This month’s contest is a little different!
It’s fall- heading towards winter no matter how much I whine about it- which is the ‘downtime’ for most of us in agility (although I understand Florida and Texas and the rest of the warmer world are really just starting!)
This month’s prize is a course resource book. This book is a must-have for home courses, and a great resources for clubs and trial organizations. If you’re like me, you can sometimes have difficulty coming up with course designs on your own. This book eliminates those tricky situations by helping you set up your OWN tricky situations!
To enter to win this awesome book, reply here on the blog (or on facebook) with a comment telling us about YOUR equipment. What do you have in your home course?
If you don’t have your own home course, tell us about your ‘dream inventory’, what obstacles would you have?
Entries are accepted until the end of the month. The winner will beselected via random number generator. The posts on facebook are added to the posts here.
How to enter this contest:
If you have never done so before, you must first register your email address on this blog, or ‘like’ us on Facebook. We will then notify you if you are a winner of this contest. You only need to do this once, and you will be good for all future monthly contests (and get priority notification of when they occur)!
Scroll to the bottom of this page and enter your comment/answer. Or, if there is no box, click on the “comments” in the upper right corner.
November 1st, 2010 at 8:30 am
I have 2 tunnels, 5 bar jumps, a tire jumps, channel weaves a teeter and mini a-frame. I’m really feeling the need for a dog walk…
November 1st, 2010 at 8:50 am
When local classes were no longer meeting my training needs, I decided to make the investment of purchasing a home with a yard large enough to set an agility course. I ended up with a nice flat yard that measures roughly 100′ x 100′ once we put up the fence. Perfect!
I started out with the major basics — A-frame, dog walk, a couple of tunnels, a set of 6 weaves and jumps. I’ve continued to expand my equipment as training issues cropped up — A chute, teeter, a set of 24″ 2×2 weave poles, a tire and, most recently, a table.
Now the biggest issue is trying to fit it all into the garage when the snow flies!!
November 1st, 2010 at 9:20 am
I really need a broad jump. My young dog hasn’t learned them yet and I wish we could practice them in the yard.
November 1st, 2010 at 9:59 am
I have bought my equipment one or two pieces at a time. I now have adjustable weave poles, tunnel, chute, pause table, single jumps, triple jump, tire jump, broad jump, practice teeter, practice dog walk and adjustable full size teeter. My two kids friends love to watch me practice with the dogs. They think of it as cool “dog tricks”!
November 1st, 2010 at 11:03 am
I own…. 1 frame, a dog walk that needs fixing…. 8 jumps, 1 teeter, 2 sets of 12 weaves, 2 tables, 2 tunnels, a tire, and a ladder (just for fun
)I think this contest is a great idea! I am needing a course design book! haha thanks
November 1st, 2010 at 11:03 am
Hi, we are novice agility competitors and love to practice in our backyard. We have a small tunnel, a barrel shoot, 6 weave poles, 3 jumps and a tire jump. Bella, my cocker spaniel, is a weave pole fiend…she loves them. It would be great to have a resource in setting up some courses, especially in small areas.
November 1st, 2010 at 3:36 pm
Over the last few years we’ve been accumulating agility items for the back yard. We started with jumps, then weave pole (a necessity). Both our dogs do weave poles with either a front or back cross to start, and do 12 with no problem. We also purchased the travel teeter, and the practice tunnel, and a practice tire from Affordable Agility. My husband did make our own pause table as both our dogs are at 12”. We don’t have room to see all obstacles up at once in the back yard, so we change them around.
My goal—to be able to afford the contact trainer.
November 1st, 2010 at 5:35 pm
Well, Jeff spent the last 10 days building an A-Frame, so that is the newest addition to our agility equipment. We have 8 single-bar jumps, weave poles, a somewhat broken tire, a dog-bitten practice tunnel, chute, a recently refurbished teeter and a table without a top for now. Other jumps include a broad jump, double and triple bar jump. I don’t think we’ll ever have a dog walk, since it’s expensive, big to store and hard to make.
