Dog Agility Training Equipment And How It Is Used

Teaching your dog the thrill of maneuvering through an agility course often just as much fun for you as it is the dog and there are many breeds that absolutely love dog agility training. Many dogs not only enjoy running the course, but they are very keen on pleasing their masters. Due to their devoutness, they work very hard to breeze through any course they are put through.

If you want to get into agility training with your dog, here is some dog agility equipment that you might consider using.

Jumps

These are great for getting your dog used to jumping high. They come in single, double, and triple jumps. There are fence wing jumps that have multiple bars stacked one above the other, symbolizing a fence. These are able to be adjusted in height by removing one or more boards. There are also mini jumps for very small dogs.

While these types mentioned are commonly called agility jumps, there are also another kind called obedience jumps. The difference between these and the agility jumps is that the handler usually tells the dog when and how to clear these jumps. Tire jumps can be used as either an agility or obedience jump, it’s up to the handler.

Barrels and Chutes

In dog agility training, the barrels are usually a short pipe that is wide enough for a medium sized dog to comfortably go through it. Generally, the two common sizes are 18 inches and 24 inches in diameter. There is a type of PVC frame that comes with the barrel to keep it from rolling as the dog crawls through it. To make the barrel even more challenging, there are canvas chutes that can be added onto the barrel. With this attached to the barrel, the dog will then have an extra 10 to 12 feet to crawl.

Contact Equipment

This category actually includes a few different pieces of equipment, but they are generally used together with the jumps and barrels. Under contact equipment there is the dog walk, an A-frame, and a teeter totter. Each one has to be walked over by the dog and is a great way for him to demonstrate how much balance he has.

Dog agility training usually takes place in a large field, since there is often quite a bit of equipment set up for dogs to weave in and out of, jump over, crawl under, and run across. These dogs seem to have an amazing time performing their designated tasks and their humans thoroughly enjoy watching them.