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Before you can teach your dog how-to jump over obstacles, there are a few things you will have to do. The first will be to ensure that your dog is physically fit, and that it does not have any major hip or shoulder problems. It may be necessary for you to get your veterinarian to give the dog a medical checkup before you start teaching it this exercise.
You must also be certain that your dog is fully grown before you teach it to jump. Most breeds reach this stage of development by around 12 months of age, but some of the larger breeds, such as the Great Danes and Newfoundlands, are only fully grown after about two years. If in doubt, check with the breeder.
The more varied the objects you choose for your dog to jump over the better. Then it will not end up believing it is only allowed to jump over a specific type of obstacles
The method
When introducing your dog to jumping for the first time, you will need to have a solid obstacle for it to jump over, so that it cannot go under the object instead of getting over it.
Then place your dog on a 3-ft (1-m) lead, and step over the obstacle. Command the dog: “Over.” It is important that you actually step over the jump yourself and do not walk around, as your dog will try to imitate you. Keep the lead short and place your dog close to the obstacle, so that it cannot attempt to go around it instead. Each time the dog completes the exercise correctly and jumps over the obstacle, praise it lavishly, and then step over the obstacle again yourself.
Gradually increase the height of the jump over a period of a few days, being sure that you do not exceed the recommended level for your particular breed. The heights for specific breeds are available through the canine association in your area.
The rule of thumb generally is that a dog should be able to jump its own height at the shoulder—this rule applies even to the larger breeds, such as the Great Dane and the Newfoundland.
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