I made some back yard Agility equipment, so Willy can practice here at home. If you make all of these things, it will run you between $125 and $150.
Always remember: SAFETY FIRST.
Think
about what your dog is LANDING on. NO concrete or asphalt. Grass /
lawn, rubber mats if you move to the cellar for winter time.
As
I mentioned, normally a dog is not permitted to do Agility until the
growth plates have set. For a Labrador Retriever, this may be as late as
18 months.
If your dog is young, start work on her following commands, and speed / drive.
You
will need a good quality PVC pipe cutter. Making this stuff is easy,
but time consuming. I'd sit on the floor watching a movie as I measured
and cut, measured
and cut.
*****
This is for a basic jump:
http://www.caninecrib.com/dog/training/standard-jump.aspI
made 5, because I ordered the jump cups and those came in a package of
10. (Two per jump) This is the best price for jump cups:
http://www.amazon.com/Dog-Agility-Snap-Jump-Cups/dp/B0032RJG1C/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1312251558&sr=8-3These
instructions are based on NADAC and AKC standards. So, for example, a
jump is 24 inches wide. You can make it less BUT you will need to back
track if you really get in to Agility, so I don't recommend it.
As
you can see on my photos, I put tape on the uprights. This is also
standard in competitions, so in a field of white PVC, the dog can find
the correct posts. I used standard duct tape.
*****
This is the link for the hoop jump:
http://www.instantagility.com/2008/04/07/octagon/Part
#4 - I did NOT use 16 inches as I already knew Willy is at an 8 inch
jump height. This is due to: his height at the shoulder; his back
length - bichons have long backs - and his age. As I mentioned, you
need Yeti to start low as well. You can just omit the glue for these 2
parts, and raise it when she is older!
I made those 2 pieces 8
inches. LOL, forgot to account for the base etc, so the lowest part of
the hoop is actually 10 inches off the ground. Oops! Oh well, we use
the other jumps 5 times to this one, so it works.
*****
This is the base for the teeter:
http://www.caninecrib.com/dog/training/teeter-board.aspI didn't do the actual board that way, too much trouble. I stayed w/ standard competition methods and
did this:
at Home Depot or other DIY store,
get 2 small containers of outdoor paint.
get a small bag of play sand (about $2)
When HD adds the tint to the paint, have them also add sand. This will make for grit, so the board is not slippery.
You need one blue and one yellow.
Use a 12 foot board. Paint the bottom ends yellow for 3 feet up. The center is blue.
This is the strap you need (need 2) to attach the board - Home Depot sells this, about $4 each. Make sure you buy the correct size for the pvc you are using!
http://trade.e-to-china.com/product-p1636DB3/emt_pipe_strap.htmlYou will need to buy 4 rust resistant screws, also at HD, to fit the holes in the above.
You can see how the board looks, here:
http://www.ehow.com/video_2348412_dog-training-finishing-teeter-totter.htmlThe
only time you need power tools, is to make the holes in the board for
these straps. Put them OFF CENTER by 6 inches. The pivot
point is NOT in the middle, it is off center. The teeter always has
one end on the ground.
You can google 2o2o contacts, stands for 2
on 2 off. Also search for this on Youtube. The dog MUST make contact
in the yellow area, BOTH going up and coming off. This is the hard
part, especially for big dogs, they want to sail off. Especially when
they have a lot of speed / momentum.
Once you have stuff made and start training, keep it all FUN for the dog!
Let me know if you have ANY questions, will be glad to help.