ReboundDog jumps off a surface and bounces back toward you
The dog jumps at a wall, tree, or sturdy surface, pushes off with their hind legs, and bounces back toward you. A flashy trick from disc dog and parkour. Requires athletic confidence and a solid recall. Not for every dog.
Also known as: Wall Kick, Bounce
At a glance
- Tier
- 4 · Expert
- Time to fluency
- 6–14 weeks
- Practice
- 2× per week, 5 min each
- Equipment
- A sturdy, non-slip vertical surface, Target stick, High-value treats
Prerequisites
Your dog should know these words first:
How to teach rebound
Lure
Start low. Target stick on a wall, reward paws touching the surface
- Hold the target stick against a sturdy wall at the dog's chest height
- Reward front paws touching the wall
- Gradually raise the target so the dog has to jump to reach it
- The push-off happens naturally as they come back down. Mark and reward the return
Hand Signal
Point at the wall, then open arms for the return
- Point at the wall to send them, open arms to catch the return
- The surface must be sturdy and non-slip. A tree trunk or textured wall
- Start at low heights and build gradually
Verbal Cue
The cue word sends the dog to the surface and back
- Say the word, the dog runs at the surface, bounces off, returns to you
- Reward the return heavily. That is the recall component
- Never push the height beyond what the dog is comfortable with
- Check the landing surface. It must be non-slip
Success criteria
- Unlearned
- Does not interact with vertical surfaces
- In progress
- Rebounds off a wall on the word, returns to you
- Mastered
- Clean, confident rebound off various surfaces at height, returning to you every time
Common mistakes
- Using a slippery surface, which is dangerous
- Pushing for height before the dog is confident at low levels
- Not checking the landing area for hazards
- Practising with puppies or dogs with joint concerns
- Overtraining. This is physically intense