Q&A for How to Teach Your Dog to Jump

Place the hurdle on the ground to start. Ask your dog to walk over the hurdle and reward the dog when they do so. Slowly increase the hight of the hurdle and continue to reward the dog as they keep going over the hurdle.

Have your dog sit on one side of the hoop, then with a high value reward coax your dog to place one paw through the hoop, reward if they do, and then both paws, reward, and finally when the dog steps through the hoop give an additional reward. You can build up from here starting to raise the hoop off the ground as your dog becomes more comfortable with it.

Puppies can jump but they shouldn't. Their cartilage is still growing and forming and not yet hardened into bone. Do not let puppies jump or fall off of chairs, couches, or stairs as they can break a bone.

Understand that some dogs will never be great with catching. Start with a toy that is soft and easy to catch. From there start by slowly tossing it to your dog and rewarding them if they catch it. If not give it a couple of tries and then take a break and try again.