After my big excursion yesterday to the Spring Doxie Fest in Maryland, I decided to spend today resting. I probably look like this:
Well at least for a little while. I can’t miss agility class this afternoon!
Why rest when there are so many adventures to go on! And have no fear, if you weren’t able to make it to the Spring Doxie Fest this year, I’ll be back tomorrow with a full recap! 
As you probably know, I’ve been taking weekly agility training classes since last spring. I’ve come pretty far in my training, but I still have lots to learn until I’m ready to compete.
Last week I had a visitor at class…..which means I have video proof that I’m an agility dog! Yay!
This week I decided that the teeter totter was a bit scary – I mean do you really blame me, that thing catapults you into the sky! But mom helped me get through my fears, and hopefully I’ll be back to darting across it at super hero speed just like I had been doing for the past several months.
Anyone else taking dog agility classes? What’s your favorite obstacle? Mine is the A-frame!
I’m at the point in my Dog Agility training that I’m going to start learning how to do weave poles. Learning to do weave poles is one of the most challenging things in Dog Agility, so mom says it’s important that we have our own set at home to practice in between classes.
So when my friends over at the Dog Agility Shop offered up a set of Spikes and Pole Placers, I knew it was time to jump right in and DIY a set of weave poles!
Building your own set of weave poles is super easy and cost effective (about $25) with the help of the Dog Agility Shop. Here’s what you’ll need…..
DIY Dog Agility Weave Poles
Supplies Needed:
Directions:
Once your Spikes and Pole Placer arrive from the Dog Agility Shop you will need to cut your 3/4 inch PVC pipe into 6 pieces that are 38 inches in length. Then place the PVC caps on one end of all your poles and attach the other end to the Spikes. Then you can stripe your poles with colored duct tape to make them more visible. Once your poles are done, lay out the pole placer, and place your poles into the ground through the grommet holes in the placer. Now you’re ready to learn weave poles!
Inexpensive, easy to set-up, easy to transport, and oh so much fun – these weave poles are looking great in my backyard!
Sadly there are no super cool photos of me weaving through these poles like a pro (yet), because I’ve only just begun my training.
Having these bad boys in my back yard will give me no excuse to not show up everyone in my class when it comes to the weave pole training.
My classmates are gonna be sooooo jealous!
For more agility tutorials check out my post on Building your own Dog Agility Jumps.
Disclosure: I received a set of spikes and pole placer from the dog agility shop for review. However, all opinions are entirely my own.
Last week I had my regularly scheduled dog agility classes at DTCCC, only this time was special because my dad was home from work so he got to come watch me!
Of course I was super excited to show dad all the things I’ve been learning in class – and I went so fast that he could barely capture it on camera!
One of the things I have been learning at class is my agility contacts. Contacts in dog agility refer to a specific contact zone at the base of an object (like the A-frame, teeter, dog walk) that you must place a paw in during competition in order for it to count. Most of these contact zones are marked by a yellow strip at the base of an obstacle.
Being that I’m a small dog it is much easier for me to not miss a contact (because I’m not big enough to soar over it), but it is still best to learn how to do each object properly by entering and exiting it at the very base.
Below is a short video from class that dad took of me working on my contacts with the a-frame. You’ll see that I have a verbal cue (“mark”) that mom gives me as I approach the base of the a-frame, this cues me to pause at the bottom of the board until I get the ok to move forward. As I progress in my training my “mark” won’t be as obvious as I race around the course.
Looks pretty fun right?
Here’s some pervious posts from my adventures in agility training incase you missed it:
DIY: Build your own Agility Jumps
P.S. Don’t forget to vote for me in the 2012 Petties! I’m nominated for best blog design, and winning will earn $1,000 to one of my favorite pet charities!
Since I have a lot of “jobs” (shop greeter, artist, guard dog, farm dog, sidekick, super hero….) sometimes it’s nice to enjoy a few extra curricular activities at the end of the day. One of my favorites right now is agility class.
I still have a lot of training to do before I’m ready to compete, but right now I’m just having a lot of fun! Just see for yourself….
P.S. I like Tunnels about as much as this boy likes Turtles. 🙂
On Tuesday evenings I attend two dog training classes. First I make my way to class at the Dog Training Center of Chester County where I’m learning to be a Canine Good Citizen and Therapy Dog. Then it’s off to Wagsworth Manor where I’m in the Intermediate Agility Class.
This week there was a big storm rolling in when mom and I pulled up to Wagsworth Manor, so instead of running around outside like normal we headed inside. I was kind of unsure about the whole situation, considering there was thunder and lightning, strange barking dogs, and a whole new environment to contend with. But soon I was put to ease, because my dad was waiting there to watch me get my Agility on!
Mom says I have to work on paying attention better, even when there are distractions, but how can you not be excited when your Dad comes to watch!?
My Mondays are a bit different than most people’s because I have the day off from work! But just because I don’t have to go into the “office” doesn’t mean I don’t have lots to do.
