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Scaling-jump over a slanted wall
part [1]

We do not start with jumping practice until the dog is 1 year old and we are certain that he has good hips. We only start with the climbing jump over the fence until the dog completely controls the free jump over the 1 metre high hedge.

The height of the fence is 175 centimetres, with the IPO program this is a double leaning fence, with the KNPV program this is a single straight wall. To learn this exercise, we adjust the steepness of the leaning fence in a way that it is almost flat.

We take the dog on a short leash using the command HIGH and let him walk over this fence, meanwhile we walk with him alongside the fence. When the dog arrives on the other side of the fence we give the command STAY or SIT. We wait a while to get rid of any over-excitement and than give the command RETURN and take him back over the fence in the same way. The dog will not have any trouble in doing this, after all, this is the way we have learned him how to jump over the 1 metre hedge too. Once the dog can do this exercise from starting position at foot, without a leash, we gradually make the fence more steep until it is in the position it should be according to the rules. We have to make sure that the dog is not getting over-excited but does the exercise in a controlled manner. He should not jump, but walk onto the fence and pull himself with his front legs across. When learning this exercise do NOT USE A FETCHING BLOCK!

The dog must be aware when doing the climbing jump. Usually, this learning how to jump is not done while making the dog aware, since people think it is much more easy to send the dog with a ball or fetching block over the fence. But this way we see an uncontrolled dog running into the fence, and he is having great difficulty in getting over the fence. This method is very injury sensitive.

Picture 2, Richard and Diego climbing jump over the fence.
This is a perfectly performed climbing jump.

Only when the dog completely controls the climbing jump, we start combining this with fetching and bringing. Here again we must make sure the dog is working calmly and always take plenty of time in between the throwing of the block and the command FETCH. In this the dog must not wait for the command RETURN since this exercise should be done quickly and promptly. But, the dog already knows this from the previous exercise.

Ziggo vom Bungalow fetching and bringing over the fence

Partl 1| Part 2|

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