First Jumps (or "Snipe Flies!")

Team Menapode hit the docks today - a new record for earliest practice of the year! Last year it was February before we were able to get out and do some jumping. The water was a chilly 48* but air temp was over 60*, so the dogs didn't seem to mind!

Light was short, so I spent most of my time working with Snipe to get her more comfortable with jumping into the water from the dock surface.  In general, I have fairly confident dogs, so I've been able to use the handle of their life vests to lift them off the dock and lower them into the water to show the dog there's nothing to fear, despite the big drop.  I've done this with Aeri, and now with Snipe, and both girls were happy to run back up on the dock for another round, despite their initial uncertainty about being lifted.  Both Aeri and Snipe began jumping on their own after only a handful of assisted jumps, so I'd call it a successful technique for my crew.



Know your dog before attempting this method: if you see your dog panicking when lifted, they try to leave the dock area after your attempt at assisted jumping, they don't start to offer jumping on their own after a few assisted jumps, or they are too large to lower slowly, please use another technique! Trying to skip steps or force the issue will only frighten your dog and make them dislike jumping even more, which doesn't help you at ALL!

Less confident dogs will likely find lowering too scary at first, so a gradual approach will work best.  With Kestrel being a bit larger than either girl was at their dock introduction, I also found the gradual approach the best for him.

For Kes, once he was retrieving toys throw into a lake or river from the bank, I found low docks, just 4" above the water surface, to start working with him on.  I began by gradually tossing the toy further and further out as he started jumping off of this low platform. Once he showed no hesitation at a 4" jump, I found a slightly taller dock with the water about 10" below the dock surface and repeated the close toy tosses, followed by longer ones, until he again showed no hesitancy at jumping.

Our next step was full height - this is a big jump (no pun intended) for some dogs, but we worked with what we had available. By the time we got to a dock with water about 18-24" below the dock surface, Kestrel was a confident jumper in general and used to the process, so the steps for introducing him to this change flew by and he never looked back!

Don't worry too much if your dog takes to it slowly - use lots of praise, take advantage of toy drive, and keep sessions short to avoid frustration and you'll have a flying dog of your own soon enough!