How to teach your dog to jump through your arms in 5 easy steps
The jump through arms trick also often called the hoop trick is always one of the favorites when we volunteer at hospitals and I’m sure it will be a hit whenever you do it too. We’re going to be teaching your dog to jump through your arms.
A quick note if you have a puppy this is one you will want to hold off teaching as puppies shouldn’t be doing high-impact activities such as jumping till their growth plates are closed. You want to be sure to prevent any long-term injuries to your dog and young dogs also don’t have the muscles to cushion the impact jump like an adult dog. So if you have a puppy, I would skip this video for now, we have lots of other tricks you can work on till your dog is done growing.
Getting started, you’re going to want to be next to a wall or flat surface, a back of a couch would work just fine as well. While I am doing this on hardwood for the sake of this video we usually stick to softer landings such as a rug or carpet. Take each step slowly, remember these steps shouldn’t all be done in one day and instead as your pet succeeds comfortably.
- Place your hand against the wall at a low level and with your other hand hold a treat and call your pup to hop over your arm, it may take a moment for your dog to understand what you are asking. If your dog won’t go try putting the treat on the floor and telling him to go get it, make sure you’re using some really tasty and tempting to get to. If you have another person available they can also call your dog to lure him forward.
- After your dog is comfortable try raising your hand a bit higher to make it more of a jumping motion. Once your dog is comfortable with jumping over your arm easily it’s time to make a hoop.
- Begin creating a circle with your arms repeating the previous steps to get your pup to jump through your arms.
- If your dog is nervous with the addition of your arm try raising your top arm making it a giant circle and not as much if a closed area and over time lessening the gap between your arms.
- Once your dog is really getting the hang of this you can move away from your wall and practice all over your house and yard.
Having trouble?
- Should your dog struggle try making your circle wider, tossing a treat or going back to a wall to set them up for success.
- A touch behavior is a great way to reset your dog to the area you want to begin at.
We can’t wait to see your pup flying through your arms soon!
