I am not quite sure what you mean by "jumping shows". At Agility shows there are two types of competitions - Agility classes (where the dogs have do go over the A Frame, Dog Walk and See Saw as well as jumps, tunnels, weaves etc) and Jumping classes (where the dog does all the equipment mentioned before, apart from the A Frame, Dog Walk and See Saw). Is that what you had in mind? If so can I suggest that you look at the excellent web site - www.agilitynet.com

Another type of jumping sport for dogs is Flyball, where the dogs run over hurdles and collect a tennis ball from a box and then run back again over the hurdles. If this interests you look at www.flyball.org.uk for more information.

I have heard of jumping competitions in America where dogs compete over very long or very high jumps. This is TV entertainment and the dogs land on very soft deep padding so that they do not injure themselves as they land. I am unable to find the web site for this sport but I do remember it being mentioned on the Agility Forum - Perhaps you could write to this Forum and ask the dog owners there. I am sure they would be able to help you.

Jumping classes almost always have weaves in them. To train a dog to run ahead of you and change direction, turning left and right, takes many many months. It is not just a case of running with your dog.

Dogs run and think far quicker than humans do so we need to train them to look for obstacles and do them without having to wait for us. Remember, animals will choose to go around obstacles rather than over them as it takes less effort. They only jump obstacles if there is no other QUICKER way of getting to something they want on the other side.

May I make a suggestion? I think it may be beneficial for you to go to an agility show run by East Midlands Dog Agility. They specialise in holding shows for beginner dogs and handlers. Do not enter your dog (entries need to be sent in at least one month before the show) - just go along and watch and talk to some of the organisers and competitors. They will be happy to talk to you and explain what is going on. You can join their Internet forum as well and chat to other handlers who are teaching their dogs to do jumping courses.

Weaving is one of the most difficult things to teach a dog. After all, what is the sense of running backwards and forwards between the poles when it is far quicker to run past them to the next obstacle, thinks the dog. There are various methods of training a dog to do weaves, but ALL of them take loads of time, patience and above all consistency in order to teach the dog to do them properly. You need to be shown properly how to do the weaves by an agility trainer. One tip though, NEVER push or manhandle a dog through the weaves - this only teaches the dog to wait for you to push it through the weaves whenever it sees weave poles in the future.

Flyball - no the handler stays behind the start and finish line - the dog runs up and down the 4 jump/hurdles by itself. Never teach a dog to go over flyball jumps by running alongside. All you are teaching it to do is go over flyball jumps while you are near it. The best way to teach a dog to do jumps properly is to do the Recall Game and then the Bounce Game, then Round, then Bounce & Round Game, as described in our web site. This technique is useful for teaching a dog to do both agility and flyball jumps.

I realise that all this sounds like it will take time - I am afraid this is the case. Training animals properly takes time and patience. It looks easy as a spectator but belies all the effort and dedication needed to do hours and hours of training, month after month, year after year.

Best wishes and good luck with your training