While each individual dog agility organization has its own rules and regulations, there are definitely some pieces of agility equipment that you will see on just about every course. Typically, there are several different jumps on a course as well as weave poles, a pause table, dog tunnels and chutes, an agility dog walk and perhaps a teeter and an a-frame.
When you are first getting started, you might be wondering about what pieces of agility equipment need to be purchased first. Generally, you can't go wrong by grabbing a few jumps. All of the agility organizations use jumps and they tend to make up the bulk of the course, so your dog will need to become a jumping expert. Single, double and triple pole jumps are common, as well as the tire jump and panel jumps of varying height.
Beyond the typical pole jumps and panel jumps, there are some pretty cool jumps used by a few agility organizations, such as the United Kennel Club or UKC. One jump you might find at a UKC-sanctioned event is a window agility jump. This is basically a panel jump with a rectangular hole that acts as the "window." In addition, UKC also adds interesting pieces of agility equipment such as a hoop tunnel, a sway bridge or a swing plank. A fewer other hurdles might include the rail fence hurdle or a picket fence hurdle.
The pause table is generally an easy obstacle to teach. It is here where your furry friend must sit and stay and "pause" during their time on the course. Each organization will have different height requirements for this obstacle as well as rules about how long the dog must stay. It might not seem like the most exciting obstacle, but the pause table is a fantastic training tool and a great way to combine your obedience training with your agility training.
Some contact obstacles are easier to teach than others. Contact obstacles include agility equipment such as dog tunnels and chutes, the agility A-frame and the agility dog walk. The chutes and tunnels can seem a bit daunting at first, but generally it doesn't take long for dogs to warm up to these items. The teeter-totter, however, because of its movement, can be a bit frightening, and some dogs also are intimidated by the height and angle of the A-frame. For these pieces of agility equipment, simply provide an abundance of praise and give your dog plenty of time to warm up to these two items.
All of these pieces of agility equipment can be purchased from online retailers like Carlson Agility. You can find everything you need for training as well as specialty equipment such as K9 training equipment. If you have a timid dog, a puppy or perhaps a small dog, then simply purchase mini agility equipment instead of the full-size version.
When you are first getting started, you might be wondering about what pieces of agility equipment need to be purchased first. Generally, you can't go wrong by grabbing a few jumps. All of the agility organizations use jumps and they tend to make up the bulk of the course, so your dog will need to become a jumping expert. Single, double and triple pole jumps are common, as well as the tire jump and panel jumps of varying height.
Beyond the typical pole jumps and panel jumps, there are some pretty cool jumps used by a few agility organizations, such as the United Kennel Club or UKC. One jump you might find at a UKC-sanctioned event is a window agility jump. This is basically a panel jump with a rectangular hole that acts as the "window." In addition, UKC also adds interesting pieces of agility equipment such as a hoop tunnel, a sway bridge or a swing plank. A fewer other hurdles might include the rail fence hurdle or a picket fence hurdle.
The pause table is generally an easy obstacle to teach. It is here where your furry friend must sit and stay and "pause" during their time on the course. Each organization will have different height requirements for this obstacle as well as rules about how long the dog must stay. It might not seem like the most exciting obstacle, but the pause table is a fantastic training tool and a great way to combine your obedience training with your agility training.
Some contact obstacles are easier to teach than others. Contact obstacles include agility equipment such as dog tunnels and chutes, the agility A-frame and the agility dog walk. The chutes and tunnels can seem a bit daunting at first, but generally it doesn't take long for dogs to warm up to these items. The teeter-totter, however, because of its movement, can be a bit frightening, and some dogs also are intimidated by the height and angle of the A-frame. For these pieces of agility equipment, simply provide an abundance of praise and give your dog plenty of time to warm up to these two items.
All of these pieces of agility equipment can be purchased from online retailers like Carlson Agility. You can find everything you need for training as well as specialty equipment such as K9 training equipment. If you have a timid dog, a puppy or perhaps a small dog, then simply purchase mini agility equipment instead of the full-size version.
About the Author:
Cheng Bernhardt enjoys dog agility training. To find an agility equipment, or to find more agility dog training equipment like agility jumps, please go to the Carlson-Agility site now.
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