Equipment Needed for Dog Agility Training

Dog agility training is quickly becoming a popular sport among dog owners because it is an excellent way to exercise with your dog and have fun. Thousands of people have created their own dog agility obstacle course to train at home. While you may think this is a difficult task, it is really quite easy to build at home.

The first thing you will need is a comfortable pair of sneakers. You will be on your feet for a few hours, so it is important that you will be comfortable. Be sure that your shoes breathe, especially if it is hot outside. If you are wearing shoes that are not appropriate, you will not be able to properly or effectively train your dog.

There are also several books about dog agility training that can help you get started. These books contain valuable information about training. You will also learn how to construct your own dog agility training obstacle course. Many books have lists of supplies you will need to build specific obstacles and will provide the proper dimensions for the construction of the obstacles.

One of the most common obstacles is also one of the easiest to build. A see-saw is almost always a component of a dog agility obstacle course. You can either build your own see-saw, or you can purchase a see-saw and set it up as a part of your obstacle course. If you are just starting out and do not have a lot of money to spend initially, you may be able to find a child’s see-saw at a local garage sale. This is an excellent size to start with. Once your dog becomes comfortable with the task of balancing on the see-saw and walking across the obstacle, your dog will feel more comfortable tackling the larger obstacles.

Tunnels are also a popular component of a dog agility training obstacle course. Again, you can start building your course very simply by purchasing a vinyl tunnel at your local pet store. They are really not expensive and can be easily found at most stores. While many competitive agility courses have elaborate tunnel mazes, you do not need to start off training your dog to train a maze. Start small and build to larger tunnels. If your dog is not comfortable with the tunnel at first, you can start with using an old tire to get your dog used to maneuvering through a tight space and then build to a larger tunnel.

There are many other components to a dog agility training obstacle course. As you learn more about the agility training process, you may decide to build more obstacles. As you and your dog become more comfortable with the training, you can introduce new obstacles to challenge your dog.