November 2nd, 2010 at 3:47 pm
What I’d really like is a wishing well – that would complete my course. If we had a nearby tap it would be those water spraying hoops and jumps – great for the summer.
November 2nd, 2010 at 5:29 pm
My home course consists of a 65 foot by 120 foot fenced in area. I have made or bought most of the essential equipment, but it is lacking a few things that I am going to have to aquire in the future (I’d like another tunnel, a double, a triple, the broad jump, the swing plank and a sway bridge.) One of my favorite things to do is to collect course maps from agility trials with course set ups that are similar to mine in that the course is long and narrow vs. square. I set up some of these courses at home — especially the ones I had a difficult time with at a trial — and work on them for a week or so. My dream course would be a perfect 100 X 100 area, but my yard just doesn’t have room for that. Or, what I’d really like is a climate controlled huge building to set up my equipment so I can practice full courses at home in the winter. Some day…
November 2nd, 2010 at 5:31 pm
One of my favorite parts of agility is building backyard equipment. I have built 4 jumps, a set of wings which, with the addition of jump cups on the ends become another jump, a tire jump, a pause table, and a contact trainer. I couldn’t build them, so I bought two practice tunnels and a practice chute from AffordableAgility, along with several sets of sandbags, which I fill with garden bricks, to weigh down the ends of the tunnels and chute. I also have built a set of weaves with poles that rotate in and out to create a channel, and two sets of pole weaves that stick in the ground, because I have two dogs at different stages of training. I haven’t built the heavier pieces, because I wouldn’t be able to move them around for mowing, but my perfect backyard course would certainly have them all!
November 2nd, 2010 at 7:53 pm
I have some home course equipment, though not nearly enough. My dream is to have more jumps, tire, dog walk. I do try to copy some trial courses.
November 2nd, 2010 at 8:48 pm
This year I set up somewhat of a course consisting of 3 jumps, 48″dog walk,teeter, mini A-frame, pause table, 2 sets of weave poles, tire jump, tunnel, tunnel with chute, and let the fun begin. I have 3 border collies with 2 being rescue and all young dogs(2 and 3). All have been to obed. and one to a beginner agility class. So all summer we worked on the indiv. obst, but when it came to putting it together only one dog gets it. One dog only wants to do it one time and sees no point in it. One loves it and One is unsure.
November 2nd, 2010 at 9:17 pm
I have squeezed some equipment into my oddly shaped basement (six weave polls on one side of the stairs, a table in the corner, a baby play tunnel on the other side of the stairs). I have a 12 foot teeter board propped up on my Tony Little exercise machine to simulate the down side of the dog walk. Desperate times (living far away from a training facility) call for desperate measures (training in the basement). I would love a full size dog walk for my yard or a regulation size tunnel!
November 2nd, 2010 at 10:13 pm
I now have all the agility obstacles, all homemade. My “agility yard” is limited, but I think I make the most of it and can actually set up a full course in a wide “L” shape.
November 2nd, 2010 at 10:17 pm
I have an aframe, dogwalk, teeter, pause table, 2 chutes, 3 tunnels, 9 jumps and 2 tires and 12 24′ weave poles. My poles are six sets of 2 as I have spinal stenosis and have great difficulty lifting. My contacts have to be stationary and I move the jumps, tunnels and poles on the course. This does limit what I can accomplish. My dream would be to have wheels on the ontacts but my surface is grass so I don’t think that would work anyway
When I win the lottery I’m going to erect a 100×200 foot building on my property for indoor agility!!
November 2nd, 2010 at 10:20 pm
I am lucky enough to have a friend that has a wonderful building. Little by little we are adding more equipment. I really need help on how to build courses in a smaller area. My dream would be to have a really nice dog walk, and table. When I started in agility our tire jump, was actually a tire tied to a stand, our table was a haybale with a bath mat. I feel if a dog can train on make do equipment, that should really excel with nice equipment and help with building courses.
