CLASS COMPLETE DESCRIPTION
In order for a dog to complete a course of all 20+ obstacles, he needs to be properly trained.
Jumping is a very difficult mechanical skill. When you consider how many bones and muscles in a dog’s body must activate precisely at the exact moment for a dog to jump, you realize jumping is far more complex than it seems at first sight. Small details are important and they need to be paid a lot of attention. We must give our dog an opportunity to learn how to jump and prepare their body and muscles for the jumping challenges. With the right exercises we can develop good muscle memory on how to properly jump and how to quickly find solutions in different situations.
JUMPING GYMNASTICS is a specific training in which we set up the order of jumps. With it we help a dog to develop better psycho-physical skills. It helps dogs to develop faster footwork, get better flexibility and strength in their neck, shoulder and back area. They also learn to see distances, which is the basic information for when they need to adjust their stride in order to take off from the right spot. Jumping gymnastics teaches dogs muscle memory, that helps them jump the right way.
Jumping gymnastics gives you a chance to listen to what your dog is telling you:
• which parts of jumping are easy for him,
• which parts of jumping they struggle with.
Your job is to recognize their strong and weak areas and help them learn and understand how to use their body in jumping at full speed. Each dog is different and has to be considered individually. Every dog has the potential to become a successful jumper. Running the course requires from a dog to shift weight, collect, extend, bend over the jump, turn tight, stop. The dog must learn to combine these skills to successfully perform every jump.
You should never stop striving for improvement. Only with repetitions and proper training we can achieve the perfect jumping skills. Never forget that everything takes time and practice.
EXERCISES
We have to approach the process of teaching the jumping style with different exercises to cover all the aspects of jumping. We have exercises for:
• Finding the take-off spot.
• Power of take-off.
• Reading the distances.
• Correct technique: a jump.
• How to shift weight.
• How to bend/turn the body in the air.
During every exercise of jumping gymnastic the dog has to be fully concentrated and has to think a lot. Additional to this, while performing all those exercises, muscles that weren’t used before, become engaged now.
We always have to start with the basics. We have to build foundations and we have to keep in mind that our dogs need to build the right muscles for those specific exercises. That’s why it is extremely important to not overdo the exercises. The number of training and repetitions depends on the dog (age, fitness level, conditioning…), but it should never exceed 5 repetitions in a session (2 sessions, each of 5 repetitions).
EQUIPMENT
During the class, you will need:
• 4 stride regulators,
• 4 jumps (you will need 6 from 3rd lesson on).
Your dog will learn how to:
• balance themselves,
• read the distance between obstacles,
• approach to the jump and take off from the right spot,
• transfer weight to the back,
• control their body in full speed.