DIY: Build Your Own Agility Course

Agility is fun to do with your friend and suits most dogs, regardless of breed. Here are tips on how to make a simple course.

If you want to have real fun with your dog, practice agility. The dog gets exercise and useful brain exercise, and in addition, the cooperation between you and your dog is strengthened. There are courses to sign up for and associations to join. Agility suits most dogs, regardless of breed. The exceptions are puppies, older dogs, and dogs that have problems with their backs, knees, or hips.

You can train on playgrounds intended for children, or use the forest’s logs and stones as obstacles. Or you build your very own course. If you are just a little handy and have access to the right tools, it is not at all difficult to build an agility course. Equip yourself with lots of reward candy or your dog’s favorite toy and start exercising. In the construction market, we found everything we needed to build a track.

SLALOM

How easy it is to do. We painted ordinary flower sticks white with colorful stripes and stuck them on the lawn. The sticks were extra nice with their colorful strings that we tied at the top.

YOU NEED:

• Eight flower sticks, 95 cm high.
• Colorful nylon strings in three different colors, 20 cm per color and needle.
• Paint for outdoor use in several colors.

DO THIS:

1. Paint the sticks white with the paint.
2. Decorate different fields with colorful colors and let them dry.
3. Tie the colorful strings at the top of the pegs.
4. Insert the sticks into the lawn with about 60 centimeters between each stick.

Jumping Obstacles

We built three solid jumping obstacles. On each obstacle, you can adjust the height for three levels. Let your dog start with a low obstacle.

YOU NEED:

• The rule is 210 cm long, 10 cm wide, and 4.5 cm thick.
• A round rod that is 250 cm long and 2.5 cm in diameter.
• Paint for outdoor use in different colors.
• Folding rule.
• SAW.
• Sandpaper.
• Brush.
• 4 -10 cm long screws.
• Screwdriver or screwdriver.
• Drill and wood drill.
• Drill of 25 mm.
• 2 pieces of wood screws 5.0 x 80 mm.

DO THIS:

1. Cut the rule into four parts so that you get two posts that will be 85 cm and two “feet” that will be 40 cm.
2. Cut the round bar into three equal parts, approx. 83 cm.
Sand the cut surfaces.
4. Paint all parts at least twice with the white outdoor paint.
5. Measure out the middle of the “foot” and pre-drill two holes (one on each side of the centerline) straight through, otherwise, the wood will crack when you screw in the screws.
7. Screw the posts into each foot. Screw from below the foot and up into the post.
8. Measure where you want your round bars to sit. Three levels at different heights. Drill holes with the 25 mm drill.
9. Sandpaper in the holes and paint inside. Decor paints different fields with colorful colors and let dry.
10. Push the round bars into the holes. Clear!

STEPPING STONES

These nice round stepping stones, which are actually used when creating gardens, fit perfectly into our agility course. They can be used as a slalom track, or as a balance track, or why not as a finish at each station. After each obstacle the dog has made, it should place its paw on the stone. Check!

YOU NEED:

• Five round, dark gray stepping stones, 15 cm in diameter.
• Cardboard or stiff paper to make a template.
• Pen.
• Scissors or scalpel.
• Brush or pad.
• Paint in different colors for outdoor use.

DO THIS:

1. Draw a dog paw on the stiff paper.
2. Cut or cut with a scalpel so that you get a template.
3. Staple or paint different colors on the stepping stones.
Let try, ready!

BALANCE BOARD

Dogs are good at balancing. We built a relatively low obstacle and taped non-slip tape to prevent slippery accidents.

YOU NEED:

• 250 cm long rule, 10 cm wide, and 4.5 cm thick.
• Paint for outdoor use in different colors.
• Non-slip tape.
• Folding rule.
• SAW.
• Sandpaper.
• Brush.
• Screwdriver or screwdriver.
• Drill and wood drill.
• 2 pieces of wood screws 5.0 x 80 mm.

DO THIS:

1. Cut off two 25 cm long pieces from the rule.
Sand the cut surfaces.
3. Paint all three rule pieces at least twice with the white outdoor paint.
Pre-drill in the long plank (otherwise the wood will crack) and screw the two shorter pieces in each end so that the plank comes up a bit from the ground.
5. Tape the anti-slip tape along the middle of the plank.
6. Decor paint with the different colors, let dry.

JUMP THROUGH RING

We started from a rock ring we already had. To get the rock ring up on a stand, we used poles that are used to support newly planted trees.

YOU NEED:

• A rock ring.
• Two round posts 5 cm in diameter and 150 cm high.
• A flower stick, 95 cm long.
• Paint in different colors for outdoor use.
• Drill and drill.
• Lace.
• Brush.

DO THIS:

1. Drill holes through the posts so that the flower pin can be easily pushed in. We drilled two holes at different heights on each post.
2. Paint the sticks and posts white.
3. Decor paint with the different colors, let dry.
4. Push the poles into the lawn.
5. Slide the flower stick between the posts.
Tie the rock ring with the string at the top of the flower stick and on each side of the posts.

TEETER

The seesaw or seesaw is a bit harder than the balance board. On the seesaw, the dog should go up on the board and wait until it tips over and goes down on the other side when the board has hit the ground.

YOU NEED:

• A stump.
• A rule, 3 m long, 17 cm wide, and 4.5 cm thick.
• Paint for outdoor use in different colors.
• Non-slip tape.
• SAW.
• Sandpaper.
• Brush.
• Two long nails 10 cm or longer.

DO THIS:

1. Sandpaper the rule’s cut surfaces.
2. Decor paint with the different colors, let dry.
3. Tape the anti-slip tape along with the rule.
4. Paint the stump.
5. Put the rule over the stump, ready!