• 28Oct

  Happy Howloween!

  Interesting and Funny No Comments

  Happy Halloween, Agility Fusion!

  Please be careful with your agility buddies.  Halloween isn’t just a time of candy (a danger to dogs!) and trick or treaters (who can frighten your dog badly) it can also be a time of animal cruelty.  Please keep a close eye on your pets, especially the beautiful black ones!

  Have fun this holiday!  I’ve heard of pet trick-or-treating, and Halloween dog agility could be a lot of fun!  Enjoy your weekend with your pet, and remember, treats should only come AFTER their tricks!

  

  Tags: dog safety & health

• 26Oct

  Wingin’ It

  Dog Agility Equipment, Dog Agility Training No Comments

  A simple way to add complexity and a handling challenge to a home course or a intermediate class is to add wings!

  For practice, you can add wings to any jump, though for competition they’re only used on bar jumps. Wings add distance for the handler and dog, which can be a real problem for Velcro dogs! They also change the appearance of jumps the dog is used to.  Changing views keeps dogs from becoming situation oriented, and not completing a jump because it looks different and new.

  

  Tags: agility training

• 24Oct

  Howling Good Times!

  Interesting and Funny 2 Comments

  If you want to get into the ‘spirit’ of halloween with your dog, try doing some redecorating on your course, and inviting your agility class over!  Below are some ideas to get you started.

  • Haunt your course: Not literally, of course! that’s not suggested.  Hang out a halloween themed flag by your jump, or from the underside of a dogwalk. Drape your jumps in toilet paper or ‘webbing’, and make pumpkin wings for your jumps- or, better yet, a pumpkin jump! Just set up a row of biggish pumpkins or Jack-o-Lanterns (unlit is recommended, fire and dogs don’t get along real well) and use them as an extra jump.
  • Movers, shakers, and Screamers!: Put your motion sensor halloween decorations to good use on your agility course, as proofers.  Can your dog keep running as the witch waves and cackles, or the ghoul cries?  I’ll bet he can!
  • Trick and Treat Jumps: Hang trick or treat bowls (or bags) from your equipment, and treat each dog over the obstacle from them.  It gets the ‘door to door’ feeling of trick or treating!
  • Is that my Handler?: Everyone can dress up in a costume for the party, and see how your dog reacts to bobbing bee headgear! Or your fluttering vampire cape.
  • Pot Luck (or else, not so lucky…): Remember to have edibles for the humans, too. Potluck works great, and it might be fun to mix treats up, too, provided no ones’ dogs are food sensitive.  It’s also a good idea to have multiple bowls of water around.
  • Costumes are Grand!: Costumes are okay for the dogs, too, but don’t do agility and costumes at the same time.  It can be unsafe, so have the costumes after the course, or the course after the costumes.  If you do decide to do a costume contest, make up fun little prizes, like a treat bag for the person and dog- a new rope toy or clicker, and candies or cookies.

  Remember to have a big enough area for all the dogs you want to have, and also, have lots and lots of plastic bags for poops.  Nobody minds a party pooper, if they clean it up!

  Does any one else have other ideas? Share in a comment!

  

  Tags: agility games/classes

• 21Oct

  Tunnel?

  Dog Agility Equipment No Comments

  What size tunnel should I get?

  We offer a wide variety to suit all your tunneling needs, but sometimes it’s nice to hear the pluses – and minuses – of individual tunnels, or suggestions on which might be best.

  Generally, our practice line is great for backyard use with a few dogs. These tunnels are lighter than what you might see at a competition, and made out of heavy-duty canvassy material. Store when not in use to make your tunnel last longer!

  The competition line is heavy duty, super strong, and fits competition standards. These tunnels are quite a bit more expensive than the practice tunnels, but clubs, trainers, and some individuals find it worthwhile.

  Length: If you want nice S curves, a 15-20’ tunnel is best, but if all you need is a simple C, a 9’ will work nicely! Our 6’ tunnels are for small dogs, and they can also be coaxed into a C shape – although it’s a sharp curve on those tunnels!

  Diameter: We offer 19”, 22”, 24” and 28” diameter tunnels! How do you choose?! When in doubt, I always suggest our customers go with competition diameter – 24” for most organizations. If you are not going to compete at any time and have a giant breed, you may like the 28” super giant tunnels. The 19” diameter works for toy dogs or puppies, but we don’t suggest it for taller dogs.

  

  Tags: Affordable Agility News, agility obstacles

• 17Oct

  Dognapped!

  Interesting and Funny No Comments

  Petside.com published an interesting article about dognapping being on the rise in the United States, and the AKC verifies it as well.  How horrible!  Keep a close eye on your pet when they’re out in your yard, at the dog park, and keep them indoors or secured at night.

  I can’t imagine the agony of having one of my pets stolen for who-knows-what!  Please, everyone, be careful!

  

  Tags: dog safety & health, Events & News

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