DIY Agility Course

timsdat

Have you seen the new product used to move an Aframe by a single person.

It is a L shaped bracket device with wheels that slip under each side of the Aframe.  On one side the wheels also turn and there is a long handle.  I saw this used recently and it worked well on grass.  Don't know how well it would work on dirt but the wheels on each side look like they might not sink in.

 

I have contemplated on add wheels to the A-Frame and I have also looked at a dolly. Our instructor uses 4 platforms that have caster wheels on it to move the A-Frame around. I don't think that would work well outside because they would probably sink into the ground.

The looking at those 'glass prices, that looks like at least six times as much I spent on my wooden A-Frame.

OT: at indoor trials, are the they using aluminum or wooden teeter planks where you compete or watch? Over here, they are switching back from aluminum back to wooden because of the 'bang' noise it creates. It surprises a lot of dogs that aren't use to it.  But in class, we're still going to learn on the aluminum 'loud bang' plank.

For those that haven't experienced it , picture a 22" border collie getting on it and slamming it down hard and it echoes in the room scaring the living daylights out of dogs unaware of it. Its a very loud bang on the mat. Sounds almost like a tire has exploded.

jdata

I have contemplated on add wheels to the A-Frame and I have also looked at a dolly. Our instructor uses 4 platforms that have caster wheels on it to move the A-Frame around. I don't think that would work well outside because they would probably sink into the round.

For moving Aframe this is what I am talking about .

http://www.cleanrun.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=product.display&Product_ID=1194&ParentCat=335

I have seen it used and the tires don't sink in.  Not cheap though (as if anything to do with agility is).

jdata

OT: at indoor trials, are the they using aluminum or wooden teeter planks where you compete or watch? Over here, they are switching back from aluminum back to wooden because of the 'bang' noise it creates. It surprises a lot of dogs that aren't use to it.  But in class, we're still going to learn on the aluminum 'loud bang' plank

We really have very few indoor trials, Only in a couple of locations in the state and only couple of times a year.  I have seen both Wooden and Metal teeters used.  If you get bang noise well.....  A lot of times they will add some padding at the bottom of the teeter to lessen the noise.bounce.  I personally think the heavier the teeter base (usually wooden) the better as we are always having to weight it down or stake it to keep it from moving around and then still there is some shifting.

You know there is so much variability in teeters from place to place it is one of those things that you just have to deal with.  I always try to find the loudest, wobbly teeter to train on so we have the worst case situation taken care of.

OMG that thing is pricey! There is an abundance of robbery in agility.

....

Up here, the weather gets cold quickly so we're the opposite. But indoors, everything echoes. It seems that the dogs that aren't trained with noisy obstacles really get startled. Denise has no pity on us, she told us flat out that the aluminum plank and base will be used. Now Chloe did get on the wooden teeter after class and that one was quiet compare to the one I have in the backyard.

jdata

OMG that thing is pricey! There is an abundance of robbery in agility.

Yes it is but when you can move a Aframe with one person instead of 4 there is a value to that!!

As far as the noisy teeters well,  The teeter is the one piece of equipment that will really vary from place to place as it is the only one that moves.  That in and of itself makes it different.  To the folks that don't like a noisy teeter or one that moves faster, whatever I will use the time honored quote "Train don't complain".  That is why I sought out as many different teeters as I could when they were learning.

I can move the A-Frame myself but I think I am taking years off myself. LOL

RE: Teeter

Good idea. When can you bring over more teeters that I can use to train with?

 

timsdat

DumDog

when she said "just for fun" i figured it would not matter if it was standard professional competition agility equipment.... as long as it was safe for the dog to use.... a jump is a bloody jump...

I wasn't talking about competition either.  I was talking about safe equipment and I'm sorry a wall jump just isn't safe even in a play situation where a dog could be running at it with any speed at all,  and no a jump isn't a jump.  There are jumps that won't injure a dog if they miss it and there are jumps that can injure a dog.  Any jump that has a bar or side doesn't displace and basically fall apart isn't safe.

