse people in agility, many left horses because they went broke financially or physically :lol:.

All kinds of things to teach. Yes, grids and cavelleti. Yes, there are oxers on course. Don’t neglect hind end awareness, especially for big dogs!, and balance/core work. I don’t want to give advice about your dog’s jumping over the internet because you could hurt your dog. Jumping styles can be influenced with training, ETS cannot.

Your big boy may need to learn to collect, collect, collect. He also needs to know how to lengthen. A bit of this depends on your venue, too. USDAA vs AKC vs NADAC.

You would probably enjoy Linda Mecklenburg. Check out her Developing Jumping Skills.

[monstrpony]

Hind end awareness. Yup, learned about that last trial. I was having a great jumpers run but my dog is fairly green (our third time out) and very friendly. It was the end of Sunday, and they were hurting for volunteers, so the jump crew included someone’s son. My dog jumped a jump toward that corner and went visiting. The boy hadn’t been briefed to ignore this, and shortly my dog was wrapped in the boy’s lap, and he had a big grin on his face as it was being covered with doggy kisses. I finally got him back and finished what was otherwise a great run. The judge took pity on my and let me run again at the end of the height group. We were having another stellar run when he got to the same jump at the corner of the arena, and I called him strongly to me and clapped my hands just as he was in the air over the jump. He came right with me, but that small distraction in the air caused him to drop his hind legs and demolish the jump (which happend, incidentally, to be an oxer). Oh, well–my best run of the weekend was an E.

The horses haven’t made me broke yet, but it’s sure a lot easier to throw a bag of treats and a water dish in the trunk, load up the crate and the dog, and go. In the Corolla

(novice, both AKC and USDAA, he’s max height but I’m showing him Preferred/Performance because we’re beginners and he’ll go a little slower with smaller jumps, and I’m old and stiff. Also, because he’s big, about 26" and around 90 lbs, I don’t think keeping the height down is a bad idea. I wasn’t planning to start agility when I adopted this fellow, he’s no one’s idea of an ideal agility candidate, but its turned out to be loads of fun).

[fourmares]

Check out Susan Salo’s videos and her upcoming work book. She was a H/J trainer before she got into agility. She gives clinics all over the country and in Canada. Her website is www.jumpdogs.com

[Hannahsmom]

There’s carryover but a lot different too as dog breeds are so variable. I second Salo and Mecklenberg. You will have to learn to call an oxer a double. Unlike what someone above said in some venues your dog definitely jumps higher than their wither height. As in USDAA.

[fourmares]

And oxers are set backwards with the solid standard at the back.

I don’t think Linda Mecklenberg uses techniques that you would use for a horse. I don’t ask my horse to jump a jump set a stride from the wall or punish it for knocking a rail… but maybe that’s just me.

[Hannahsmom]

Agree four mares. But that us all that is out there. Susan Salos vids seem more like how I schooled horses. At least USDAA uses jumps with ground lines unlike AKC.

[bcody]

Defiantly use cavelletis and grids. I also recommend Salos videos. As mentioned, depending on your dogs height, breed and venue they may jump higher then their shoulder. A lot of the body language you use when lunging is used with the dogs, to help them move in or out, shorten or lengthen stride. Have fun!!