November 3rd, 2010 at 7:46 am
Hi, I have a complete course of agility equipment. My dream wouuld be to have pvc or aluminum contacts. I live in Florida and must replace the wood every year. It is time consuming and expensive. I teach agility 2 or 3 days a week. Have a course book would certainly help keep my classes exciting!
Cissy Sumner
Agility Enthusist
November 3rd, 2010 at 12:27 pm
We only have purchased the Freestand Blue Competitve Adjustable Jump and Hooper’s Hoop, so we have lots to still get! Not much to tell about.
So our fingers are crossed. Good luck to all.
November 3rd, 2010 at 12:53 pm
I’m a mom with 4 kids, and also one of the 4-h dog leaders. Our 4-h club just started agility 2 years ago, and has accomplished a lot. We have built and bought our equipment, mostly from Affordable Agility, but the area we need help in is designing our courses. Getting the spacing right has been a problem, so a course source would help our group tremendously! Thank you!
November 3rd, 2010 at 1:50 pm
I have several pieces of agility equipment-tire jump, weave poles, A-frame, dog walk, 2 teeters, several bar jumps, a panel jump, a triple jump, a collapsing chute and a long tunnel. I would love to have boundary markers and a new A-frame as well as a window jump.
November 3rd, 2010 at 2:15 pm
My dog, Griffin, and I are brand new to agility, but already dreaming of clearing the acre of woods behind our house to build a home course. Naturally, that dream course would include it all, but I’d settle for three jumps, weave poles, a tunnel, a dog walk, and a teeter to begin with!
November 3rd, 2010 at 10:36 pm
Well, we have a teeter, tire, one tunnel and some jumps… we’d love a contact trainer and a few more tunnels, but beggars can’t be choosers! I’d also love somewhere to store the agility equipment out of the elements…
November 4th, 2010 at 12:24 am
I have most of the agility equipment on my course. I would like to improve the teter and make it more official in height. I also need to make more fences. I have a rubber covered A frame and dog walk. I have chutes and tunnels but, I would like to replace my tunnels with ones that are more substantial. All and all I am pretty happy with my course.
November 5th, 2010 at 2:51 pm
what’s a wishing well? Never heard of that!
November 5th, 2010 at 3:09 pm
We have 4 tunnels (so we can do a small version of NADAC tunnelers), a chute, a practice tire, teeter, 5 jumps, hula hoops to make hoopers with the jump frames, a ladder, KISS 12 pole weave set, 6 individual weave poles, & a pause box. My next project this winter will be to create a practice dog walk. And maybe- one day- a practice A-frame. HAPPY TRAINING!
November 5th, 2010 at 6:34 pm
I have 5 jumps, a tunnel, a table, a broad jump, 24 weaves (12 are 21″, 12 are 24″), 5 jumps, a tire and a contact trainer, all in a yard that is 30′ by 30′!!
In bad weather I’ll bring a jump inside to do grid work.
November 6th, 2010 at 10:07 am
I’ve been gradually building my equipment
I have a table, 6 weaves and a set of 2×2, 3 tunnels, 5 jumps, a teeter, aframe and dogwalk (recent acquisitions so we haven’t used them yet) and am very excited about using them
November 6th, 2010 at 2:27 pm
Wow — so many of you have so much equipment! I am just starting out, with my 6 month old Siberian Husky. I first got the very inexpensive “Agility Kit” from Amazon, which consisted of a small tunnel (somewhat flimsy), and a bunch of poles to create a jump and weave poles. I used it for 2 weeks — confirmed my pup was interested and then looked online for some really cool jump design plans made out of PVC. I made two of those, I have a wooden pause box (also made out of plans) and JUST purchased my first competition agility tunnel! So, I would expect to continue building and adding more, but for now, its a good start.
