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If you’re looking for a fun, challenging, and athletic activity to do with your dog, Agility could be the choice for both of you. In Agility, you direct your dog through an obstacle course as quickly and accurately as possible. It’s a fast-paced dog sport that requires teamwork, training, conditioning, and concentration. But you don’t have to compete to enjoy it; backyard dog agility equipment is a great way to be active with your dog while you build a bond that lasts their whole lifetime.
Before you dive into a rigorous Agility training regimen, check with your vet to make sure your dog is in good physical condition to take on things like jumps or weaves. This is especially important for growing puppies and seniors who may have mobility challenges, but it’s always smart to check in with your vet before doing any new exercises with your dog. You might need to ramp up slowly with low or no jumps, and shorter sessions as you build your dog’s fitness.
What Dog Agility Equipment Do I Need to Get Started?
The most common types of agility equipment for making your own backyard Agility training course are jumps, weave poles, and tunnels. If you’ve got the space, budget, and ambition, you can go all-out and build a complete set of competition obstacles, but for fun and training, you can also just stick to the basics.
Open Tunnel
A dog runs at full speed to the entrance of the tunnel, approaching from any angle, runs through the tunnel and then exits quickly. A tunnel is a good starting point because it’s one of the easiest obstacles to master.
This waterproof, tear-resistant and static-free 210 nylon tunnel is AKC regulation-size: 18-feet long with 24-inch openings. It’s durable, lightweight, and portable, and comes with stakes and a carrying case.
Agility Jumps
A dog leaps over the panel, bar, or triple jump from a proper distance and from any angle, without knocking down the board or bar. You’ll want jumps that are portable and lightweight enough for you to move around so that you can rearrange the course.
You can set the bars of these jumps to various heights depending on your dog’s height, age, and skill level. The set includes a carry bag for easy storage and travel.
Weave Poles
In the weave poles, your enters to the right of the first pole and, while focused straight ahead, weaves through each pole as quickly as possible, staying close to the center line.
This set of twelve poles stakes into the ground so you can set them up in varying levels of difficulty as your dog learns how to weave.
You can add to this basic agility equipment with additional obstacles used in competition.
What Dog Agility Equipment Do I Want for Advanced Training?
If you and your dog love training Agility skills and want to level up, there are some additional backyard obstacles you might want to consider. These are larger and less easy to move around, but they’re core parts of a real Agility course, and they’re ones you’ll want your dog to be exposed to if you decide to compete in an Agility trial.
Usually, if you go to an Agility training class, you’ll find competion-standard obstacles there, and your dog can learn how to use them in class. But again, if you’ve got the space, time, and budget, you can invest in your own upgraded backyard practice course with a few additional pieces.
Teeter
The teeter, which you might be more used to calling a “teeter-totter” or “see-saw,” is an obstacle that can be challenging for dogs to learn because, unlike other obstacles, the teeter moves! They have to run on to the teeter, ride the teeter down, and then wait to leave it, all while making sure to keep their paws in the right contact zones.
This teeter isn’t competition-approved in its dimensions, but it can be a starting point for learning the teeter and for just having fun with building Agility skills at home. (You can find competition-spec teeters and other obstacles that meet AKC regulations at suppliers like CleanRun.com.) You might also want to try out a wobble board with your dog before you move on to the teeter to get them used to the feeling of stepping onto items that move.
A-Frame
This is another contact obstacle where the dog has to run up and over the structure while making sure that their paws stay in the right contact zones. Adjusting the A-frame and starting with a lower “peak” can allow you to work toward competition-level heights as your dog gets accustomed to the look and feel of running up and over the obstace itself.
Again, this at-home practice A-frame isn’t exactly to competition specs, so it’s great for training and conditioning, but you’ll want to be sure you work on trial readiness with competition-sized equipment.
Dog Walk
Despite its name, this obstacle isn’t as simple as taking your dog out for a stroll, but it is fairly straightforward: the dog travels up, across, and down the planks, keeping their paws in the contact zones to avoid any faults.
Again, this backyard dog walk obstacle is not to competition spec, but it’s a great starter for learning and practicing the obstacle, and for keeping your dog in peak condition.
I Have Dog Agility Equipment, Now What?
Once you’ve got a few obstacles on hand, and a place to set them up where your dog can be safely offleash (like your fenced backyard), then it’s up to you! Practice your cues for one obstacle at a time, and then work towards creating Agility courses with combinations of obstacles.
You can use the courses provided in the Virtual Agility Course Test (ACT) program as a blueprint for setting up sequences of obstacles at home. Once you’ve gotten some practice, you can do an ACT course in person or virtually to earn a title, take an Agility training class, continue on to regular Agility trials, or maybe join a team with the AKC Agility League. Or, you can just keep having fun, getting great excercise, and building your bond right in your backyard. You don’t have to compete to benefit from doing Agility with your dog.
And no matter where your Agility journey takes you, always remember: practice safely, practice often, and have fun! Agility is a sport that shows off the deep bond and communication between dog and handler, so be proud of how you’re playing together as a team.