If you want to dive into the world of dog agility, Carlson Agility sells every piece of dog agility course equipment that you might need. Here’s a look at some of our products and some information about getting started with this popular dog sport.
Which Dog Agility Course Equipment Do You Need?
This is one of our most frequently asked questions and the dog agility course equipment you need depends on your goals. If you just want some backyard fun and exercise for your furry friends, then consider just purchasing four or five items and enjoying a couple of jumps, a tunnel, perhaps the teeter or weave poles.
For instance, if you are just having fun, you might skip buying items such as the pause table or the dog walk. The pause table is found on every competition course, and it’s a great place to practice obedience skills, but it’s not terribly exciting and if competition isn’t your thing, this could be a piece of dog training equipment to skip purchasing.
Dog walks can be a lot of fun, but they do tend to take up a lot of room, so this could be another item that you could skip if your goal is simply to enjoy backyard fun. Keep in mind that we do sell quality mini agility equipment, including a mini agility dog walk, mini agility a-frame and other items which might fit more easily in your yard.
In general, if you are just looking for a fun activity for you and your dog, pick the items that you think they would enjoy the most and also items that are best suited to their body type and personality. Some dogs, for example, love jumping, so you might fill up your yard with a bunch of dog jumps. If your dog doesn’t seem like a jumper, consider items such as a tunnel, teeter, a-frame and weaves.
Competition Equipment Recommendations
If you do plan to complete, we highly recommend investing in each piece of dog agility course equipment that you will find on competition courses, including:
- Dog Tunnel
- Weave Poles
- Dog Agility Teeter
- Dog Agility A-Frame
- Agility Dog Walk
- Pause Table
- Tire Jump
- Additional Dog Agility Jumps
No matter which organization you select, a basic agility course will include a tunnel, weaves, contact equipment (dog walk, a-frame & teeter), a pause table, a tire jump and an assortment of other jumps, which might include double jumps, panel jumps, triple jumps and more.
Jumps are the most common item found on agility courses, and we have every type of agility jump you might need at Carlson Agility, including specialty jumps used at some UKC events. All of our dog agility course equipment is competition quality and built exactly like the equipment you would find at any competition, including AKC events, UKC events, CPE events, NADAC events and other top agility organizations.
Puppy Agility Training
When it comes to puppy training, it’s best to skip items such as jumps and weaves because puppy bodies simply aren’t ready for jumping and weaving and can become injured. We recommend working on some basic obedience skills such as sitting, staying and coming when called. Not only will this keep them safe in general, but it improves the bond between puppy and human and lays the groundwork for teaching agility skills.
Teaching puppies to fetch and return an item or find a hidden item and return it to you also are fun games that teach them how to obey commands, so consider adding these games to your daily repertoire.
Agility isn’t safe for puppies until they are fully grown, but you could teach them how to go through a tunnel or perhaps walk over a jump pole placed on the ground. They could also handle a mini a-frame or mini dog walk, provided you move over the obstacle slowly and have plenty of supervision. Agility organizations don’t allow dogs under a year to compete anyway, so you have plenty of time to train for agility once they are fully grown.
Small Breed Agility Training
If you think tiny dogs can’t do agility, think again. We’ve seen some amazing tiny breeds zip through agility courses, including Pekingese, Maltese, Chihuahua and other small dogs, including mixed breeds. There’s even an agility organization, the Teacup Dogs Agility Association (TDAA), that was created just for small dogs.
Of course, most agility organizations have agility classes for smaller dogs, so if you don’t have a TDAA club near you, your NADAC or AKC or another group should be fully inclusive for small dogs. If you plan to compete, take a look at the jump heights and rules for other pieces of agility equipment and just set up your course based upon your organization’s rules for smaller dogs.
To train at home, simply use our selection of small dog agility equipment. We have everything you need including a mini a-frame, mini dog walk, mini teeter, mini tire jump and mini pause table. For other jumps, you simply use our regular agility jumps and lower them to the height that accommodates your smaller dog.
Senior Dog Agility Training
Healthy senior dogs can enjoy agility as well. If your older dog doesn’t have hip issues or other health issues that would make agility unsafe, there’s no reason why your senior pooch can’t enjoy some backyard agility training. Older dogs just need to take things a bit slower and work with lower jump heights, but this can be a great activity for an older dog that still has a bunch of energy.
Rescue Dog Agility Training
We highly recommend using dog agility course equipment with rescue dogs and for several reasons. One, working together and having fun with agility, helps build a bond between you and your new furry companion. Rescue dogs often are timid and a bit unsure, and agility training can build their confidence.
Agility is also a great, fun way to teach some obedience skills to your new rescued buddy. You can get started with a pause table and teach them to sit and stay and provide plenty of praise, pats and treats. Dogs love to receive praise, so be sure to heap on the words of encouragement, as this is especially important for a rescue dog, who might not have had a ton of love in their previous environment.
Get Started Today! If you’ve been considering dog agility, don’t wait another day! We have all the dog agility course equipment you might need, and with some patience and praise, your sweet dog will be zipping around your backyard course in no time at all. If you have questions about our dog agility equipment, please don’t hesitate to contact us at any time.
