Of course, all dogs know how to jump as it jumping is a very natural act for them. However, training your dog to broad jump on command is an altogether different prospect. The broad jump is something that if you plan on showing your dog, is something they will be doing at certain obedience trials and events.
It is advised to have already worked with your dog in other jumping tasks prior to training them to do the event broad jump task as you will need to have a jump command already in place and it will make training your dog for this much easier.
The first thing you will want to do is to put your dog on his or her leash and walk up to the first hurdle. Stand just to the right of this first hurdle and turn your left shoulder a tiny bit away from your dog. In your right hand hold the end of the leash and with your left hold up the slack of the leash straight above the hurdle.
Now, command your dog to jump with the command you have established as the jump command. Do this without any sort of hand or arm movement. If your dog obeys and clears the hurdle, be lavish with your praise and with a gentle snap of the lease command him or her to come to her. Offer more praise.
After your dog has successfully come back to you get him or her to sit in front of you and in a squared off position. To ensure the finish of the jump is correct, turn yourself one quarter in the right direction while your dog is jumping.
It is important to remember these two things when training your dog to do the broad jump: command him or her to jump without any arm or hand movement and give praise during and after the jump.
Once you get into the ring at the show you will want to remember also to stand at the prescribed distance of two feet from the hurdle and to face it while staying between the first and the last. When your dog is actually jumping, you have the permission of judges to turn right at a 45 degree angle so as to help your dog to sit in front and square.
You will find also in competition that the height of the broad jump is measured at two times the height of your dog. When you're training your dog to do the broad jump try to do so exactly as will be done in the competition and if possible, vary the location so he or she will get used to performing this task in different places.