At Carlson Agility, we’ve been in the dog agility game for a long time. Our customers tend to fit into three categories – agility organizations that need professional-quality agility equipment, dog parents that want to train for competitions and families that just want to provide their furry friend with some fun backyard activities. We have dog agility supplies, training tools and agility equipment to suit all three of these situations.
Competition-Level Agility Equipment
Our dog agility equipment is built using the highest quality components, and our agility equipment is the same type and style of equipment you will find on USDAA courses, AKC courses, UKC courses and other top agility organizations.
In general, most competition courses will have a variety of dog jumps, including a tire jump, weave poles, an agility tunnel and contact equipment that includes an a-frame, a teeter, a dog walk and a pause table. UKC has a few unique items such as a window jump, sway bridge and a swing plank, and we have those pieces of UKC agility equipment for sale, as well.
While we have every piece of agility equipment that you’ll find on a competition course, all of these items can be used for backyard fun and exercise. Even if you never compete dog agility has multiple benefits for the whole family, including:
- Providing a whole-body workout for your dog (and for the handlers)
- Decreasing boredom (bored dogs can be destructive or bark excessively)
- Increase the bond between humans and their furry friends
- Boost confidence (especially for shy dogs or rescue dogs)
- Improve obedience
Agility Equipment For Puppies & Small Dogs
We have a full selection of mini agility equipment that is ideal for smaller dogs. This includes mini jumps, a mini teeter, mini agility a-frame, mini dog walk and mini pause table. We use the same high-quality components for these items as we do with our standard-size equipment.
Mini equipment is used on many competition courses for those smaller breeds, and it’s the safest option for backyard training and fun with smaller dogs. It also can be used with larger dogs for indoor training or in a backyard where full-size equipment might not fit.
Typically, we recommend caution when training puppies for agility. Jumps are not recommended for puppies, and it’s best to wait until they are fully grown to dive into agility training. Their bodies are not developed enough to handle jumps and weaves.
Puppies, with adequate supervision, can use other pieces of contact equipment. For instance, you could gently lead them up and down a mini teeter if you stay right by their side during the process. Puppy agility training should be focused on safety, having fun and getting your pup used to the idea of using agility equipment.
Training Tools
Among our dog agility supplies, we have a few handy training tools that can get your dog in shape for agility and help them navigate equipment properly. For instance, a Buja board (also known as a wobble board) rests just a few inches of the ground and helps dogs acclimate to the movement of the teeter as well as improving their overall balance and core strength.
Our plank and perch are also great training tools. With the perch or plank, a dog rests their front paws on the perch with the back paws on the ground. You also can do the opposite and place the dog’s hind legs on the perch or plank. This helps them build strength in the front or hind end and teaches front or rear-end awareness. With the plank, you also can train using the two-feet-off, two-feet-on method.
Other handy training tools include our training hoop which fits at the edge of contact equipment such as the a-frame or dog walk and ensures that dogs enter and exit the obstacle correctly.
You may notice that equipment such as the a-frame features two distinct colors. For instance, the a-frame is yellow and then green. During a competition, dogs must put their feet on the yellow portion or risk a deduction in score. Many dogs want to leap to the green but keeping them in yellow improves competition scoring and it’s also safer, and the training hoop can help them understand where to touch first on the obstacle.
We also have guide wires for our dog agility weave poles, as well as a training weave chute. Weaves are perhaps the most difficult agility obstacle to teach, and the guide wires or weave chute can make the initial training sessions much easier.
Dog Park Equipment
If you are in charge of a community dog park or perhaps a doggie daycare center, we also have handcrafted dog park equipment, made with sturdy, pressure-treated wood. Our dog playground equipment can be a great option for agility clubs or agility organizations with a permanent facility. Of course, if you have a big backyard, our dog playground equipment can be a fun option for your furry companions.
Our “Play N Train” sets come in many different configurations from a simple two-piece set with steps or our Play N Train Grandstand set with multiple steps and planks. The Play N Train Extra can be a lot of fun, as it includes steps, a plank and a sturdy tunnel.
Agility Training Tips
If you are just getting started with agility, you might have an abundance of questions about training or which pieces of equipment are the best ones for initial training. While you can start with any piece of equipment, the weave poles tend to be the most difficult, so we usually recommend that you leave those to the side for a while.
Basic jumps, the tunnel and the pause table can be good first items to consider. Most dogs will have little trouble understanding these three obstacles. The pause table also can be a great option for teaching obedience, as dogs have to sit, stay and lay down on this obstacle while the handler stands at a distance. It might not be the most exciting piece of equipment to watch dogs use, but the skills taught here are incredibly important.
With agility equipment such as teeters, a-frames and dog walks, dogs can be a bit intimidated at first by the height and the movement of the teeter. Slowly introducing your dog to these obstacles and providing an abundance of praise will make these skills easier to teach.
In general, the best advice we can give you is to be patient, keep training sessions short and focus on the fun. Agility is a sport that just about every healthy dog can enjoy, and it’s a great way to exercise and spend quality time with your furry friends. Most dogs love agility and they love all of the praise and love that comes from a job well done.
Is your dog right for agility? Agility is an inclusive sport open to most breeds and mixed breeds. Dogs prone to breathing issues such as English bulldogs might not be a good fit. Dogs such as Dachshunds, with their smaller legs, also might not be a great fit, even with mini agility equipment. Some breeds also tend to be fairly low energy, such as a Shih Tzu, and they might not display a great deal of enthusiasm about agility. These posh pooches are more likely to give you a disdainful glance, yawn and go back to sit on their cozy bed.
In general, though, if your dog is healthy and has a good amount of energy, agility can be an excellent sport to consider. We’ve been training agility dogs for decades and our enjoyment of the sport has never waned. If you need any dog agility supplies or agility equipment, we have everything you might need. However, if you have questions about any of our products, don’t hesitate to head to our Contact page and send us a quick message.
