Early Takeoff Syndrome

Early takeoff syndrome describes a jumping problem seen in some agility dogs where they do just that: they take off too early for the jumps. The syndrome ranges from a subtle hitch on the dog’s final stride to severe stuttering. The dog typically inappropriately chooses to shorten its last stride before takeoff. This results in the highest point of the dog’s jumping arc peaking before the bar and the dog is on the descent phase of the arc by the time it actually clears the hurdle. This should not be confused with simply a long takeoff distance which, if balanced with an equally long landing distance, simply means the dog is jumping with a flat jumping trajectory.

Early presentation of this problem can be very subtle and takes close observation. The faster the dog is, the more likely it is to be apparent because the shortening of the last stride results in a more noticeable change in the dog’s speed. Obstacles with components that extend forward of the jumping element, such as the tire and triple, may cause more problems. Many affected dogs will also shorten their last stride on the approach to the A-frame and/or table. For some dogs, the problem will increase with changes in the lighting on the course.

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Presenting History

The typical history is that the dog starts out his jump training totally normally and begins to compete. Usually problems don’t become apparent until the dog has been competing 1-3 years. Often the first sign of trouble is that the dog knocks the triple or the tire repeatedly. This happens of course because the dog’s jumping arc peaks too early. The dogs seem to focus on the forward-most element of the obstacle and use that to gage where to center their jumping arc. This can also happen as a result of electronic timers placed in front of the first jump. In the case of the tire, the front edge of the base and the triple the front bar or the jump standard.  If the dog takes off too early on these obstacles, in many cases he will not clear the obstacle which can lead to some unfortunate wrecks. This of course leads to a lack of confidence. Lack of confidence exacerbates the problem, making the dog even more likely to take off early and more likely to crash again, starting a vicious cycle. Not all dogs crash tires and triples but it is very common. And, not all dogs that crash tires or triples have this problem.

For some dogs, exiting tunnels can exacerbate the problem. Increased handler motion and handler location ahead of the dog tends to creates problems. Interestingly, many dogs with this problem with jump from a close distance without a problem, and they often slice jumps without issue.

Affected dogs have been jump trained with many different techniques. The problem tends to progress and while it may respond to training, it often does not. Some affected dogs learn to compensate or for some the jump heights may be low enough that the dog can still clear the obstacles and these dogs may still enjoy successful agility careers. For others, the syndrome can be very performance limiting and a serious problem.

Diagnosis

If a dog begins to show changes in his jumping habits, the very first step is to rule out any physical problems that might account for it. With ETS, the dogs are physically sound.  There seem to be certain breeds of dog and certain lines within those breeds that may be affected. This includes some of the breeds that are known for jumping problems but Shelties and Border Collies can also be affected. I do not know the cause of this problem. I do not believe it is a training issue although as I said a lack of confidence makes the problem worse. It appears to be a problem with vision and/or the dog’s perception of where the bar is in space. Many dogs with this problem have had normal cerf exams and some have even been tested for near and farsightedness (with variable results). To my knowledge, there is no test for depth perception in dogs at this time. I’m hoping with increased awareness and demand from agility competitors perhaps that will change, so that a definitive cause for this syndrome can be identified and perhaps steps taken toward treatment and prevention.

Treatment

Although this problem does not appear to be a training problem, there are some things that can be done to help minimize it. It is important for the dog to learn to focus on where the actual jump is.  Things to do:

1)      Remove the tire from the frame and teach the dog to look for the hole

2)      Vary the appearance of all jumps by changing location of wings and uprights in relation to the bar.

3)      Use only one bar on the triple standards and jump it forward and backward (so that the bar sometimes is at the front of the wing and sometimes at the back).

4)      Set wings in front of and behind the actual jump the dog is taking for the dog to pass through (no bar)

5)      Set the tire frame along the path to a tunnel (tire removed) so that the dog learns to tune out the frame. Then place the frame along the path to and from a jump as above

6)      Praise praise praise. Build confidence Do not mark knocked bars as the dog is doing the best it can

I’ve had a couple of people tell me that they’ve stopped competing totally in order to go back and work through my jumping program from the beginning with some success. In my opinion most likely this is due to the confidence the dog gains through the program, not because of the training program itself.

Prevention

Increased awareness is the first step. A definitive cause needs to be identified before prevention is possible. Because this problem does appear in certain lines of dogs, I think breeding stock should be evaluated carefully. Most breeders are probably not even aware of this problem and have not been evaluating their dogs for it. In my opinion it is a performance-limiting problem no different from epilepsy or canine hip dysplasia and affected dogs should be removed from the breeding pool until more is known about the cause and treatment of ETS.

Note that this dog is on the descent phase of her jumping arc and
is reaching with her front legs in an effort to clear the bar.

This Aussie has taken off too early, is on the descent phase of her jumping arc and is
now realizing there are more bars on this jump than she thought.