19. Jumping While Carrying

Having trained your dog to CARRY and to JUMP on command, JUMPING WHILE CARRYING should create no problem. Follow these suggestions:

While your dog is learning, keep the jumps simple. Keep your dog on leash.

Hold the leash slack. A choking effect will cause your dog to drop what she is carrying. Encourage your dog by stepping over the jumps with her. Give praise while the dog is jumping.

If your dog balks at a hurdle, correct her for refusing to jump, but not while she is holding. Take away the object so she won't associate the correction with the carrying. Make the dog jump back and forth several times over the hurdle. Give the jumping command first, then snap the leash sharply, with praise. After which, lower the jump, give her the object to hold again, then coax her to leap over by patting the top of the jump or by tapping the floor on the opposite side.

Avoid running while teaching JUMPING WHILE CARRYING. Keep your dog under control by making her walk at heel both before and after she jumps.

Having learned CARRYING ON COMMAND and JUMPING, your dog is now ready for the "TAKE IT!" exercise. This means reaching to take an object from the hand.

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