November 6th, 2010 at 4:42 pm
I have a complete set of regular sized agility equipment which has been very much used for practice and teaching.But then I saw a need in the small dog community for small dogs to play agility so I began to find or make equipment appropriate for their size. How they love to run and jump without the fear of a big dog on their tail.
I wish more small dog owners would realize the potential of these little ones.
Run fast and have fun!
November 7th, 2010 at 1:35 pm
We have 4 jumps, a small practice tire of foam, 3 hula hoops, 12 stick-in-the-ground weave poles and a teeter that is a little rickety. We would love a contact trainer to work on contacts, a regulation tunnel or chute and a broad or triple jump to work on jump timing. My husband has said that he will help me try to build some equipment soon. (fingers crossed)
November 8th, 2010 at 9:46 am
We have a practice contact trainer, a table, and a see-saw that I built myself. We have several single jumps, a triple jump, a tire jump, a tunnel, a broad jump and weave poles that were all purchased from Affordable Agility. As you mentioned, I just wish we were not headed into the down time of winter!!! My three year old Golden has qualified for the AKC Nationals and we are about to “MACH”, so I worry about trying to stay sharp. So, I guess that my dream inventory would now have to include a building to practice in during the winter months !!!
November 12th, 2010 at 4:35 pm
I set my agility obstacles up in a small riding/turn-out ring on my parent’s property. (I live about a mile away.) Of course, any time I set up a course, I have to take it right down so the horse can go out! I have a tunnel, several homemade jumps I “inherited” from a friend, a practice triple, a practice tire, a set of weaves and a teeter my husband built (with a base from Affordable Agility.) I store my obstacles in a spare stall and it is fortunate that I lift weights or hauling the very heavy teeter up and down would be a big problem. We have the materials to build an “A”frame but I am wondering if it will ever get done. My husband does a wonderful job but he is also a world-champion procrastinator!
My wish is that my sheltie enjoyed agility more. He is always happier to see me setting up cones and a single jump to practice rally or obedience. He is good and obedient and rarely makes errors, but he is always nervous and tends to stutter-step. He does love tunnels and dog-walks. We are skipping an agility trial this weekend to practice Rally and obedience at a show and go. Whatever makes him happy!
November 12th, 2010 at 5:06 pm
I only have some homemade jumps but I just got a chute and I can’t wait to try it out! Number one on my wishlist is a set of 12 weavepoles, but I’m thinking that my dog would prefer it if Santa didn’t bring him that. He told me once that weavepoles make his head hurt because he has to concentrate so much!
November 12th, 2010 at 5:42 pm
7 years ago (time flies) purchased the jumps in a bag and hauled them off to various parks or vacant lots to practice. The came the PVC weave poles, your portable table,tunnel, chute. As you can see we ran out of room in the car and were desperate for a permanent location.
I saw an email asking for someone who would be willing to water grass in exchange for the use of a big yard. I jumped on it. Through the years I added equipment and started a group of people who, like me did not have yards. For $50 per month we get 2 sessions a week at the field. Everyone helps with the upkeep and donates equipment. I print out a monthly schedule and set up courses for the group to practice.
The course book would be well used, I do run out of ideas.
You can see out set up
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VPJWefa1OsQ
We have come a long way since our “agility on the go ” days but your products gave us the ability to train and are still like new today.
November 12th, 2010 at 6:50 pm
I m lucky to live pretty close to 2 agility trainers that I work with on a weekly basis, but I also have my own equipment. I have a dogwalk, 12 jumps, a set of 12 weave poles, four 2×2 weave poles for training,a non-adjustable table, and 2 hoops. I would love to have a tunnel, an A frame, and a tire jump.
