Clean Run - April 2018 - 51

The dog should never be asked to negotiate a jump that requires a different
physical performance at speed prior to
having learned how to handle that jump
slowly in a controlled environment. This
offers him the opportunity to test out
how it feels to do the obstacle this way
or that way, without handling pressure,
and gain total confidence in his ability
to complete the task.
Following is a plan to help your dog
develop understanding and confidence
as he finds a comfortable and successful performance for different types of
jumps, so that you do not feel the need
to manage any type of jump.

The mechanical differences for the dog
to perform a double, as opposed to a
single jump, are the need for a more significant amount of power off the ground
and a greater stretch through the back
because the arc needs to be bigger than
the arc for a single jump. The double
never requires more speed from the
dog to negotiate it, just quite a bit more
power off the ground in order to stretch
through the air. The double is actually a
good release for the muscles along the
dog's back if it is executed properly.

6'
9'
T

Double Jump
The double jump, if presented as a
parallel double (both bars set at the
same height), is particularly hard to
read for an inexperienced dog. The dog
does not see the second (back bar) of
the double until he begins to elevate,
which really is too late for the dog
to react and produce a longer reach
through the air to perform the obstacle
cleanly. For this reason, I first introduce an ascending double where the
back bar is placed one jump cup higher
than the front bar. When the double
is presented as an ascending jump, the
jump itself tells the dog it is a spread
and the shoulders need to come up
more quickly; therefore, the information presented to the dog is more
valuable for the training purpose.

9'
T

c
Ascending double with stride regulator offered from straight approach,
slice, and bend. Spacing shown is for large dogs; use 4ft. to double for
small dogs. Lead out to target or slowly move forward with dog.

Stage 1
I use the ascending double in training until the dog's performance is solid
when he approaches the double from
straight ahead, on a slice, and on a bend.
I prefer to make my own ascending
double from a winged jump and a single
jump because I can adjust the width of
the spread, which isn't possible with a
manufactured double jump.
A note about the jump bars: When you
use an ascending double, the most dominantly marked bar must be the back bar
because we need to draw the dog's eye to
the pertinent part of the work. We don't
want the dog to lock onto the lower bar
first and fail to move their eyes to the
top, back bar. There's no need to worry if
both bars are marked the same way.
I use a 4in. PVC stride regulator (jump
bump) to offer the double from a conservative distance of about 5-6ft. for the
larger dogs and about 4ft. for the smaller
dogs, which means the dogs are not
bringing forward speed into the jump.

Place a visible target 9ft. from the double.
Walk the dog to the stride regulator and
set him up behind it at a distance that is
equal to half the distance between the
stride regulator and the double. You can
lead out, stand next to the target, and
recall your dog, or you can slowly move
forward with your dog after you release
him to take the jump. See Figure 1a.
Do this several times with the dog on
your left and your right.
Next offer the double in the same manner on a slice as in Figure 1b and then
on a gentle bend as in Figure 1c. For
the bend, it is best to move forward with
your dog after you release him and then
support the arc by rotating your shoulders.
Stage 2
Once the dog is performing the double
with the stride regulator in all three
ways-straight ahead, slice, and bend-
with confidence and accuracy, remove
the stride regulator and replace it with a
single nonwinged jump. Use a conservative stride distance of 15ft. for the bigger

The mechanical differences for the dog to perform a double, as opposed to a single jump, are the need for
a more significant amount of power off the ground and a greater stretch through the back because the arc
needs to be bigger than the arc for a single jump. The double never requires more speed from the dog
to negotiate it, just quite a bit more power off the ground in order to stretch through the air.
April 18 | Clean Run

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Clean Run - April 2018