Jump Heights - Seriously?

I made up a quick reference note for each dog this afternoon since I'm back to training multiple dogs. :yikes: :yikes: They are all over the charts depending on what venue we'd run. Now to decide if I want them jumping in the same height for everything (either moving down or up in whatever venue).

Kiba = 12" CPE/AKC/TDAA and can jump as an 8" Vet in all, 16" USDAA or 12" Performance
Tsuki = 8" CPE/AKC/TDAA, 12" USDAA or 8" Performance
Stryder = 12" CPE/TDAA, 16" AKC/USDAA or 12" Preferred/Performance
Lincoln = 12" CPE/AKC/TDAA, 16" USDAA or 12" Performance
Charlie = 16" CPE/TDAA, 20" AKC or 16" Preferred, 22" USDAA or 16" Performance

Kiba will stay in 8" if she can (she jumps better) though we're seeing how she does jumping 12" in USDAA and if that's something we'll pursue or just skip USDAA entirely for her. Tsuki will do 8" for everything. But unsure about the others. The boys are springy and could do 16" easily, Charlie I'm not so sure as we haven't done much work with anything higher than 8". What would you do?

I'd just make the decision based on what worked best for my dog. Some people swear that dogs should always jump the exact same height because otherwise it will throw them off. I come from the horse world where you vary the jump height constantly. Most of the dogs we train with jump 12"; Meg competes at 16" (Performance USDAA, regular in her rare ventures into AKC or CPE), but if we are the only 16" dog, I'll just run her at 12" to avoid changing the jumps. I never once saw an issue, but jumps have never been a concern for her.

It looks like all your dogs can jump the same height in all the venues if you choose except for Kiba (is she old enough for USDAA vet?). If you have any concerns about jumping with them, I'd just do that. Gusto's going to hit the same heights as Meg, and I'll probably do the same with him - run Performance USDAA and regular in the other venues if we choose to compete outside USDAA.

I am by no means an expert but I jump Sloan in training at 20" a lot. One reason is because she's often the only 24" dog in class and it helps move things along faster, another reason is at my work and main training facility the jump surface is relatively thin mating on a cement warehouse floor and I'd like to preserve her joints as best as possible. That said she jumped 20" in NADAC and 24" in AKC. I mix it up between 20-24" occasionally and I haven't seen a large difference. She will get sloppy when tired and knocks bars if I talk too much while she's jumping but else-wise I was told by two privates that she "has a nice jump style".

Backup is about an inch (if that) shorter than Sloan but recently I measured him and he crouches in his normal stance like a flyball border collie and measured at like 16.5 which I know is wrong. This dog hates being touched so it's no shock but ahhhhh just a gripe having to do with jump heights. LOL

My guys jump what ever the reg height is at what ever venue we do. But none have jumping issues. I too come from the horse world, where you never jump one height all the time. I am of the opinion jumping things without variation will teach a dog to not pay attention to the jump and just fling themselves over.