Dogs love to play, and if you’ve been searching for an exciting source of exercise for your furry companion, dog agility might be the perfect option. You can set up a dog obstacle course in your backyard and either train for fun or train to compete in agility competitions. Let’s take a look at the types of dog agility equipment you might set up in your backyard.
Dog Agility Jumps
Dogs love to jump, and basic single jumps can be one of the easiest skills to teach. When you look at a competition course, you will notice that jumps make up about half of the obstacles so if you plan to compete, you need a variety of jumps for your dog obstacle course.
While you will want to start with some basic single jumps, eventually you might want to add triple jumps, which require your dog to jump a father distance, as well as tire jumps. A tire jump is something you will see on just about every agility course, so once your dog has mastered single and triple jumps, add that tire jump into the mix. (There are also jumps with fence wings and panels if you want to get fancy with your course.)
Of course, there are no hard and fast rules about jumps, so if you want to start training with a tire jump, this is perfectly fine. We recommend that you start by holding the tire jump at ground level and teaching your dog to simply walk through the jump and then place it on the lowest height and eventually increase to competition height, which varies based on your dog’s height and age.
Contact Equipment & The Pause Table
Several pieces of dog agility equipment are known as contact equipment, as your dog must make contact with these obstacles during a competition run. These include the agility a-frame, the agility dog walk, and the teeter. You will notice in the picture above that there are two colors on these items, and, in competition, your dog must touch the bottom portion of the obstacles, or points will be lost.
The pause table technically could be considered a piece of contact equipment, but it’s usually listed separately. On this table dogs must hop on, sit, lay down, and stay for a few seconds before moving on to the next piece of equipment on a dog obstacle course. The pause table might not be the most exciting piece of equipment, but it can be a good place to teach obedience skills and to use for beginning distance training.
Weaves
Ah, weaves. The weave poles can be one of the most challenging obstacles to teach. There are many philosophies as to how to teach this obstacle, but we recommend starting out with just a few weaves and perhaps using our training weave chute or perhaps our guide wires. These help your dog better understand how to enter and navigate through the weaves.
Dog Tunnels & Chutes
Just about every competition course will have a dog tunnel, so you definitely will want to set one of these up on your backyard dog obstacle course. We don’t see the chute on competition, but for a backyard course, it can be a fun option. Just make sure your dog runs through the chute without a collar or harness, as these can snag on the chute. If you do plan to compete, your dog will be running the course without a harness or collar anyway, so it’s good to practice without these items.
How To Set Up Your Dog Obstacle Course
Once your dog has mastered a few pieces of dog agility equipment, set these up in the backyard. You might have them start with a jump, move through a tunnel, head over the teeter and then through a tire jump.
Mix up the order of obstacles every day. You never know what you’ll find on a competition course and even if you are only setting up for backyard fun, trying a new daily course set up can keep your dog sharp and alert. During these earlier stages work on providing hand signals to let them know which way to turn and which obstacle to head to next.
If you have a smaller yard, you might consider purchasing mini dog agility equipment, such as a mini dog walk or mini teeter. These also can be great for rainy day training. Just grab a mini obstacle or two and practice on a mat in the basement or even in the family room. Mini agility equipment is also the best option with smaller breeds, as these smaller pieces of dog agility equipment are safer for their smaller bodies.
Dog Agility Equipment For Sale
At Carlson Agility, we every piece of dog agility equipment that you might need for your dog obstacle course. This includes a dog agility A-frame, dog agility teeter, agility dog walk, agility tire jumps, dog tunnels, chutes and much more. We even have mini agility equipment and specialty UKC agility equipment such as a sway bridge and window jump.
If you aren’t sure which pieces of dog agility equipment to purchase, consider purchasing an agility starter kit and then adding pieces as your dog progresses. All of our equipment is handmade using the highest quality materials. We also sell training tools such as a Buja board, dog ladder, perch, and training hoops. If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to click on the Contact tab on our homepage and send us a message
