AG600: Fit to Jump: Fitness for Agility Dogs

When teaching key agility skills we need to have a great picture of the perfect form and movement in our heads before we begin to teach the skill. This not only allows us to break down teaching the skill into small pieces, but also place reinforcement appropriately to illicit excellent form. Understanding correct skill mechanics also allows us to select appropriate fitness exercises that may help with the agility skill.  

Tight jumping, or jump wrapping

Tight jumping, or jump wrapping is when the dog collects their striding (puts an extra step in), takes off turning, jumps closely to the wing, and turns back around the wing to go back in the direction they approached the jump in. 

Deo collecting his striding preparing to takeoff for a backside collected jump

In this skill a dog will approach the jump, and decelerate to collect their striding. This means shifting weight backwards, and putting extra striding in before takeoff. To do this they need a large amount of core strength, and proprioception (awareness of thief feet and body position in space). 

When turning over a jump the dog will have their outside front leg as the lead leg, and will switch to the other leg on landing. Like the deceleration and collection prior to takeoff, this requires a large amount of proprioception. To get this striding right they need to be confident and fluid with controlling their foot placement, changing striding, and changing lead leg. 

In the takeoff phase they are powering with rear leg extension, but the pelvis is twisted in the transverse plane and one leg is powering this takeoff more than the other. 

As the dog is in the air going over the rail they are curving their body engaging the core particularly in the dorsal and transverse aspects. This takes a huge amount of strength to maintain this position and continue to turn around the jump. 

As they land the other front leg has switched to be leading and is taking the majority of the landing force. The dog collected their striding again, while continuing their wrap around the wing, and then powering primarily from the rear end forwards accelerating out of the jump. 

Examples of fitness that will help this skill: 

Demonstration of how to teach the skill. Can you see the links to the fitness exercises?

See saw (teeter)

Rapid on the See Saw. Photo from Jess Tansey, taken by Brya Ingram

The see saw is a complex skill, both in terms of teaching understanding, and also in the body movements and strength required. 

In this skill dogs must decelerate and straighten their body to take entry to the obstacle. This requires a head lift and subsequent weight shift backwards, and usually some turning movements activating the core and in particular moving in the dorsal plane. 

Dog’s often will step onto the see saw with their dominant leg leading, and then power with the rear end forwards, shifting weight forwards to accelerate and power up the plank. This requires continued core strength, and power from the rear end. 

As they move over the tipping point towards the end of the see saw they need to again weight shift backwards to decelerate and wait for the seesaw to tip and contact the ground. In the video Evo shifts weight so far backwards he is almost lying down. 

Then to exit the see saw the dog must again power forwards from the rear end holding the core string to accelerate forwards. 

Examples of fitness that will help this skill: 

Demonstration of how to teach the skill. Can you see the links to the fitness exercises?