Teaching Rover To Jump Rope

Teaching our dogs to perform tricks is part of the enjoyment of owning a dog. While you may think teaching your dog to jump rope may seem like something beyond your furball’s abilities, this trick is in fact not going to be very difficult for your dog to learn. Most dogs jump as a normal part of their daily routine. Maybe it is to jump on the couch, bed, or while playing with the kids or you. None of these jumping behaviors should be encouraged! But jump trick training is a more acceptable form of exercise for your pooch. Let’s look at what is involved in teaching your dog to jump rope.

The first step for begins with a pole or cane. Once you have your dog’s attention, hold the cane/pole a couple of inches off the ground in one hand, and with your other hand hold a favorite treat on the other side of the cane/pole, and give the command “jump”. The dog will step over to get his treat. Gradually increase the height of the cane until the dog is jumping over to receive his treat. Have your dog sit before giving the jump command so the rope training will be under better control as you progress to the rope trick training.

Once you have your dog jumping a height appropriate to his or her size and athletic abilities try using a hoop and your arm as you extend it. OK, now on to the rope.

You will need to secure one end of the rope to a tall pole and hold the other end in your hand. Use a tall pole so you can gradually move the rope up from a low level to as high as your dog can safely clear. With the rope only a few inches off the ground give your dog the jump command word you have used for the previous training. As the dog masters jumping over the rope slowly begin to swing the rope while he continues to learn jumping the moving rope. Once he has this down you can gradually increase the swinging until you are making a complete circle and he is jumping the rope when you give the command. Use treats at first but slowly stop the rewards because the dog will not need further incentive. He will be having too much fun to stop for a treat.

Teaching your dog to jump rope is moderate level dog training so be patient, and always give your dog plenty of praise and affection when he masters each step.

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