November 12th, 2010 at 7:30 pm
I have an overwhelming desire to collect agility equipment. I have 12 jumps, 48″ dog walk, a-frame, rubberized teeter, tire jump, 2 regular tunnels and 2 teacup tunnels. Most of my equipment came from Affordable Agility. I still need a double, triple, broad jump, and 6 more weave poles. Not to mention the indoor training center…lottery here I come.
November 12th, 2010 at 8:46 pm
My yard is rather small so I dream about what I would like if I had the space. All contact obstacles that would be adjustable for all levels of training would be a must. Then I would definitely want a displacable tire, a few tunnels of varying lengths and colors and of course a variety of jumps. Hoops would be nice as would some of the more unusual obstacles found in UKC agility just to keep things fresh and interesting.
November 12th, 2010 at 10:52 pm
I had a lot of jumps and weaves that I bought or built on my own. Then I got very lucky. A former dog training student of mine had a neighbor who used to do some agility, and had purchased everything except an A-frame and a table. They sold me the entire lot for $400! My friend built a small A-frame, I got a small table, and I have a load of great equipment. I just wish my yard was bigger so I could use everything at once, but I manage to put 10 things up at a time. Probably one of my best (and luckiest) purchases.
November 12th, 2010 at 11:27 pm
I have a mini-dog walk, 2 play tunnels, 6 jumps, a tire jump, 12 pole weaves, pause table, and a convertable teeter. Most of the obstacles I made myself. I stay busy making new obstacles in the down time in the fall, winter and most of spring because the weather is too wet to practice outside. How I dream of a dry, safe area for agility because I don’t have the most important thing, space to practice.
November 13th, 2010 at 12:35 am
My wish is to upgrade most of my agility equipment. My a-frame and dog walk are very old and falling apart. I have a few jumps, an old teeter, stick in the ground weaves, a tunnel, an old chute and a homemade tire jump.
I would like to get back to the agility world and have
the proper and necessary equipment for my dog to enjoy
agility again.
November 13th, 2010 at 1:06 am
I started w/the Agility in a Bag equipment, plus a 2nd set of 6 weave poles. I soon added the teeter since we had the most trouble with that initially, then added the 15 ft. tunnel, 4 single bar jumps, a panel jump, a double jump, and my husband built a pause table. I would love a competetion tire jump, and the dog walk and A-Frame. I too have the issue of no permament area to set up as my husband expects to mow the lawn weekly in summer … and winter storage is also a creative process.
November 13th, 2010 at 2:28 am
I like many others started “playing” in Agility and quickly became hooked. I have added pieces as money and time allow. We built a outside arena that is 60′ x 100′ fenced. I currently have full sized A-Frame, 2 tunnels, teeter, 12 pvc jumps (want to add jump cups on a strip!)a tire jump, PVC broad jump and pvc weaves most purchased from Affordable Agility!. I added a full sized metal Dog Walk this year as well. Because I am currently training the county 4H kids the pvc equip is taking a beating so my dream this year is to find someone to donate the funds for metal jumps that will hold up better being moved around to the variuos locations we train.
November 13th, 2010 at 10:42 am
i have slowly been buying or building practice equipment and have a large yard winter storage is a problem of course but i still need a dog walk and xmas is coming so maybe ?
November 13th, 2010 at 2:22 pm
We have a practice dogwalk, table, teeter, 20′ tunnel, channel weaves and 6 jumps. I also have a table jump, swing plank, sway bridge and box (UKC equipment)Unfortunately, I just put most of the equipment away after the first snow. I keep jumps and weaves where I can get them easily when the weather is good.
November 13th, 2010 at 4:04 pm
I have made all my obstacles – 12 weavepole set, A-frame, 4 jumps, table, teeter (although this really needs re doing.) set of 2×2′s for learning and I bought a tunnel. I wish I had a bigger area to work in. We have to work in the front yard and it is not that big. My Schnoodle loves agility and we make a great team!
November 13th, 2010 at 9:31 pm
I have most of the equipment for training, but the one I need that my husband hasn’t gotten around to making for me is the broad jump. A lot of the stuff I have is PVC, so it’s easy to move around.
