The Equipment Used On Canine Agility Courses
While dogs certainly love to go on walks, they also crave varied and unique types of exercise. Their instincts harken back to the ancient times when wild dogs would cavort and run through forests and fields chasing pray. Setting up a dog agility course is the perfect way to provide an exciting form of exercise, and while learning new skills, you and your dog will form a closer bond that will be felt in all areas of your life together. Before you set up a course, read on and discover some important information about agility equipment.
A dog jump is an excellent piece of starter equipment. These are typically made out of PVC and can be adjusted to suit your dog's level of experience or ability level. Once they have learned how to complete one jump, you can add a second jump and then a third. Eventually they can complete a series of jumps in a row, or you can intersperse the jumps with other pieces of equipment just as would happen at a real agility competition.
You can also purchase a cool PVC tire jump, which is something you definitely see at dog competitions. These are PVC stands with a tire mounted in the middle using strong ropes. The jumps can be adjusted easily and are lightweight, unlike an actual tire, which is heavy and hard to tote around. While you can adjust the tire jump, if you have a particularly small dog, there are mini jumps especially for them, which can make agility training easier and safer for these small breeds.
The teeter totter is an obstacle that is fun to watch your dog navigate, but it can be a bit intimidating for your animal at first simply because this obstacle moves and that can be a bit scary. You can begin by having them walk across the teeter while it is level and flat on the ground and then after they seem comfortable with the teeter, put it on the frame at the lowest level and practice until your dog can navigate the equipment comfortably. Then you can continue to make adjustments until your dog can complete the teeter totter at full height.
The weave is perhaps the most complicated apparatus to learn, but one of the most amazing to watch as the dog shuffles quickly in and out of the poles. This is definitely one piece of equipment that takes some time to master. You can purchase weave poles that go directly in the soil or you can purchase a stand with the weave poles mounted on. You can start with a small six-weave stand and eventually progress up to a stand with a dozen weaves.
Purchasing each piece of equipment separately can be costly, and you can save a bit of money by purchasing a start kit instead. These might include weaves and adjustable jumps or perhaps the addition of a teeter totter. You can also find starter kits with a teeter, tire jump and weaves. There are companies that specialize in selling this type of equipment, such as Agility by Carlson. They offer all types of apparatus as well as great tips on how to use each piece.
A dog jump is an excellent piece of starter equipment. These are typically made out of PVC and can be adjusted to suit your dog's level of experience or ability level. Once they have learned how to complete one jump, you can add a second jump and then a third. Eventually they can complete a series of jumps in a row, or you can intersperse the jumps with other pieces of equipment just as would happen at a real agility competition.
You can also purchase a cool PVC tire jump, which is something you definitely see at dog competitions. These are PVC stands with a tire mounted in the middle using strong ropes. The jumps can be adjusted easily and are lightweight, unlike an actual tire, which is heavy and hard to tote around. While you can adjust the tire jump, if you have a particularly small dog, there are mini jumps especially for them, which can make agility training easier and safer for these small breeds.
The teeter totter is an obstacle that is fun to watch your dog navigate, but it can be a bit intimidating for your animal at first simply because this obstacle moves and that can be a bit scary. You can begin by having them walk across the teeter while it is level and flat on the ground and then after they seem comfortable with the teeter, put it on the frame at the lowest level and practice until your dog can navigate the equipment comfortably. Then you can continue to make adjustments until your dog can complete the teeter totter at full height.
The weave is perhaps the most complicated apparatus to learn, but one of the most amazing to watch as the dog shuffles quickly in and out of the poles. This is definitely one piece of equipment that takes some time to master. You can purchase weave poles that go directly in the soil or you can purchase a stand with the weave poles mounted on. You can start with a small six-weave stand and eventually progress up to a stand with a dozen weaves.
Purchasing each piece of equipment separately can be costly, and you can save a bit of money by purchasing a start kit instead. These might include weaves and adjustable jumps or perhaps the addition of a teeter totter. You can also find starter kits with a teeter, tire jump and weaves. There are companies that specialize in selling this type of equipment, such as Agility by Carlson. They offer all types of apparatus as well as great tips on how to use each piece.
About the Author:
Cheng Bernhardt loves dog agility training. For further details about agility equipment for dogs or to know more about other equipment such as dog agility tunnels, please visit the Carlson-Agility.com website now.
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