OK, so this is Trip working in the backyard on the bounce sets (see previous post for our difficulties). She seems to be doing fine–no knocked bars, and no hesitation that I can find. She also seems to be consistent in her takeoff/landing spots. I don’t like that she’s watching me as she comes over the jumps, but that’s something for another day–these aren’t jumping chutes to develop her jumping skills, this is essentially an “obstacle” that she might see on an agility course. As long as she does the set and keeps the bars up, I might have to turn her coming out of the set, and she should be paying attention.
Well, I’ve actually been trying to teach Trip a new skill, and it hasn’t been as easy as I thought it would be. In International competition, and for World Team tryouts, there is a sequence of 3 jumps set at a certain spacing meant to be taken in sequence while “bouncing,” or not taking any extra strides between the jumps. Essentially, a short jump chute in the middle of a course. For small dogs, the distance is 6’6″ between the jumps.
Trip has always been such a good jumper, I have really worked very little with her and jump chutes. She understand the concept of sitting next to a jump and popping over it, but taking a whole sequence of them, particularly with speed, is a new thing for her. Our first attempt did not go well. At the end of a humid training session, I remembered I wanted to try it, and while she had no problem at 10″, when I tried to raise the jumps, she became confused, and tried to avoid the set altogether.
The next try was in the backyard. I started with the jumps at 12″, but at a more comfortable distance of 8′. She initially would place an extra stride between the first two jumps, but after getting more comfortable, began to bounce them and drive forward. I compressed the set more, until we were at the 6’6″, and still having success. I worked it again today–she is always more hesitant the first set or two, until she gets comfortable, and then does fine. It is definitely work for her–I don’t think she likes to hit bars, and she’s having to think about what she needs to do to clear the bars (something she typically has no issue with).
I hope to video some of the sequences, just to get a better visual of how she’s balancing her body in the chute, and what I might need to work on there. But she’s definitely starting to “get” it, and when we head back to Lori’s on Wednesday, I want to see how she looks at the site of our initial struggles 🙂
