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This Month's Free Training Lesson:
Training the Triple Jump
"Dear Professor K. Nyne,
Q. I've been working with bar jumps, but there was a spread jump at a recent trial and my dog blew it. She looked so surprised when she crashed into the last bar! How can I train my dog for triple jumps? I don't want to lose more points..."
- Tripping on Triples in Indiana
The Professor's Answer: 
This is a common problem! Go take a look at a spread jump from a dogs' point of view and you'll see why! It can look like a single high bar, and that's what your dog jumps and expects, not three bars! How can you help your dog learn that it's not a single bar and to jump successfully?
Change the look  In practice, hang something on the back bar like a towel or dark blanket. This allows dogs to see the depth as well as the height of the jump. Once your dog gets the concept, it'll remember the practice. Does he understand? Does your dog really understand jumping? If you're not sure, go back to the very basics of bar jumping. Make sure he understands varying heights and if you tell him 'jump' he should find the jump and take it! Give it a command This is especially good for dogs that already have vision issues. A verbal cue like 'big jump' or 'go long!' is helpful. Set up your jump with the back bar at your dogs' jump height, and the front bar only a few inches from the ground. Recall your dog over the jump and give a jackpot reward for clearing the jump. Build value for it like it's the most important thing ever. Lower the jump The second rule in agility (after 'have fun!') is start low, go slow. If your dog is tripping, go down a few notches in practice and work your way back up. Make certain your dog understands what you want him to do before you go nuts doing it. Since the triple jump is also a deep jump, try adjusting the depth to make it easier. Set up for success 
Cavaletti aren't just for conditioning! You can use them to relegate strides before a jump, and if your dogs' take-off point is what trips the jump, then cavaletti can be useful in teaching your dog the correct place from which to jump to clear the triple. If you'd rather not use cavaletti, setting up your course to dictate the take-off point. Remember to repeat Like all 'specialty' jumps that we don't see much outside of competition, it's important to practice this jump at every opportunity. If you don't own a triple jump, some people have success setting three adjustable jumps up right on top of each other. Perfect practice makes for perfect competition! Triple jumps are a challenge at all levels of competition, but with time and patience, they're a challenge you can overcome and soar over. Have fun with them and your dog will have fun too!
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