Making your own course.

[Bella and Gabe]

Have any of you ingenious and creative people constructed your own agility course? Please don't laugh at me but I want to set up a small playground of sorts for my three amigos. I don't plan to compete or do anything more than just have fun with them in a bit of a mind stimulating play with them.

I am thinking that for a tunnel, wouldn't home builder supply stores carry some type of venting tubes? Is there such a thing and would that work? My husband made a flat ladder of sorts for Bella to step between the rungs to help increase hip muscle strength. That was fun for Gabe to try to step over and between the rungs too (it is a ladder made out of PVC pipe that lies flat on the ground).

Anyway, I was wondering if anyone has suggestion and/or ideas about creating a very simple and fun course. I just was thinking of maybe having a couple fun events for play and exercise.

Suggestions welcome! :wave:

 

[NessaM]

Who would laugh???

You can buy a lot of agility equipment ready-made online - from agility sites. Or you can get the dimensions and build your own.

http://www.parhelion.us/agility_equipment_links.htm#Building Plans

http://members.peak.org/~helix/Agility/

Here's a book that has plans, I believe: http://www.dogwise.com/ItemDetails.cfm?ID=DTA232&AffiliateID=45638&Method=3

If you decide you want to buy some of it: http://www.affordableagility.com/

Links for more resources: http://www.parhelion.us/agility_equipment_links.htm

If you want software to design a course:

http://www.coursedesigner.com/?

 

[padkins]

Nessa,

You definately have a gift. You should be a personal shopper!

 

[NessaM]

If being good at a google search is wrong, I don't want to be right! :lol:

 

[Bella and Gabe]

Who would laugh???

You can buy a lot of agility equipment ready-made online - from agility sites. Or you can get the dimensions and build your own.

http://www.parhelion.us/agility_equipment_links.htm#Building Plans

http://members.peak.org/~helix/Agility/

Here's a book that has plans, I believe: http://www.dogwise.com/ItemDetails.cfm?ID=DTA232&AffiliateID=45638&Method=3

If you decide you want to buy some of it: http://www.affordableagility.com/

Links for more resources: http://www.parhelion.us/agility_equipment_links.htm

If you want software to design a course:

http://www.coursedesigner.com/?

Nessa, it is like Christmas morning and Newf.Net santa (aka: Nessa) has delivered a wealth of great sites and reading information.

Thanks so much for taking the time and going to the trouble of finding all of this for me (us!). :icon_bb:Now...I'm off to do some reading, researching and hopefully soon some building!

 

[ardeagold]

I know a lot of Golden people who have made their own agility courses in their back yard...but not any Newf people!

We had Maggie (Golden) in Agility for a while, but she HATED the teeter totter (not unusual for Goldens for some reason) and even working with her on the buja board didn't help. She loved everything else tho. I can still remember her first time in the tunnel. She went half way and stopped. And stayed there! hahaha The trainer was a riot crawling in calling her through. Took quite a while.

We still have the "ladder" (out of PVC) that we made, in the back yard.

Let us know (PICTURES) how it goes!!

 

[Bella and Gabe]

I know a lot of Golden people who have made their own agility courses in their back yard...but not any Newf people!

We had Maggie (Golden) in Agility for a while, but she HATED the teeter totter (not unusual for Goldens for some reason) and even working with her on the buja board didn't help. She loved everything else tho. I can still remember her first time in the tunnel. She went half way and stopped. And stayed there! hahaha The trainer was a riot crawling in calling her through. Took quite a while.

We still have the "ladder" (out of PVC) that we made, in the back yard.

Let us know (PICTURES) how it goes!!

Will do! I'm really excited about this. It think we'll have a lot of fun with this.

Do you have a photo of your ladder? I have one out of PVC that lays flat on the ground. Is this the type you have too?

 

[Bär]

We have made the ladder out of pvc too. It really helps to build muscle. We also made a "newf" size weave. All just for fun in the backyard.

 

[mulenag]

I have the book in link 3 that Nessa post and LOVE it! Very helpful! We have built most of the obstacles from that book and it wasn't very expensive or difficult to do.
Both my dogs love the tunnel and closed tunnel along with the tire jump. They get so excited when I take 'em out to run a course! I don't set up very complicated courses, but they love it!
I should add, that we didn't build the tunnels, I feel those are better if you just buy 'em!
Check out cleanrun.com as well.

 

[M & M's Mom Linda]

We haven't done an agility course but Barry has built an entire draft maneuvering course in our yard. It is up from October through April. He has used a lot of PVC...easy to work with, lightweight and cheap. He also has an obedience ring made with snow fencing!

 

[ardeagold]

Will do! I'm really excited about this. It think we'll have a lot of fun with this.

Do you have a photo of your ladder? I have one out of PVC that lays flat on the ground. Is this the type you have too?

Yep...same thing. PVC and lays on the ground. It's been laying on the ground now for about 4 years. LOL

 

[Bella and Gabe]

Thank you EVERYONE for you links and support and comments. I'm really excited about this. Yes, it is something we want to build ourselves and purely for the fun, mental stimulation and exercise. I appreciate the advice too that perhaps it is better to just purchase a tunnel. I really want one and have had a heck of a time finding the materials. I'll probably order one for spring delivery since it won't be long before the snow flies here in the Ottawa area. But the other 'event' pieces I think we'll build...I should take out stock in PVC, eh? lol

 

[ardeagold]

You'll probably have to buy the weave poles too. I've never known anyone to make those...although they might. Flexible PVC? LOL

Buying the tunnel makes sense. Or perhaps some HVAC (probably have to be commercial size) tubular accordion type venting? I don't know how big they make it. But I swear I've seen it in commercial buildings. Both insulated (silver) and just the white plastic stuff.

 

[pabusinesswoman]

I am pretty sure Sue M does agility with her newfs.

We sat up a few things in the back yard. The kid's see saw works wonderful for a teeter.

Good luck with it!

 

[janices]

Here's another link:
Instant Agility - http://www.instantagility.com/

 

[Bella and Gabe]

Here's another link:
Instant Agility - http://www.instantagility.com/

Thanks so much! Everyone's links posted are fantastic. I'm doing a lot of studying of all of the informations and this weekend we plan to get started building what we can and ordering what we cannot build.