November 14th, 2010 at 11:58 am
i have a jump!! lol i know its not much but i want weave poles and another jump for cristmas!!!!!!! my border collie love agility!!!!!!!!
November 14th, 2010 at 3:18 pm
I have a play tunnel, a contact trainer, 2 jumps, a broad jump and a set of 2×2 weave polls. We’ve just starting out and I would love a tire, a teeter and a dog walk.
November 15th, 2010 at 11:32 pm
Both my husband and I do agility. We have made all of our agility equipment. We have a dog walk, a-frame, pvc weave poles, table, tire jump, chute, 2 tunnels, 6 standard jumps. I’d love to have a teeter, channel weaves, broad jump, and some wing jumps.
November 16th, 2010 at 10:13 am
I have all obstacles, jumps, tunnels, tire, weaves, broad jump, teeter, A-frame..all except for a full size dog walk. Thanks for my husband I even have a mini-dog walk and mini A-frame. Though my yard is long and narrow I am able to create full courses.
November 19th, 2010 at 11:27 am
I have most obstacles that were easily made at home with pvc- plenty of bar jumps, a tire jump and a set of 12 pole weaves. I also own one tunnel. I have always wished I had a dog walk, see saw & a-frame simply because my dog needs contact work, not work on any obstacles I already own.
November 19th, 2010 at 12:33 pm
My name is Kathy and I live in Arizona. I do not have an agility course in my yard however there are three of us who combined our equipment and set up in our friends, Janice Surpus’s yard. We have the following equipment that we rotate:
A Frame
Teeter
Several jumps
Tire Jump
obstacle jumps
chute
Tunnel
3 sets of weave poles
3 pause boxes
We just order a window jump and are looking at a crawl tunnel. We are rotating this equipment so that the dogs do not get use to the course and switching sides we work them on.
We also have a ladder and 6 cavalettes to help them learn how to use their hind legs.
We use to do a class but the trainer canceled the class so we decided that the dogs needed to continue as they love it so. This is how we started to and it is really fun for all of us.
November 19th, 2010 at 1:16 pm
when we found agility fusion we thought we had hit the jackpot!! Up until then we would make obstacles out of anything I could put togeather chairs, buckets and boards, hula hoops!! I have added the basics and now am looking foward to new challenges, the coarse book would be huge as I run out of ideas. We are saving our pennys to purchase more equiptment for spring!!!
November 19th, 2010 at 2:47 pm
I have most all the obstacles except an A frame…just no room for that one and my dog walk is mini but they get the idea. I have a small fenced in area outside that is flat for a few obstacles at a time and then I just switch them. Inside I have a 20×40 ft are with a rubber matted floor that I can fit a jump and tunnel and weaves in for practice during the winter. Its not great but it works and you can practice foundation skills that way…..
November 19th, 2010 at 5:06 pm
hi i have 6 diff. types of jumps plus a tire jump Aframe walk over 2 tunnels but would love a third one of 15 ft. 2 sets of 6 weave poles a teeter an pause table and dogs to enjoy this
November 19th, 2010 at 5:35 pm
we have jumps,and a tire jump, a tunnel, a chute and a teeter.Can’t fit much more in the back yard but would like an A frame some day.
November 19th, 2010 at 10:18 pm
Space is limited in my yard, so I can’t make any full courses. I do often pack up my tunnels, jumps, and weaves and head to a local park to get some practice in.
At the moment I have 5 single jumps, a triple jump, a tire jump, set of 12 weave poles, a 15′ and 20′ tunnel, a chute, table, and practice teeter and dog walk that are made of 8′ boards.
On my list of obstacles I wish I had (if money and space weren’t a problem!)
- full size Teeter, Dog Walk, and A-Frame (Only going to happen when I move out on my own and can afford a property!)
