OB425: From TEAM to Trials: Building Chains for the Open Ring

ROH- All the angles!

This is part 1 of a 2 part lecture on the retrieve over the high (ROH) exercise.

Description 

In the Open level, there is a retrieve over the high jump where the dog will go over the jump to get the thrown dumbbell and then must come back over the jump to deliver it to the handler.  The difficulty typically comes in when the dumbbell (db) isn’t thrown straight and the fastest path to the dumbbell or back to the handler would be going around the jump instead of taking it! 

The typical formal exercise looks like this: 

The handler can stand 8ft+ back away from the jump.  The judge will order the handler to throw their db, and the handler can then verbal+signal their dog to stay before they toss the db over the jump.  The db must land a minimum of 8ft past the jump.  As long as it is still in the ring, the judge will not order a rethrow if it lands crooked.  If it doesn’t go far enough, the judge will pickup the db and bring it back to the handler to try again (and the handler can briefly release the dog if needed during that time.)  With a good throw, the judge will order the handler to send their dog, upon which the handler will use a single verbal OR signal to cue the retrieve and must then remain silent with arms at their side until the dog returns with the db and fronts. The handler will wait until the judge cues the handler to take the db, and then orders the finish.  

In these example videos with Zumi I swing my arm holding the db before the judge asks me if I’m ready because it was very hard for her to wait and this helped remind her to stay still! 

 

 

The goal of this lecture is to teach the dog that taking the jump in both directions is important, no matter what angle they are starting from.

TEAM Skills Needed: 

1. Jumping: Dog should send to the jump from a stay with the handler on the take off side of the jump, not moving. 
2. Cone send and/or target send: This will be used in place of a retrieve item so you don’t have to focus on their retrieve skills.  If you have started the TEAM 3.7 exercise (the target-jump-cone send and back over the jump), you have a huge jump start on this skill! 
3. Retrieve to front (Although this skill will not be talked about in this lecture!) 

Jump to Cone/Target 

My favorite way to teach the skill of taking the jump in both directions is to use an item to send the dog out to.  This can be a cone, a foot target/platform, or it can even be their zen bowl or food robot.  This splits out the skill of learning to take the jump from the act of retrieving.  I will use “target” in this lecture to refer to the object, but use whatever works best for your dog! 

Stage 1: Jump to chosen target

Start with a jump and place a "target" (cone, foot target, or zen bowl!) roughly 3-6ft past the jump. Use a low jump height as your focus is on sending on to the target, not the difficulty of the jump. The higher the jump is, the more distance you would need to place the target so that the dog doesn’t have to worry about landing on the target as they take the jump, or crashing into the jump on their return! 

If you’re using an item like a foot target or a cone, you will want to stand past the jump, off to the side, at first before gradually moving yourself back towards the take off side of the jump.  This will help prevent your dog from wrapping the jump standard.   

You can start your dog either in a stay (on a target is fine!) or with a cookie toss behind them. 

Here is Vito working on adding in the cone after the jump. Note on the first one he is actually correct in coming to me as I don't give him any additional cues! Sorry Vito for not realizing that! On the next two reps I use his "out" cue before he takes the jump and also help him with taking a step towards the cone. 

 

 

This might be easier to use a food robot or their zen bowl as the dog should find it easier to move past you and continue on towards their reward.   

Once they eat their cookie, send them back over the jump with another cookie toss behind you. 

Jump to Target- (move back to landing side)

When your dog is starting to easily send to the target, move your position back to being on the take off side of the jump and towards the dog’s start position.  

Here is Zumi working on this as I start even at the jump and start to move further back but still off to the side.  This position also allows me to toss the reward so the dog takes the jump on the way back in order to get it! 

 

 

Here is Ginny's first lesson with me working on moving back.  At first I use my obvious treat hand to help her wrap the cone tight enough to take the jump. Since the cone is pretty close to the jump at this point she doesn't have to be that wide to miss it!

 

 

Work on increasing the distance of the cone/food bowl to roughly 6+ft past the jump.  The closer you have the target, the lower the jump needs to be in order to not make the jump a physically difficult skill. While I generally practice this with a low jump regardless, I have it extra low if the cone is close!

If you’re using a food bowl, this should be easy to progress back to the dog’s starting point.  As the dog eats their cookie, cue them to come back to you for a hand touch and then reward them again. 

Stage 2: Around the Clock 

At this stage you are going to start challenging your dog’s ability to take the jump in both directions.  Previously the target has been placed at 12:00/straight on and the dog should have been consistently taking the jump in both directions. 

Now you can start moving the target to the left and to the right of that center line. Think of a clock with your start position at 6:00, the jump in the middle of the clock, and your target will be slowly moved from 12:00 to 12:30, 1:00, 1:30, etc all the way until you reach roughly 2:30/almost even with the jump itself.  Repeat this the other direction too, going backwards from 11:30 all the way to 9:30! 

The target should be placed several feet away from the jump still, at least 6ft or more. If I have the space I like to do around 10-15ft away from the jump! 

Keep in mind your dog’s natural turning direction!  If they turn to their right/clockwise then the easier angles will be 9:30-noon as their turn won’t take them further away from the jump!  When the angle gets further to the right just a little, their right turn has the potential to exaggerate it even more unless it’s a very tight turn.   

 

If you are using a food robot/zen bowl, cue the dog to come back over the jump after they eat their cookie, and then reward that return over the jump!   

Here Grace shows this with a cone.  I have the jump very low here. Part of that is because I’m on concrete, but it really doesn’t matter that the jump is low as the focus is on finding the jump, not the height! The low jump also allows the cone to be closer to the jump which makes the send to the cone portion easier. 

 

 

And Loot works this with a cone as well and a very low jump since the cone is still at 6ft.  He carries a toy in his mouth as it prevents him from overthinking so much!  By the end of the video is the cone is at a pretty big angle off camera and I use a small hand signal to help him.  I dont' want to make it any harder until I don't feel I need that signal

 

 

If they are doing a cone send, you shouldn’t need to give any additional cue for the return to you, but it’s ok if you choose to do so! 

And here Grace is doing it with a food robot! She struggles a bit with the return over the jump so I use some hand signals (my directed jumping signals!) and at one point I even have her wait in a sit by her robot so I can practice just that portion.

 

 

For most dogs, coming back over the jump will be the harder part.  If you find that your dog easily takes the jump to go to the target, but needs help from you to get the return, progress slowly!  You can also start each rep by walking your dog out to a setup spot (use a platform!) to have them wait while you return to your spot by the jump.   

Here Grace shows starting from a platform. Without the added speed and disconnect during a turn around a cone or eating from a target, it’s a lot easier to get her start angle way off to the side! 

 

 

Keep progressing to severe angles!!  I don't do quite 3:00 and 9:00, but do work until at least 2:00 and 10:00 or even slightly harder!

Ginny shows a great example of a severe angle in her last rep here:

 

 

Overview

1. Work on jump to "target"- start on the landing side and move back to the starting side over several sessions if needed.  Target can be a platform, a cone, or a zen bowl/food robot.  

• Once you're on the landing side, call the dog to come back to you for a hand touch after they take the jump and are at the "target"

2, Around the clock- gradually move the target of your choice from 12:00 (straight ahead) to different angles. Goal is to hit every angle from 9:30ish to 2:30ish!!  Work both sides!