Archive for April, 2008
Agility Tunnel
what size agility tunnel do i need?
i have a border collie and im saving my money to either make some of the equipment or buy it.
what size tunnel would a border collie need?
a competition or just training?
I recommend you get two tunnels.
1. Get a child’s play tunnel from Target or JC Penny or ToysRUs. It’s cheap (about $30), travels easy (so you can take it to a park). But here’s the catch–NEVER bend it, always keep the tunnel straight. If you put any kind of bend in it, you’ll train your dog in bad habits. A good, fast dog should be able to go into a curved tunnel at full speed and not slow down. They do this by…running on the sides of the tunnel (centrifigual force). A cheap tunnel won’t be stable enough and they’ll slow up. So you’ll be training your BC to slow up in tunnels. So do get a cheapie kid’s tunnel (there will be times you’ll want to train with 2 tunnels anyway.
2. Do NOT get a practice tunnel (they are significantly cheaper than regulation tunnels). Anything more than the kid’s play tunnel is a hassle to bring in and out doors. So it tends to stay outside. And most of them will last one winter before they fall apart (less if you’re in an area that gets a lot of rain). And, most aren’t as stable as a regulation tunnel so you’ll still be training your dog to slow up when entering a tunnel (rather than enter like a bat out of h*ll and exit even faster).
3. Size? Look at the organization you compete in and then get a tunnel to their specs. Though to be honest, I believe NADAC, AKC, USDAA all use the same sized tunnels. I know some practice tunnels come in smaller sizes (so they’re easier to haul) but you want a regulation tunnel that is identical (more or less) to what your dog will compete in. For the record, USDAA says a competition tunnel should be 24″ diameter, minimum of 10 feet and maximum of 20 feet.
4. Here’s another suggestion: if you’ve got a choice on color, choose one of the colors that dogs typically have trouble distinguishing or a dark color (so if you train in twilight or at night under lights it’s darker). That is good practice for trials. We competed at an indoor trial (soccer arena) where a green tunnel (on green field turf) under weak light was a problem for even some dogs that had been to AKC or USDAA nationals–they ran right past it or balked at going into it (because it was so different from the bright red or yellow tunnel they were used to training on).
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PETSAFE DOG AGILITY TRAINING 10 FT TUNNEL PDT00-001030 $68.88 |
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PETSAFE DOG AGILITY TRAINING 3 FT TUNNEL PDT00-001029 $68.88 |
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NEW 18′ DOG AGILITY TUNNEL OBEDIENCE TRAINING EQUIPMENT $37.95 |
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NEW 18′ DOG AGILITY TUNNEL OBEDIENCE TRAINING TOOL PET $37.95 |
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PETSAFE PDT00-11029, 3 FOOT DOG AGILITY TRAINING TUNNEL $84.95 |
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PETSAFE PDT00-11030, 10 FT DOG AGILITY TRAINING TUNNEL $85.95 |
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New Dog Pet 18 Foot Obedience Agility Training Tunnel $34.99 |
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New Dog Pet 18 Foot Obedience Agility Training Tunnel $34.99 |
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NEW 15′ DOG AGILITY TUNNEL OBEDIENCE TRAINING CHUTE PET $32.95 |
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Very Durable Vinyl 16′ Tunnel Dog Agility Equipment $198.00 |
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Dog Agility Training Tunnel with Collapsed Chute by AKC $14.15 Dog Agility Training Tunnel with Collapsed Chute by AKC Features:… |
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Kyjen Dog-Agility Starter Kit $29.00 Want to try a fun and stimulating activity with your dog? Try the Agility Starter kit. You’ll be amazed how easy and entertaining it can be to train your dog with this great kit, complete with set-up guide and instructions. You’ll have fun teaching your dog things like the high jump, weave poles, pause box, and tunnel. This kit comes complete with a startfinish line, stop watch, game rules, and ev… |
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PetSafe Agility 10′ Open Tunnel $75.95 You and your furry friend will get hours of pleasure training with this agility tunnel. Once your pal has mastered running through the tunnel when it’s straight, you can curve it to provide a greater challenge. A carrying case is included so you can take the tunnel with you or store it when it’s not in use. Great for getting started in pet agility. Includes: one 10-foot tunnel, one carry case, fo… |
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Halloween Dog Convict Costume Prisoner Small 8-11 Lbs $4.99 Size Small For dogs: 10-11″ (From head to tail) & 8-11 pounds 3 Pieces: velcro ball & chain hat with K-9 embroidered on the front, elastic chin strap… |
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Halloween Dog Convict Costume Prisoner Large 18-28 Lbs $4.99 3 Piece Halloween Dog Costume Prisoner by Jakks Pacific Size Large 3 Pieces: velcro ball & chain hat with K-9 embroidered on the front, elastic chin strap… |
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Halloween Dog Convict Costume Prisoner Medium 12-17 Lbs $4.99 3 Piece Halloween Dog Costume Prisoner by Jakks Pacific Size Medium 3 Pieces: velcro ball & chain hat with K-9 embroidered on the front, elastic chin strap… |
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J Fit Deluxe Agility Ladder $70.71 The The Deluxe Agility Ladder from JFit is the ultimate footwork training device. Improve your coordination, balance, agility and foot quickness! The agility ladder helps to improve proprioceptive abilities and lower extremity function. Its a great training device for changing direction, lateral and linear speed work. The ladder is 10 yards long, 20in wide, with 20 adjustable slats. It can be sepa… |
Agility has been described as the closet thing to an amusement park for dogs. A lot of dogs and their owners love to do agility; some dogs like border collies, labs, Jack Russell Terriers and Shetland Sheepdogs were made for agility.
The problem for most dog owners is that they can only do agility when they are someplace that has agility equipment. In this article I have provided instructions on how you can make a backyard agility course using stuff you can find in your garage.
Basically an agility course is made up of jumps, weave poles, tire jump, tunnel, see-saw, cat-walk and pause table. We are going to focus on jumps, weave poles, pause table and a short cat-walk.
Jumps can be made up by using the cinder blocks and pieces of plywood. The plywood can be cut to different heights and can be propped up using the cinder blocks making a decent jump for your dog.
The cinder blocks can also be used to make the cat-walk (or dog-walk whichever you prefer to call it). Cutting a strip of plywood 12 feet long you can place it on some cinder blocks. It won’t be very high but your dog can practice walking across it.
The weave poles are very popular in agility. Ski poles are a great way to make simple weave poles. You can place them in the ground and teach your dog to go through them. Most flea markets and yard sales have ski poles that you can get cheap.
You can also find a good, sturdy, wooden coffee table at yard sales. Find one that is fairly low to the ground and you can use it as a pause table. An old bike tire hung from a tree can be used for the tire jump. Make sure you hold the tire as you teach your dog to go through it.
A tunnel can be purchased for very little at Wal-Mart or Target. They sell kids tunnels that are fine for a backyard agility course. Now you have some jumps, weave poles, tire jump, dog-walk, tunnel and a pause table. Set them up in your backyard and you and your dog are ready to go.
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