The Pit Bull is among the most athletic breeds of dogs on the planet. Strong, agile, courageous, and tenacious creatures that will leave you in awe with their abilities. They excel in power competitions, agility as well as obedience. These lovable power houses are incredible jumpers, and we’ll take a look at some high flying examples of exactly how high a pit bull can jump.
How high can a Pit Bull Jump? The above average american pit bull terrier can jump upwards of 4-5 feet high vertically. Though if we are to account for their ability to climb as well, the highest pit bull jump recorded was an astonishing 13 feet, or 4 meters, vertically.
How Does a Pitbull High Jump?
Pitbulls have varying abilities when it comes to high jumping. Pitbull high jump depends on various parameters like genetics, physical conditioning, and training. These dogs are known for their strength and agility, which contribute in high jumping. The muscular build of regular training improves pitbulls’ ability to jump high. If you wonder, how high can a pitbull jump? Pitbull jump height easily varies from 4-5 feet. However, with professional training, pit bulls can even jump between 10-13 feet at once. Consistent practice and positive reinforcement are very necessary to help a pitbull develop high jumping skills.
I’ve searched high and low across the internet to find some of the most amazing pit bull athletes. Below are some truly astonishing feats that are leaps and bounds beyond incredible displays of athleticism.
Let’s dive into some examples of how high a pit bull can jump, and some precautions as a pit bull owner that you may want to take.
The Parkour Pit Bulls
Before we JUMP right into things here I feel I should clarify what I am referring to when I use the term Pit Bull. This is not a breed of dog, but rather a category or group of dog breeds. The breeds are primarily the American Pit Bull Terrier, American Staffordshire Bull Terrier, Staffordshire Bull Terrier, and the American Bully.
Some of the examples I will show below refer to one or all of these breeds. So to keep it simple, I’m gonna say Pit Bull. Got it? Good. Let’s go.
The highest vertical jump recorded of a Pit Bull was by a sweet little 2.5 year old girl named Antara. She is Mexico’s Grand Champion of Vertical Wall climbing, with an astonishing leap of 13 feet up a vertical wall.
Antara’s Owner Rafael Caraveo Saldivar had been training her for these types of doggie olympics for over 18 months. Practicing her vertical leap and climbs 5 times a week for a couple hours each day.
Now I know what some of you may be thinking, climbing is not the same as jumping. This is true. However, when you watch the video below you will see how high Antara is by the time she begins her climb. If I am to be perfectly honest I wouldn’t even call it a climb as much as a catapulting herself further upwards.
She doesn’t touch the wall until she is at least 4 feet up. She only makes contact with the wall twice on her ascent to 13 feet. We could split hairs here but I would call that one heck of a jump!
Now Antara is definitely an outlier. Some would even say a trained professional. It is however, no coincidence that her being a pit bull has lent itself to this sort of athleticism.
Pit bulls are natural athletes in this sense, and jumping is just one of the main traits they possess. Their vertical jump height may not be in the Guinness World Book of records, but they are extremely agile. Pair that with their natural inclination for obedience and the sky’s the limit.
Take one of my favorite examples in TreT the Urkrainian parkour dog legend on YouTube. This American Staffordshire Terrier has some of the most amazing videos I have ever seen.
His ability to jump on, in, through and between various obstacles is simply poetry in motion. TreT makes scaling a 6 foot wall look easy. His ability to balance on the smallest of surfaces while jumping across 10 foot gaps is a true testament to the pit bulls agility and tenacious spirit.
Both TreT and Antara are trained professionals. A lot of work has gone into their development as you can clearly see. Under the right handler this can show us all how amazing pit bulls can be as athletes. This also demonstrates how high a pit bull can jump.
With that being said, this may not be what every owner wants with their pit bull. We have all heard stories of a dog scaling a fence and roaming around the neighborhood. Sometimes just exploring, other times it can lead to injuries of other people and pets, including the rogue dog.
Here are some helpful tips and tricks to help you understand why your dog might be jumping the fence and how to prevent it from happening.
Highest Jump by Pitbull
In the pitbull dog jump competition, a pitbull of a Mexican man holds the world record for jumping a vertical wall climb of 13 feet. This jump by pitbull is the highest in pitbulls. If you are wondering, can a pitbull jump a 7-foot fence? Yes, it is possible for pitbull to jump 7-foot. However, it requires a large and properly professionally trained pitbull to cross this height. Pitbulls high jumps due to genetic factors inherited from their parents. But the role of training in the high jump of pitbull plays a vital role.
Why Is My Pit Bull Jumping The Fence?
There are a variety of reasons why your dog might be jumping the fence and escaping out into the world. It is important to understand these various reasons to help prevent them from happening in the future. Here we will be finding effective methods to address the underlying issue.
The outside world can be a dangerous place for a stray dog, and understanding is the first step to correcting the issue.
Boredom
Often unwanted behaviour in dogs stems from boredom. A dog absolutely needs to be well exercised and spend quality time with his/her owners. Especially pit bulls, who are among the most loyal dogs out there.
Are you spending enough time with your dog? Do they get enough exercise? Are you keeping them mentally stimulated? If your dog is escaping, where do you usually find them? Is it somewhere they find interesting, like another dog’s house, a kids playground or school yard?
Make sure you are giving your dog an outlet for that energy by providing him/her with enough exercise. A good walk everyday, playing fetch, spending more time with the family, engaging them with a fun and interesting toy, working on some training skills and practice with them everyday.
These simple activities could make all the difference in your dog’s level of boredom, and prevent future escapes to seek entertainment elsewhere.
New Friends & Bowchicka WowWow
Yup that’s right, your dog may be looking for a little action from husky down the street. Dogs seek companionship with other dogs, and the mating instinct, especially in unneutered males is an incredibly strong driving force to scale that fence and go cruising.
On the companionship side of the issue one of the most obvious ways to alleviate this longing in your dog is to get another dog. If that is not an option get them out socializing with other dogs more often. Take them to the park, go for a walk with the neighbor dog, arrange playdates in your yard.
When it comes to the unneutered males, and mating in general, the best solution is to nip that problem in the bud is to take them in to get fixed. This will not only fix your fence hopping problem, but there are numerous health benefits associated with neutering your male dog.
Hunting
Dogs have a natural prey drive. Some more than others. So this can lead to Fido seeing a squirrel scamper across the top of your fence and he is off to the races. Nothing can stop him from his primary objective of getting that squirrel.
This one is a little trickier to curb. Nature is what it is. Aside from additional training to potentially modify this prey drive behaviour you will need to look to alternative methods. These alternative are based on changing your environment rather than the dog.
Which leads us to more of the preventative measures you might take to keep your Pit bull from jumping the fence.
How To Prevent My Pit Bull From Jumping Over The Fence?
Sometimes you need to get creative to prevent your dog from their escape attempts. If training, or addressing some of the key issues mentioned above isn’t the solution, then it’s time to turn to changes in your environment.
Assess your fence and any structural flaws you may have. Bury some additional fencing materials like hog wire under the fence can prevent any digging escape attempts.
Another cheap and effective method would be to install a PVC roller system. A quick attachment to the top of your fence that would prevent your dog from being able to climb over the top.
Alternatively some additional landscaping in your backyard could not only give your place an added green space and design, but having some large cedars, or bushes next to the fence would add an extra layer of protection between your dog and climbing that fence.
The extremely customizable and flexible features of dog runs can be made into a variety of shapes and sizes to adapt to your home, and your dog’s needs.
An enclosed area for your dog to explore, relax and most importantly stay inside of, could provide that extra layer of protection and prevention to keep your pet safe and secure.