I have gotten a few pups to go for the Extreme flying up in the air compitition. (Vertical retrieve).
The best way I have found is to get them grabbing out of your hand at first. DO this OVER AND OVER!!! Soon they will be asking you to "Hold it up Pa so I can jump up there and get it!"
Now , Mr. BO likes doing the hand grab nearly as much as running his booty full speed back and forth chasing his Flying Monkey.
Once they get that down, then go to the ball hanging from the branch or simply hang a toy from a tree and have them jump for it(careful on the hiegth landing on hard ground). In compitition they use a certain object. But while training him it is by far best to use there favorite toy. I.E) Ball, frisbee, dead fowl, or even a Monkey!! What ever it takes to keep your pup interested. Once they are enjoying it then switch up the toy to what their using in compititions. High Praise is a definate must. When they know your happy with what they are doing it really gets em into it. Which to me is the best training tool there is.(Attitude)Besides Repitition.
Me Personally I think a Kick in the Ass is better than a shock from a collar!!
Though they to must have the confidence in themselfs to be able to jump off the dock without looking down at the water.
I truly believe that this Vertical Retrieve, Super Vertical, Extreme Vertical, Vertical spring launch, Jumping up to get a toy, Whatever it is called where we happen to be, will soon be a major head liner at all shows!!\
Just running down the dock for a long jump will soon take a back seat.
Though Big Air is indeed an awful lot of fun and pretty exciting to watch. Soon as it is figured out how to keep SV progressively rolling without holding up the show to re-attach a toy, it will be off and running!!!
Everyone that see's it wants to try it.
Now everyone reading this admit it.
You want your pup to go vertical!!
Though I honestly do understand that if you got a Long jumping dog you could mess up his distance by having him jump to vertical all the time. I have heard that with heigth comes distance, but when you go to high you will indeed decrease your distance.
With that said; Know your pup, if you feel it will hinder his big air performance, and it may take away some 20' jumps. Don't train so intensely for it.We all know what our pups like. What is truly a shocker is finding a hidden talent that we never knew existed.
For instance) I bet the person I rescued BOcephus from never in their life knew that he would be a WORLD record holder!! You didn't think he was did you!! Well he is!!!
I was even going to phone the Guiness book of world Records to have them watch as BO set the next Record for
Most Banana's eatin by a Dog !! (I nearly have him peeling his own),
Or the
Longest recorded Jump for a Monkey
Really it is mostly all in Repitition and how you praise them!!
If they do it and you let them know it made you happy, they will do it again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again
Pretty soon it is a habit@!
Sorry if I seem to have started blabbing. You see it has become a Habit!!
Here's hoping to see you all soon!!!
Bryan Miller, BOcephus, Rrrufus, Abby, and the clan, You really don't want me to list them all. this post is definately long enough!!!
One more shot and I'm off to bed.