Jump heights

Can someone tell me about jump heights for AKC trials? I know that my dogs would normally have to jump 24" (they are over 22" in height). But we could enter a Preferred class where they could jump 20". I thought that we could go down yet another notch because they are "old" (over 7 years) so that we could jump at 16". Am I wrong? We have just never jumped them very high because we didn't even start agility until they were 5 years of age and I hated to make them jump too high. We can do 16" pretty easily, although we usually practice at 12", but I am not very comfortable taking them up to 20".

Ann

Gosh, I'm not sure about going down to 16. I'm running Viggo only in preferred--I have no interest in asking him to jump higher (although I know he can because we train at 24 sometimes, but only compete at 20).

Well, we are wimps, I know. As I said, if we had started when they were younger, I would go with higher jumps, but I just can't justify pushing them at this point in their lives. We are all just having a blast and none of us really even care about trials. Except ... the few "fun days" we have entered, the girls really enjoyed, so I think they might enjoy a trial or two.

I think NADAC (?) has the "double down" rule, so I think we can go to 16" there, maybe we will just look for those trials.

In AKC trials you would have to jump 20". Preferred only goes down 4 inches from what they normally would jump which would be 24" with the height of your dogs. NADAC you can jump them at 16 inches if they fall in the veteran category. I think 7 is the veteran age, but not positive. And, if you do like I did with my 10 year old golden, I ran him in skilled which puts the jumps down another 4 inches. He ran his last leg on his title at 12 inches. Even at 10, he more or less just stepped over them. Website for NADAC is www.NADAC.com. If you had them measured more than a few years ago, have it done again. My other golden shrank from 24" to 22 1/2", still too tall for 20", but if you can get under, I think, 22 inches, you can jump 20 in regular which would put you into the 16" for preferred in AKC. Just a thought.

Jill Gibbs

_________________
Jill Gibbs

U-CD Timberline Sweetgrass Cedar CDX RN NA NAJ NAP NJP NAC-V
Am/Can Ch Applegarth Knight of Fire CDX RA NA OAJ Can. CD NAC
Marquis Ladyhawke

You know, you bring up a good point, Jill - what their height actually is! I am basing it on our own at-home measurement, which may or may not be accurate. Chinook was 23 1/2 and I know Zephyr is taller. I need to get them measured officially. Or at least by someone who really knows what they are doing. I'll ask my instructor.

OK, what you are saying about NADAC is what I meant by "doubling down", you can actually go down two heights if they are older and if you go into the skilled group. I thought you could double down in AKC as well, but obviously I was wrong (not surprising!).

Thank you for the guidance.

I can see continuing with agility till they are quite old, they just love it so much so yes, at some point we would have the jumps down so far they would almost walk over them. But they don't care! They would still have a blast.

I just started Buzz (our huge mutt) and he is just doing 8 inch jumps. His legs are longer than Chinook is tall, but he STILL knocks the bars off! He is just careless.

Ann

You know I totally understand jumping lower jumps, but one thing I found with Rookie is if I put the bars at 12, and sometimes 16 he doesn't even make the effort to jump so he knocks bars...just something to consider with Buzz Smile

_________________
Shawna
owned by flatcoat;
CH Wind Dancer's All Star's and Stripes "Rookie"
and shelties;
Amberlyn Prime Tyme Country NAJ "George"
Bach Sweet Kalico Dancer OA NAJ "Kali"
visit us at: www.flickr.com/photos/spiritkennels

Ah, well that's interesting. Could be. Buzz and I had our last beginner class tonight and will start intermediate next week. They keep the jumps very low for everyone throughout beginner, but will start raising them in intermediate, so we'll see how he does as the jumps go up.

Ha! I think you are right about the low jump heights! Last night was our first intermediate level class, so they started raising a few of the jumps. Buzz was much better on 16" jumps than he is on 12". In fact, he only knocked one bar all night and it was a 12" bar. I notice that he "steps" over the 12" - one foot at a time, while the 16" he actually jumps - pushes off with the hind legs and all. Interesting.

Yep, that's at least what I've noticed, they are almost lazy about the lower heights, because they really don't have to put much effort into it. Infact I'm pretty sure Rookie thought I was crazy when I had them at 8/12" He really got into it, like hey this is fun when he could start jumping.

On a side note. When we did a NADAC trial recently Rookie went over the rubberized equipment like a champ (my shelties thought it was weird at first). Except that is on the last run of the A-frame (first time running it the opposite way), he got to the top and jumped off like I have never seen him do, my face had to of been priceless. Another handler that saw it asked me if I have dock dived with him...she said it looked like he thought it was a dock dive. Oh the things that go through our flat-coats heads. I couldn't help but shake my head and laugh...he did it beautiful when I took him back to go over it again.

And Ann, Hopefully he will be entertaining in a clean run sort of way when we meet you this weekend!

Shawna

_________________
Shawna
owned by flatcoat;
CH Wind Dancer's All Star's and Stripes "Rookie"
and shelties;
Amberlyn Prime Tyme Country NAJ "George"
Bach Sweet Kalico Dancer OA NAJ "Kali"
visit us at: www.flickr.com/photos/spiritkennels

Zephyr jumped off an A-frame at a fun day competition once too. I think she was just so excited that she wanted to get on with the show!

About jumps - Buzz is now in intermediate and our instructor has us doing an exercise to make him jump. He is so tall that even on 16" and to some extent 20" jumps he doesn't have to make a big effort. But when he doesn't try, he knocks bars. So she has us actually teaching jumps. You know, with the girls it was just - here, go over that, and they did and they jumped. Buzz is running a fairly flat line with a little bump in it. Does this make sense?

Anyway, to teach the jumps she has me put Buzz in a sit directly in front of a pretty high jump - 20". Close enough that he cannot run at it, but far enough away that he can lift his front legs up and over without hitting the bar. So about a foot away. Then I tell him "over". He really has to go UP to get over and he has to learn that whole jump motion that so far he hadn't been using. If he knocks the bar, no treat. If he goes over, BIG PARTY! I think it's working, he is really starting to understand that he is not just going a straight line, that there is a specific movement he is supposed to do.

I guess that has really been his problem. He hasn't understood that there is a specific physical motion associated with jumps.