- New set of weaves with 24″ spacing (mine are 20″ and the standard was changed)
- Competition jumps, and a real tire jump since all mine are home-made
- Some tunnel holders to stop them from rolling!
November 20th, 2010 at 9:14 am
My names Jen and I have a large chocolate lab dog named buddy, and we have the entire agility in a bag set from this website and thats about it. We would LOVE to have a dog walk teeter and A frame but we dont have enough space
but we are moving and we will soon so yay!
November 22nd, 2010 at 11:40 am
I have a very small L-shaped yard, so luckily I have small dogs! (Bichons) Most of my equipment is home-made. I have 5 jumps, a tire jump (desperately in need of repair), a tunnel, a pause table, and a set of 6 weave poles that I have added 6 “push into ground” electric fence post to make 12. They worked! My pup competed on 12 weaves for the first time this weekend and completed them every time. Yea! I also just purchased a teeter frame. If I’d known 5 years ago about agility, I would have purchased a house with a bigger yard!
November 23rd, 2010 at 9:34 am
Since i don’t have a training club where i live i have all the equipments that i built myself beside an A frame that i had won in a raffle (so lucky) and of course i did not build the tunnels. The only thing i wish was having a bigger backyard, i cannot set up an entire course in it and it makes it harder to train sometimes but i like to be able to train whenever i want to. I have ran her in the winter in the snow at 2 o’clock in the morning when i can’t sleep.
November 24th, 2010 at 1:03 am
I have just started in agility and am therefore just starting with my agility equipment. I currently only have two jumps. However I have the start of making my own set of stick in the ground weave poles. I also am planning on making some more jumps, a teeter, and some hoops. My dream is to have the equipment to create both a small NADAC course and a small AKC course. Unfortunately I have to take small steps as agility equipment is expensive!
November 26th, 2010 at 8:42 pm
I have nothing and would love just about anything!!!!!
November 29th, 2010 at 2:17 am
Since I don’t have a lot of running space, storage space or money, I primarily use gates, hoops and jumps for my dogs agility training. I stick to a lot of foundation and distance work with the little that I have. I handmade a 3/4 size dog walk and have plans for a similar sized A-frame. I also made a wobble board, mini teeter and a set of channel weaves. I’d really like to add a tunnel to the mix though!
November 29th, 2010 at 9:53 pm
The lady(Beth) and her husband(Merle) who introduced agility to our club many years ago had instruction on how to build your own PVC wing jumps, regular jumps, tire jumps and weaves. They also had construction plans for the dog walk, table and A frame. They would host jump parties where they would purchase all the necessary supplies and help you build whatever you wanted for a small fee. Not only did we get agility equipment at a great price but also had a wonderful time with great friends while we worked together. Beth and Merle moved to the west coast leaving our newly founded agility group better informed and much better equipped than we ever would have been without them. I later bought new weaves and a couple of tunnels but the jumps are still functioning like the day I made them. I will always be greatful to the two wonderful people who help show us the way into the indictive world of agility.
November 29th, 2010 at 9:54 pm
We have build much of our equipment ourselves. We have built an A-frame, jumps, table, teeter, tire, gates, hoops, stride regulators (for our puppy and Australian Shepherd) and a chute. In addition, we have purchased several tunnels and 2 sets of 12 weave poles. Our wish list includes a dog walk. All of the above equipment has been put into our backyard. It makes mowing the space quite challenging.
December 5th, 2010 at 6:54 pm
I looked up wishing well jump. It’s a USDAA specialty jump that combines a tire and spread jump, and is designed to look like a wishing well. “The wishing well is removed from the rule book. [The wishing well has not be used in more than ten years due to design and function issues for different heights of dogs. It originally was a specialty jump in England used when only one jump height existed, but its adaptability to a variety of heights made it impractical. The jump could still be utilized under the regulations of “Other Jumps and Hurdles”, but must clearly conform to these provisions. ]” http://www.usdaa.com
August 12th, 2011 at 1:19 am
I learned that while it’s easy to make agility equipment, sometimes it’ better to buy from a quality manufacterer like Affordable Agility. Equipment that isn’t sturdy is no bargain and compromises my dog’s safety.
