Puppy training > Tire Jump Foundation Training for your Dog

Tire Jump Foundation Training for your Dog

by: Brad Carlson

The Tire Jump seems like a relatively easy agility obstacle, at least from a persons perspective, but in the Novice Agility ring you see many dogs that refuse to go through it, many go under it, while others choose to go around it.
How can you prepare your beginning agility for success with the Tire Jump?

Let's go back to foundation training. When introducing any new obstacle, you want to keep the difficulty low and emphasize the fun and ease that it can be for your dog.
If your dog has a sit stay, leave him about 2 feet in front of the tire, facing it, walk to the other side and call your dog, "Come Tire".
If he won't budge, put your hand with his treat or toy through the tire to coax him to follow your hand and jump through the tire.
Practice this several times until he willing is coming to you.
Keep him about 2 feet from the tire, you go to the other side and then move back about 6 feet, "Come Tire.
When your dog is able to jump through the tire when you are at different distances and angles from the tire, then it is time to move him further away from the tire.
Start him back 6 feet, you go to the other side about 6 feet away and call, "Come Tire".
Place your dog at different distances and angles from the tire and call him to you.
When your dog can succeed 80% of the time, its time to progress to make the challenge a bit harder.

Now that your dog is coming to you, it is time to teach "Go Tire".
Start close to the tire again, 3 feet away, this time both you and your dog are facing the tire. Tell him "Go Tire".
If he jumps through, great, step to the side and reward him.
If you don't get any movement from the dog, step forward and point to the tire, "Go Jump".
For some dogs this motion on your part is enough to get them up and going through the tire.
If your dog still won't move, take your treat container or toy and throw through the tire, saying, "Go Tire".
Repeat this many times until your dog will successfully go through the tire without you having to step toward the tire or throw his toy through the tire. If you are using a toy quickly try to get your dog to go through the tire then reward with a throw of the toy or treat container.
Begin to back away from the tire, 3 feet, 6 feet, 9 feet work toward sending your dog from 30 feet away.

If you've started with a very young dog you should still have the tire height set low 8" or 12" for a good bit of your training.
If your dog is older and large, now begin to move the tire height up.
Go back and practice you "Come Tire" and "Go Tire" when you change the heights.
As you raise the height your dog may try to go under the tire.
At first you may want to setup some wire mesh or angled jump bars under the tire for your dog to realize he still needs to go through and not under the tire.
When you are getting ready for competition, raise the tire slightly higher than your dog would have in the agility ring.
Preparation and practice are the best training tips for succeeding in the competition ring.

About The Author

Brad Carlson is a dog trainer at Agility by Carlson.
For more training details, visit our website at http://www.carlson-agility.com/.

Training Your German Shepherd Dog

Training Your German Shepherd Dog

by: Jayne Shenstone

The German Shepherd Dog truly is a wonderful animal and not only do they make good working dogs, they also make superb family pets. They are however very different from other pet breeds and need to be handled and trained with a different approach to say your average labrador or poodle for instance.

The German Shepherd Dog is a large, strong athletic dog, which needs a lot of mental stimulation and exercise but a well trained shepherd can learn to do almost anything. These dogs positively thrive on challenging activities and they are so willing to serve their master and please. As a working dog used by most police forces, the very look of a GSD is usually enough to act as a deterrent but when called into action there are few dogs that can match the German Shepherd as an all rounder.

If you are considering becoming an owner of a GSD then you need to consider the commitment to training...

Training Your German Shepherd Dog

Puppy training > Training Your German Shepherd Dog

We All Love A Well Behaved Dog

We All Love A Well Behaved Dog

by: Mark McAuley

All of us remember our first puppy when we were kids. Bringing them home as they are

crawling all over your lap. Licking your face with their cute little pink tongues. Of course

what we remember as kids with our first dog is a lot different from what our parents remember about that time. As a lot of us have found out since we grew up and brought a puppy home for our family.

We soon realize there is much work that goes along with the cute little guy. It?s not long

before he is chewing everything in site. You find yourself moving everything in your house as if you had a toddler around.
Then there is the house training, lots of fun there.

With some dogs it could take weeks before your dog has mastered going to the door.

Which is why some people give up and just spend their time cleaning up after him.

But thankfully here are some great products out there to aid in house...

We All Love A Well Behaved Dog

Puppy training > We All Love A Well Behaved Dog

The Havanese Puppy ? Where Did It All Start? Part 1

by: Fiona Kelly

The Havanese puppy is a loveable dog that unknown to many is a member of the Bichon breed family.
What does Bichon mean?
?Bichon? is a French word that means ?fleecy dog?.
The Bichon breed is often related to the Barbet.
The Barbet is the French name for a poodle like water spaniel that is thought to be an ancient ancestor of the current day Bichon breed varieties.

Of course there are several different types of Bichon dogs that include:
the Maltese, Bichon Frise, Bichon Bolognese, Lowchen, Coton de Tulear, and the Havanese.
These Bichon breed varieties have various geographic origins.

Most of these breeds were around in ancient Greece.
When the Spanish Empire swept across the world in the 1500?s, so did the Bichon breeds as well.
The Bichon breeds were known to be perfect companions for long...

The Havanese Puppy ? Where Did It All Start? Part 1

Puppy training > The Havanese Puppy ? Where Did It All Start? Part 1