Teaching my dog to jump...

[GlassOnion]

off the diving board?

So we're back to Leo again. This kid LOVES water. He'll go in anytime you're in the pool. He even has his own little orange boogey board that he loves to be pushed around on.

And Leo will jump off the sides into the water with no problem. But you put him on the diving board and suddenly it's a whole new ball game.

Now the board is maybe 2 feet off the water's surface. Not very high at all but Leo is very hesitant to jump off it. He's done it before, several times. But he's not consistent and that's a problem (well it is if you want him to jump off).

Now, this dog is definately not afraid of jumping, heights, or water. But you put the three together and suddenly there's a problem.

So how do I train him to jump off the board? I can't just push him in and go "Jump!". That wouldn't be right nor particularily effective I would think.

But if he doesn't follow me into the water from the board, how will he get the message? And when he does jump off I'm usually underwater so I can't say "good boy" and reward him. So there's a problem here...

Does anyone have any experience with this?

[Ger1]

It could be like a person`s first dive into water.
I remember I had to sit on the edge of a swimming pool and a friend taught me to put my arms over my head and do a "duck dive".

After that I built my confidence up gradually and dived in from a standing position.

Maybe If you could encourage your dog to go in the pool from the edge and just "drop in from the side" to start with and then gradually raise the height that he entered from, you might get him to gain confidence like that. :)

Just a thought.
All the best
Gerry www.yourpuppytraining.com

[kelbel]

I have no experience with this as I don't have a pool but now you have me trying to figure this out. Maybe you could try having him chase someone else off the board while you give the command/praise? Or sit him on the board and make him stay and then get in the water and tell him to come? Or if he chases a ball roll it down the board into the water? Good Luck with whatever you decide on. And of course post some pictures!

[Renee750il]

A lot of dogs really don't like jumping from things that don't give them firm footing. That may be the problem.

[Manchesters]

Just leave the poor dog in peace. If he doesn't want to do it why should he be made to? Dogs are entitled to their "hang ups" just like we humans are!!!!!

[RD]

I taught Shiner to jump off the diving board without much difficulty.. Get a toy or some treats and a clicker if you have one, and encourage him to climb up on the diving board. When he will do that with no hesitation, start encouraging him to walk out to the edge. (Put a really nice treat on the edge and praise him when he walks towards it.) Is he very toy-motivated? If he is, get his favorite toy out while he is at the edge of the board and cheer him on, encouraging him to jump off to get it. If you give him too much time to think it over, he'll probably get back off the board and jump from the side of the pool. Just get him excited about the toy or a treat, and throw it in the pool. Or, if he chases you into the pool, stand right next to the diving board and hop in, calling him.
My dog was sort of a natural at it, so I'm not sure if that'll work well for you but it's just a couple of ideas to try.

Like renee said, it's unusual footing.. It's not natural to be standing on a board like that, it worries a lot of dogs but they can get used to it after a while, just make it fun!

[Mordy]

i would look for a dock diving message board and talk to the folks there. :)
http://www.dockdogs.com/index.php?option=com_smf&Itemid=26

[Julie]

It probably is because of the spring of the board. I feel a little uneasy about diving boards anymore, but I love the water, but I am not as agile as I use to be.LOL.

Roll a ball off the board and see what happens.

If your dog feels uneasy don't push cause I imagine it could be an accident waiting to happen.

[GlassOnion]

Ya'll could very well be right about the spring in the board. I hadn't thought about that. He has no problem jumping from the side but he does look rather unsure of himself up on the board while it's jiggling around and what not.

[meganw94]

is any one on this thread?!*#@