How to Train Your Dog to Jump Over Obstacles
Introduction
He charges around the house causing trouble almost every day. The kids love playing with him and your partner goes all cute and soft around him, too. Your dog is full of energy though, and you want to put it to good use. While you love having him wreaking havoc, you think there’s a safer way to channel his energy. Not to mention, you’re always on the look out for a neat party trick. Training him to jump over obstacles is one such behavior that’s guaranteed to put a smile on guests' faces. You could even have him leaping around a carefully laid out obstacle course in the yard.
The benefits to this include, but are not limited to, not having to worry about things getting broken in the house anymore. Plus, both your kids and dog will be left knackered by the end of the day. That means napping instead of charging around the kitchen while you try and cook.
Defining Tasks
Training your dog to jump over obstacles isn’t as challenging as you might think. The biggest hurdle comes in finding the right incentive. If he’s like most dogs, the best motivator will be a smelly bit of food. Cheese is often a good choice. You’ll then need to gradually build up his jumping confidence. This can all be done with consistent practice. You will need to make sure training takes place in a safe environment, though. You want to avoid any injuries.
If he’s a puppy he should be raring to go and keen to please. This means you could see results in just a few days. If he’s older and his acrobatic days are behind him then you may need a couple of weeks before you see consistent results. Succeed and if you have steps, ledges or anything else around your home, he’ll be able to get around easily.
Getting Started
Before you start you’ll need to gather a few things. The first thing you’ll need are the obstacles for him to jump over. A stick is often a good place to start. For one of the methods you can either buy a mini obstacle course online, or you can build one in your yard.
You’ll need to stock up on a generous supply of treats. A toy will also be needed for one of the methods. Set aside 10 minutes each day for training. You can practice in the yard, or in a large room, away from anything that might get broken.
Once you have all that, just bring a positive attitude and training can begin!
The Obstacle Course Method
The Toy Lure Method
The Start Small Method
Success Stories and Training Questions
Training Questions and Answers
Clint eastwood
My dog barks at everything and he is so big people get scared of him what should I do?
149 Dog owners recommended
Hello Jazmine, To start, teach Clint Eastwood the "Quiet" command. To teach that, check out the article that I have linked bellow and follow the "Speak and Quiet" method or "Using Cues" method. https://wagwalking.com/training/stop-barking-on-command Once he knows the Quiet command, then tell him to be quiet whenever he starts to bark. At first, practice it around less distracting things that are easier for him calm down around. As he improves, then move onto more distracting, harder things. While you are working on the "Quiet" command, if he will not settle down, then tell him to "Heel" and quickly walk around with him while he is right in the heel position. Quickly change your speed often and makes lots of turns at ninety degree angles, so that he has to really pay attention to you to keep up with you. Don't worry about the leash catching him. If he pays attention, he will be able to prevent the leash tugs. Your attitude should be, "You are moving and he better keep up". Once his focus is back on you and he is quiet again, then you can go back to practicing the "Quiet" command with him. He likely needs socialization. He is also probably insecure and needs to learn to respect and trust you more. Doing regular obedience, being consistent, and insisting that he does something when you tell him to will help him to respect you more and depend on you more. Practicing "Quiet" around the things that he is afraid of should also help with the socialization since he will be receiving treats when he is around something that he finds scary. I would also recommend hiring a trainer in your area to further help with the socialization around people. Preferably someone who has a lot of experience dealing with reactivity and fear-aggression, since the root cause of those is similar to the root cause of his problem. Best of luck training, Caitlin Crittenden
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