I’ve made jumps, pause table, dog walk, teeter (with adjustable heights for training), tire jump, and weaves. Usually I make the equipment because the traditional size made by manufacterers won’t allow for realistic practice in my small yard. I redesign jumps to be narrower to allow for running practices. I’ve also bought weave poles, tunnels, and jumps.
What I can’t buy is good weather in which to practice. If it’s wet outside, I don’t want my dog slipping on sloppy ground. I’d love more space, but basically the bad weather is my biggest limiting factor. That’s why I looking to make my biggest equipment addition: An large indoor space to practice agility.
August 26th, 2011 at 3:48 pm
I have a limited amount of equipment. I have several jumps, a broad jump, and a spread jump. I have a very small tunnel, a pause box, and 12 weave poles. I would really like to have an A frame and a longer tunnel. My dog and I enjoy practicing at an open area that has all of the different equipment. We try to practice every week.
September 10th, 2011 at 9:31 am
Probably easier to say what I don’t have – a dog walk. Oh, and my husband kindly burnt up the unopened box of weave pole wires which I had ordered from Affordable Agility!
September 14th, 2011 at 1:47 pm
Our pup, a six month old border collie mix named Beatrice is fast and a smart cookie! We are just getting started with agility. We have a cool 5 acres just waiting for an agiility course. Where to start????
September 14th, 2011 at 1:53 pm
Since she’s just a baby dog, I’d work on getting her used to different surfaces and handling. Learn how fun learning is! and then when her growth plates are all closed, she will be all ready to run headlong into agility.
October 9th, 2011 at 1:23 am
I have weave poles (12s), chute, tunnel, jumps, and 1/2 of a pause table (the top didn’t last, but the legs are good–I need to get busy and replace it). What I need most is more grass to play in. Because of that I don’t have contacts.
But no matter–I have noticed that the obstacles I do work on faithfully really add noticeable improvement. That’s the key: practice, practice, practice.
October 11th, 2011 at 11:10 am
I adopted this 2 yr old lab in April 2011. I had lost my 12 yr old lab 2 yrs earlier, I always wanted to do agility with her, but never got to it. So with this dog it is different. I have fenced in about a 1/4 acre for him, I made 6 jumps, and 6 hoops,then was given a small dog walk, for his birthday I bought him a tire jump, I am hooked. I bought him an inexpensive tunnel over the summer and when I got a bonus at work I bought him a real nice one. I just sold my car and ordered the versa weaves for him. I will bring them in the house for the winter. I still want a see saw, table, and A frame. I guess I will be busy building things over the winter. we are having so much fun.
November 11th, 2011 at 11:43 pm
Man-made equipment – 1 A-frame, 1 tunnel, 5 jumps, and weave poles. Our daily hour-long walk in the bush gives us lots of opportunity to jump over and crawl through natural obstacles. Watched my girl jump several logs this week while carrying short, heavy sticks and gracefully negotiate a wide set of parallel downed logs (like working a ladder on the ground). I have watched her jump over and duck under jumbled logs while barely slowing down…
November 13th, 2011 at 1:31 pm
Luke(Adopted Blue Heeler), needed an outlet. I put him in a beginner Agility class two months ago. He loves it and is so happy. Still working through his “baggage” but
when he sees his toys (equipment) he becomes focused and tail wags with excitement. His toys so far are 6 weave poles, tunnel, chute, jumps and tire. We take his “toys” to the park so he can play 2-3x weekly until we can get to his class. We would love to get the book to enhance “Luke’s” passion. Agility is such an amazing outlet for any adopted/rescue dog… as it truly brings the best out of them (confidence) and their past becomes a distant memory.