I'm wanting to do more agility training with my GSD and BH, and am currently trying to decide on what different types of equipment I want. I plan on taking them both to playground equipment to exercise on but would like to have a good variation at home.
We're planning on tearing down an old bard on our property, and I've already construced a dog walk and a couple of jumps from it. I plan on making a few more things, but wanted to know if anyone had built equipment themselves; what they built and how; if they liked it or wished they would have bought something from a retailer.
While competition agility is a possibility in the future, I'd like to have things that stimulate their mind just as much as the body.
Some of the objects I was thinking of building were:
Pause Table
Tire Jump
A-Frame
Pallisade (sp?)
Teeter Totter
PVC Ladder
Paul built a bunch of stuff for me when I started Toni in agility. We have: pause table, 8 jumps, teeter, dog walk, tire jump (using an old inner tube), and a fabric barrel (50 gallon barrel open on each end with an old sheet velcroed to one end). These things were not expensive to make, and I think Paul had fun doing it.
Since my stuff looks so odd, Toni has no problem approaching "strange" equipment
It's great working Toni when I can't get to the agility complex, but I also get the other dogs on the equipment and they seem to love it.
Two things I wish I had are a tunnel and weave poles.
Scott just got laid off and instead of him being stir crazy waiting on the next job to start up, I figured that'd keep him busy while using the material from our old barn for something useful.
For the jumps did you make them all the same, or vary it up?
The jumps are varied. Paul just used left over PVC that we had from remodeling the bathroom. They look odd, but they are functional. I have one that isn't adjustable, and I used that a lot to get Toni to respect the bar and not knock it. It didn't hurt her, but she would rather jump over it than get knocked in the knees She rarely takes a bar down now.
The main thing Paul did is use what we had. He got pretty creative about it. I was worried about the tire jump being too hard and hurting Toni if she hit it wrong, so we used an inner tube and it works like a dream.
He tested everything to make sure it is all safe for the dogs too.
Amber Morgan Webboard User Reg: 10-18-2006
Posts: 1849
Loc: St. Louis, MO
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Dennis, did you follow any particular plans for the A frame? It looks great. I'm a little challenged with the carpentry, but my husband could do it as long as I could keep him from becoming too "creative" along the way.
Dennis Jones Webboard User Reg: 06-13-2004
Posts: 3389
Loc: Richmond Va
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I tried to keep to the Sch specs, I used pressure treated lumber, they same stuff you build backyard decks with, about a hundred dollars in material. used screws and the surface is astroturf
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Homemade vs. Store Bought Agility Equipment
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