If you want to start dog agility training, it is wise to purchase a few dog obstacles, but which ones should you purchase first? We sell just about every piece of agility equipment for dogs, but when you are just getting started, consider buying these five essential dog obstacles.
1. The Dog Tunnel
Every dog agility course includes a tunnel, and in some cases, your furry friend might have to zip through that dog agility tunnel more than once during their run. While some dogs are hesitant about the tunnel at first, once they get the hang of it, they will be zipping through the tunnel and having a blast.
To teach the tunnel, first, just let your dog sniff around at this dog obstacle and perhaps poke their head into the tunnel. Then, a handler should stay at one end of the tunnel with a trusted friend at the other end. Coax your dog to move through the tunnel (perhaps holding a treat at the other end) and when they make it through, heap on the praise. You also can shorten the tunnel at first and then gradually increase it to full size.
2. The Dog Agility Teeter
Every course has a variety of dog obstacles, and there will be several pieces of contact equipment. This includes the teeter, the dog walk, the a-frame, and, technically, the pause table. While a dog’s ability to handle all of these obstacles is important, the teeter can be more difficult to teach because of its movement. However, once a dog can master the teeter, the a-frame and dog walk can be easier to learn, which is why we’ve picked it as one of our five essential dog obstacles.
To teach the teeter, let your dog sniff about and then gently lead them onto the teeter and hold onto them as you slowly move them across and let them get used to the movement. You likely will need to lead them over the teeter many times until they feel confident to handle this piece of agility equipment for dogs on their own.
Some handlers will purchase what is known as a Buja board and get started with that as opposed to simply heading onto the teeter. This board, also known as a wobble board, helps your dog get used to movement and improve their balance and core strength.
This wobble board can be a great item for puppy agility training, as it is not recommended that you work on regular dog obstacles until your pup has reached full size. Of course, with puppies, you also could work with dog obstacles such as the tunnel and pause table, provided you simply use the base of the pause table to eliminate the height.
3. The Agility Tire Jump
In most cases, you will find a tire jump on a dog agility course, so it can be smart to get your dog used to this unique jump in the early stages of training. Begin by just holding the tire jump at ground level and encouraging your dog to simply step through the jump.
Once they are comfortable with that, place the tire jump at the lowest height setting until they feel comfortable at that height. Then you can move it up to competition height and practice. With puppies, you can simply use a mini tire jump and keep it on the ground and simply have them step through the jump. Puppies are not ready for agility jumping until they are fully grown.
4. Other Dog Jumps
When it comes to agility equipment for dogs, the most common dog obstacles on any course will include an assortment of jumps. There might be double jumps, single jumps, panel jumps and other types of jumps, but there will be a lot of jumping required so having a few different dog jumps on hand is always a good idea.
Dog jumps tend to be fairly easy to train, as most dogs are natural jumpers and usually enjoy jumping immensely. To get started, just place the jump poles on the ground and have your dog step over the pole or poles. Then coax them to jump over the poles and provide plenty of praise every time they do this correctly.
Once they understand to jump over the poles, set them at the lowest height setting and practice again. Eventually, you will move the poles up to competition height and practice until they have mastered the height or height and distance of these jumps.
5. The Weave Poles
Those pesky weaves! They can be very tricky to teach, and we don’t really recommend starting out with weaves, but they will be on most dog agility courses, so it’s smart to get started after your dog has mastered a few pieces of agility equipment for dogs.
We sell handy training guide wires to help make it easier to train with weaves or you also can get started with one of our training weave chutes. These both help a dog understand the correct way to enter, maneuver through, and exit the weaves.
You also can use the 2×2 training method. For this tactic, you would use stick-in-the-ground weave poles and set two poles in the ground with enough room for your dog to move through the poles easily. Then add to more poles a few feet ahead of those first two poles and have them go through the middle. Eventually, you should have six sets of two poles, for a total of 12 weaves.
Once your dog has managed to move straight through the weaves, start to close the distance between the poles, and this will force your pup to weave back and forth through the poles. Eventually, the poles will be in a straight line and your dog will understand how to move back and forth through the poles. There are quite a few 2×2 tutorials available on the internet, so check those out before you start training.
What About Other Equipment?
Of course, that still leaves the a-frame, dog walk and pause table to train, but once your dog has mastered these other five pieces of equipment, these last three should be a snap. You also can simply place a mat on the ground in lieu of the pause table during your early training days, although some people love to get started with a full-size pause table in the early stages as this can be a great way to teach agility and obedience skills simultaneously.
Of course, in the end, all of these dog obstacles are essential if you plan to compete in dog agility competitions and there’s certainly no reason why you couldn’t swap out the teeter for the pause table or a-frame if you wish. With dog agility training, there really aren’t any set rules, it’s all about having fun, getting some great exercise and forging a closer bond between you and your wonderful furry companion. At Carlson Agility, we sell a full line of agility equipment for dogs. No matter which dog obstacles you choose to start with, we have everything you might need. We also have mini agility equipment which is ideal for smaller breeds and smaller backyards or even rainy-day indoor training. If you have any questions about our dog agility equipment, don’t hesitate to send us an email at any time.
