Jump at the chance

Some dogs are keener to jump than others but a cautious approach may well be the best and safest option, suggests David Tomlinson

ONE OF THE MOST impressive sights in the shooting field is seeing a labrador — or any other sort of dog for that matter — jump a five-barred gate with a cock pheasant in its mouth. Clearing a 5ft-high gate is impressive, especially for a dog carrying a 3lb pheasant. It’s a spectacle to stand back and admire, though whether you should train your own dog to do the same is debatable.

Most dogs can jump, though some are much better at it than others, while many have to be encouraged. The general recommendation is not to let dogs jump at all in their first 12 months, as landing can be jarring and can lead to serious long-term injuries. Once they are old enough, start with low obstacles no more than 2ft high.

Most young dogs will run up and down a fence looking for a way through, so it’s easiest to teach jumping in a fenced training alley where there’s no alternative route. Dogs are generally inclined to pick up bad habits from their companions, rather than learn good ones but, when it comes to jumping, an older, more experienced dog can be invaluable in giving a youngster a lead.

It’s the same principle as in the hunting field, where a young or nervous horse will be happy to follow another over a jump, but without a lead may refuse to move.

Once the trainee gundog is happy clearing small jumps, it’s generally easy to introduce it to higher obstacles, gradually building up its confidence. It can then be asked to jump with a retrieve in its mouth but don’t forget that a heavy dummy will unbalance a jumping dog, so it’s best to start with lightweights. Most trainers like to encourage their dogs with the command of ‘over’, or something similar, but eventually a well-trained dog will jump if it has to, without any verbal command.

I’ve always encouraged my springers to jump and they have all been proficient at it, though they have tended to bank high fences, rather than jump them cleanly like the best labradors. Whether you need to train

“If you have ever seen a dog caught up in barbed wire then you will think twice before sending your dog over it”

your dogs to jump depends on two factors: where you are going to work them, and whether you are going to compete with them in trials or tests. Competition dogs have to be able to jump — it’s a rare trial or test where a dog’s jumping ability isn’t examined.

Most picking-up dogs need to jump, too, as a typical day’s work is likely to include obstacles that need