How To Teach Your Dog To Jump Over A Bar

Teaching your dog to jump over a bar is one of the most important competitive agility trainings. This trick improves your dog’s obedient behavior and is one great form of exercise. It stimulates the body and mind of your dog while having fun. This activity is also applicable for non-competitive dogs.

This session is ideal if your dog has basic knowledge of the “sit,” “stay,” and “come” tricks. Learning this trick is something that your dog can manage with consistent training. You only need to be patient with your dog.

Before conducting this session, there are several factors to consider. The jump must be of appropriate height for the size of your dog. The dog must be in proper physical condition, not injured, or unwell. He must also be a good learner – and of course, not too old or too young.

Set up the jump by considering the height of your dog. Put the bar on the lowest rung for a small dog while setting the bar to one foot for a medium- or large-sized dog. Setting up the jump fairly low is important to prevent the dog from crawling under and to help him build confidence.

Put the leash on your dog and guide him over the jump. Your dog may be confused at first so you need to have them sit next to you. Give the verbal cue “hop”. If your dog fails to understand the command, gently lift him over the bar. Repeat the verbal cue “hop” until your dog grasps its meaning.

Once your dog learns to hop over the bar, toss a treat to the other side of the bar. A good jump deserves a treat and words of praise. Progress your dog’s training by raising the bar another inch and trying at a higher level.

You can now instruct your dog to do the jump without the leash on. Give him the “stay” command and walk around the opposite side of the bar. Then, clap your hands over the bar while giving the “come” command. When your dog is near the bar, say the “hop” cue.

There are few things to be aware of for this session. This activity could rupture your dog’s ligament so make sure that he does not jump too high. Again, patience is important to achieve a positive result. You can also make your dog jump for you by hitting your chest.

images – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0P35xUGioSs