Agility Help...jumping

[Oliver21508]

Hiya

Ollie jumps well but he sticks really close to me that I usually crash into the wing with him. How can I direct him ahead to make him jump away from me and run ahead? I do say "Over" a little way out, which does help, but we still crash into the wings. We were told to have food in our driving hand, which is why I think he has to stick by my side, but I've stopped doing that now to try and prevent this, but it still continues. Anyway to stop this?

[Rosie]

Does Oliver like to chase a ball or play with a particular toy at all.  The easiest way to teach a go on is to set up Ollie just in front of a jump take a couple of steps forward then as you say over throw the ball over the jump - does this a few times and then add in another jump etc.  This should make him look forward and not at you.

There are also exercises you can do by setting up a curved tunnel and a line of 2-3 jumps to each entrance - start by one jump away encourage over and looking into the tunnel - most dogs enjoy the tunnel so encourages a forward drive and a look ahead - first few times as they leave the tunnel throw the toy and then start adding jumps in - thorwing the toy ahead of you.

If Ollie works for food and is not that toy orientated then you can do exercise no1 by placing a pot of food after the jump etc but it is more useful if you have someone there to help to prvent him from self rewarding with food if he goes under/round the jump - you want th reward - toy/food to be directly as a result of doing what you want.  It is very simple Ollie goes ahead and does one jump / tunnel gets reward - to him simple and then start to add extra jumps etc.

Using food is fine and I have done with all of mine but you need to be sure you do enough training away from you to ensure that Ollie does not associate the reward in your hand all the time.

Ollie may also be at the stage where you have food but do not carry and do 2-3 obstacles then take treat from pot / bag and reward so the treat comes and arrives in unexpcted ways.

HTH

[Oliver21508]

Thanks Rosie. That's great advice. He does chase after tennis balls, so will try that first. I'll also try keeping the treats in a bag and rewarding at the end.