I have seen the stresses that equipment get put under even in training and play situations.  A large dog running just a couple of miles an hour and planting those front feet on the up side of the aframe contact puts a lot of stress on the middle of the board.  Don't believe me take a 4 foot piece of plywood and raise it on a block at either end and have a someone about 180 lbs. jump up and down on it.  That is the type of force that can be applied to the side of the aframe when a dog runs and jumps on it.

One other thing.  Right now the slats that you put on look to be just s

even after reading all of that... i still stress what i stressed earlier.... when the dog is ready for that type of jump.. if he isnt, and never is.. fine. skip it. (mine never had a problem with that and they weigh 80lbs and up..) and taking the necessary safety precautions is a given. a wall jump is only dangerous if you half@$$ put it together to be sure.... even a well designed PVC pipe jump or A-frame is dangerous - hence the reason for the yellow paint and losing points if they dont touch the yellow.

anyway its obvious i'm a moron that doesnt know anything about jumps of any kind because i dont compete on a professional level.  its cool.

jdata

Good idea. When can you bring over more teeters that I can use to train with?

I wish.  Actually I went to as many places I could get at least get one practice session I could on the different kinds of teeters.  If we encountered one that was different in a local trial I would go to that club when they had run thrus or drop in training sessions (which most of the advanced classes are anyway) so we could get a feel for that flavour of the equipment.  We are lucky around here and have a choice of about 7 different places we could go.

 The Move It!!  I soooooo want one of the aluminum ones!  I have to drag my A-frame around by the base and it IS takign years off my back!  lol...  I will get one of those Move It's next spring even if I don't have the money!  :)

And if you BUY an A-frame, those prices I posted previously are pretty darn cheap!  Now if you want to build one out of all wood, paint it and then finish it with sand, go right ahead and yes, it will be much cheaper.  It will also be way heavier and a PITA to move around.  ;)  While our aluminum one is lighter, it is harder to drag because of the way the ends are made. 

I needs me a Move It!
 

tashakota

 The Move It!!  I soooooo want one of the aluminum ones!  I have to drag my A-frame around by the base and it IS takign years off my back!  lol...  I will get one of those Move It's next spring even if I don't have the money!  :)

And if you BUY an A-frame, those prices I posted previously are pretty darn cheap!  Now if you want to build one out of all wood, paint it and then finish it with sand, go right ahead and yes, it will be much cheaper.  It will also be way heavier and a PITA to move around.  ;)  While our aluminum one is lighter, it is harder to drag because of the way the ends are made. 

I needs me a Move It!
 

How are the ends made?  

 With a wood one, the base is solid across the bottom right?  So the weight sits along the width of it.  With the aluminum ones, the supporting aluminum bars run 2 inches past the wood planking at the bottom, so they "stick out" a bit.  The weight sits on two two inch wide pieces of aluminum instead of 3 foot wide wood.  So dragging a smooth wood A-frame is actually easier than the aluminum one, however I can raise and lower the aluminum one myself, whereas I definitely could not with the wood one, much too heavy.  So the trade off is better, IMO because changing the height is more important when I'm by myself.  Plus I can "walk" the aluminum across the field to move it.

I still want a Move It! though. 

tashakota

 With a wood one, the base is solid across the bottom right?  So the weight sits along the width of it.  With the aluminum ones, the supporting aluminum bars run 2 inches past the wood planking at the bottom, so they "stick out" a bit.  The weight sits on two two inch wide pieces of aluminum instead of 3 foot wide wood.  So dragging a smooth wood A-frame is actually easier than the aluminum one, however I can raise and lower the aluminum one myself, whereas I definitely could not with the wood one, much too heavy.  So the trade off is better, IMO because changing the height is more important when I'm by myself.  Plus I can "walk" the aluminum across the field to move it.

I still want a Move It! though. 

Thanks for the explanation Tashakota. I just stowed my wood A-Frame to the garage. It was fun moving it without a dolly as I carried and probably took some years off my back. But it wasn't as bad as I thought. My instructor pointed out that wood A-Frames typically last three years if left outside through all 4 seasons.