AgilityFusion.com » agility obstacles

30Nov

Help Deciding

Dog Agility Equipment No Comments

How do you decide what to buy? What to borrow? What to just do in class?

This is a hard question, and different for every agility learner.

Here are some questions you can ask yourself to help you choose what you want to buy, borrow, or practice in class.

Does my dog have difficulty with this? If so, why? Would more interaction with the obstacle help? If so, it might be beneficial to purchase one. If your dog has issues with wrapping jumps, it would probably benefit from at home practice. Weaves especially need to be practiced at home, in my experience.

Do I have room? Chances are, you can’t fit an entire dogwalk in your back yard. There are ways around that, using benches or a contact trainer to help your dog learn contact behavior, and steady footing on planks.

Is it something my dog enjoys? I think it’s a good idea to have an obstacle your dog absolutely adores on hand, to use as a reward, or just for a quick five minute practice pick me up. It’s a lot of fun to be able to go outside (or in the basement or barn or wherever) and do a five minute tunnel training day. The dogs get so excited!

Tags: agility beginners, agility obstacles, agility training

28Nov

Sizzling Seesaws

Dog Agility Equipment, Dog Agility Training No Comments

We’ve received more requests for teeter training tips this year than we ever have before! Jen Pinder’s new 3 DVD set has an entire DVD to help with teeter problems, as well as a beginning to end seesaw training program. We’re very happy to be able to offer this to you this holiday season! If you’re interested in this item, check our sales – or call us at 1 800 254 9441.

Tags: Affordable Agility News, agility obstacles, agility training

14Nov

Don’t Like Tape?

Dog Agility Equipment No Comments

Some agility enthusiasts don’t like to use tape to decorate poles, citing the necessary maintenance and the possibility a dog will get their fur caught, especially in the weave poles. However, decorating poles is still necessary! Try using a spray paint like Krylon to color your poles. You can create patterns with your vinyl tape, spraypaint it, and then peel the tape off off!

Share a picture of your favorite poles here (email brittany@affordableagility.com ) or on facebook! (Or like Hershey here, your dog with tape!)

If you want different colors of tape, go here at Affordable Agility for a wide selection of wonderful colors.

Tags: agility obstacles

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

10Oct