Large Dog Jump Training Tip

If you have a large dog that jumps over 24″, here is a tip that will help teach your dog to jump at more of an “arc”.  You need a plastic barrel with both ends cut off (which you of course need for an official Closed Tunnel obstacle) and a standard bar jump.   Take your top jump bar and slip it through the barrel.   Your dog will then jump over the width of the barrel, but between the standards of the jump.  To the dog, it will look like a flat panel jump or wall, but he of course will have to leap and land at more of an “arc” shape, than a simple hop-over.  This is particularly useful for large dogs that sloppily “hop” over jumps without a strong intention for clearing them.  A good take-off and landing is important to avoid disqualifications and keep you in the game.

Note: The picture above is not an accurate illustration of this idea, as it doesn’t show a plastic barrel with the ends cut off and and slipped through a jump.  It is just a stock photo we currently have to simply show the longer stretch you get from a dog jumping a barrel.  I don’t recommend metal barrels that rust, and also, it is important that your dog be a high jumper that is in optimum shape for this exercise).