On this particular Monday after feeding my ponies on the farm I did some shopping with mom.
On my Lowes stop I picked up some things for my garden. Mom let me pick out some plants to grow in my magic horse poop garden – and I can’t wait until they get big enough to eat! Yum.
Then it was off to my agility class with my friends!
I love everything about agility training; running fast, jumping, going through obstacles…
….and don’t get me started on the treats! Mom comes armed with a bag full of string cheese – makes me wish I could go to class everyday!
But as much as I love agility training there is one thing I HATE about going to class.
My crate! I’ve never liked being in a crate, what can I say….this boy needs freedom to roam. So unlucky for me, mom has decided it’s about time I get used to being in one since there might be cases I have to sit in it and wait patiently.
Patiently, huff! I’m totally not above barking and crying until they unlock me from this fortress of doom. Who’s with me? Crate haters unite!
If you follow me on Facebook, then you probably already know that I’ve been taking a beginner dog agility class. With 5 classes under my belt now my Dad came to watch me at class last night – which also means I now have video proof that I’m a kick-butt agility star. Plus I know you have all been dying to see me hop around the course in my cute yellow jacket. *wink*
Last night I went to my agility class, and guess what?
I mastered the catwalk!
It’s actually quite fun once you get the hang of it.
So this is what it feels like to be 4′ tall, I could definitely get used to this!
*This post contains some affiliate links
For those of you that follow me on Facebook, you probably know that I recently have started taking agility lessons. While being an agility loving Dachshund isn’t a new concept, some might think that due to my short legs and long back that agility might not be the sport for me. But lucky for me, my mom believes that being active and fit are more important to keeping me healthy in the long run than making me sit on the sidelines. Agility might not be for every dog out there, but for me it is one of those things that keeps me motivated to run my little tushie off and keep the middle of my “hot dog” from touching the ground.
So with my start into the World of agility, mom decided to help me build a set of my very own agility jumps for the back yard. Lucky for you I made sure we documented the entire process so that you too can build your own backyard set!
DIY: Build You Own Agility Jumps
The following step-by-step tutorial will show you how to build two jumps for your dog for about $40 in materials (we did most of our shopping at Lowes).
Materials:
*You will also need to either purchase or make your own jump cups for this project. We opted to buy our own jump cups
It’s also helpful if you have a supervisor for this project on hand – if you do not have one I’m happy to lend my services for a nominal fee, you know where to find me.
Next you will need to make some cuts in the 1″ PVC pipe. After measuring and marking your cuts with a sharpie, you can use a pipe cutter or a circular saw to make your cuts.
Cuts to Make on 1″ PVC pipe:
*make sure you are only making your cuts for these out of the 1″ PVC pipe (you will cut the 3/4″ pipe to make the jump poles later)
Next you will start the assembly process – if you prefer to make your jump really secure you can use PVC pipe glue to attach the pieces, but we opted to forgo the glue and just tightly assemble each piece. This way the pieces can be disassembled later or put away for the winter.
Assembly:
1. Create the feet of your jump by slipping the 12″ PVC pieces into the top and bottom ends of your “T” connectors. Then add an end cap to each end of the pipe.
2. Next add the 1 3/4″ PVC pieces to the open end of the “T” connector.
3. Then add another “T” connector to the ends of your 1 3/4″ pipe, make sure they face in the directions pictured above.
4. Add the 50″ PVC pieces in-between your two “feet”.
5. Place your 30″ PVC pieces into the open “T” connector and then add an end cap to the top of each pipe.
At this point your jumps are nearly complete, but you will need to add jump cups to them. You can purchase a set of jump cups
So out of the 3/4″ PVC pipe you purchased cut 4 pieces at 49 3/8″ (or the measurement you took between the poles after attaching your jump cups).
After making your cuts for your jump poles, you might decide to paint the poles. According to the AKC Agility Rulebook, jump poles must be striped for visibility, so who was I to argue with adding a bit of color!
After taping off some stripes on my poles with painters tape and newspaper mom let me choose the color I wanted from the cans of spray paint we had in the basement.
After a few coats of flashy blue paint, my jump poles were looking mighty fine. (You can also stripe your poles with colored electrical tape).
And then after letting them dry overnight, they were finally finished, and they were glorious!
Oh and don’t worry, I only jump a 4″ height for practice – but I had mom and dad make me an extra jump rail for when Trooper comes over to practice with me.
Putting my new agility jumps to the test was the best part though!
Look at me, I can fly!
I’ve created this handy PDF for you to download that has all the instructions you will need to make your own set of DIY Dog Agility Jumps. Happy Jumping!
*These jumps are intended to be used for backyard fun. If you plan to build jumps for competition use make sure you build your jumps to rulebook specifications.
Disclaimer: To the best of our knowledge this equipment is entirely safe, however, we are not liable for any damages or injuries you or your dog may sustain from following these instructions. Use your best judgement when building equipment for your dog – and be safe!