Jakie

Dog uses the Handler’s Body to Land After Catching a Disc

A Flip in which the dog uses the handler to adjust trajectory to navigate the landing; a Rebound or Reverse Vault where the dog catches the disc before hitting the vaulting platform; an interrupted Over where the dog uses the handler to radically change trajectory; the Jakie is a showstopper type trick.

Keys to the Trick

  • Commitment to Bite
  • Commitment to Rebound
  • Concepts
  • Placement

Commitment to Bite

Your dog has to be committed to the Bite. A willingness to invade the handler’s space and perform the rebound/fakie skill while catching a suicide rabbit requires a very strong commitment to the cued Bite.

When teaching the Jakie, a Bite cue is a great trigger for the skill.

Commitment to the Rebound

If you have a Fakie, a flip / flyball box turn off the handler’s body, you can use this concept to anchor the skill. Combined with commitment to the cued Bite, commitment and conceptual understanding of the Fakie is plenty to make this skill happen quickly and successfully.

Commitment to Concept

We often use a Hoop to teach this skill as well. The Rebound might be a bit too reflexive for some dogs, or the disc flying might break the concept of your Fakie. It might be too aggressive in terms of pressure to jump at a suicide rabbit and at the handler. If you make your hoop a little cockeyed, turning towards your dog a bit, your chest or hips will become an obstacle the dog cannot avoid, forcing the vault.Placement from the hoop is also super simple, as you can use a simple take or a tiny toss that hovers within the Hoop.

The key is to get the dog to use a strong, operant concept — one your dog knows. Your Hoop or Fakie, whichever base skill you choose to use, should be a strong behavior. It should be generalized. Then make the behavior hot and leverage it.

Placement is Center Mass

The Placement for the Jakie is center mass on the handler, even a bit away from the fakie direction. The disc needs to be placed so the dog must use the handler’s body to adjust direction or perform the flip.

Tosses that slide out to the flipping/spinning side are likely to result in a dirty over or a brush by or token touch on the dog’s part. Make sure you place the toss in front of your body at the pivot point of the directional change.