66 Posts Tagged With "equipment"

  • Raise/Lower Your A Frame by Yourself

    25 Jun 2024

    It can be hard to raise or lower your A Frame by yourself when it is too low to the ground. Here's a simple solution.

    Read more...

    tag cloud of all blog subjects

  • Dog Walk Supports - Stabilizing My Dog Walk

    15 Apr 2024

    I wanted to reduce the flex of the planks in my older dog walk. I found some adjustable supports that work great.

    Read more...

    tag cloud of all blog subjects

  • Outdoor Jump Building Tips

    14 Apr 2024

    Learn from my mistakes with two tips for building outdoor jumps.

    Read more...

    tag cloud of all blog subjects
    Tags:

  • DIY - Dog Walk Mat Attachment

    02 Jan 2024

    Time to move Spark's running dog walk mat onto the plank. I used some grommets and a bungee cord to hold it in place.

    Read more...

    tag cloud of all blog subjects

  • Ultimate Guide to Filling Dog Agility Tunnel Bags

    09 Jun 2022

    After 10 years, I've updated my step by step instructions for filling up dog agility tunnel bags.

    Read more...

    tag cloud of all blog subjects

  • Leveling You Jumps

    22 Aug 2021

    A quick tip for leveling your jump uprights on uneven ground.

    Read more...

    tag cloud of all blog subjects
    Tags:

  • Hack for Organizing Your Dogs' Agility Entry Info

    11 Jun 2021

    I share a super simple hack for storing your dog's info for filling out trial entry forms.

    Read more...

    tag cloud of all blog subjects
    Tags:

  • PVC - Screw It Don't Glue It!

    10 May 2021

    Screwing together PVC and fittings holds the pieces together and gives you the ability to replace any cracked/broken pieces and the flexibility to redesign your obstacles in the future.

    Read more...

    tag cloud of all blog subjects
    Tags:

  • My Home Dog Agility iPhone Recording Setup

    01 Sep 2020

    Here are the inexpensive wide angle lens, mount, and tripod I use to record dog agility at home.

    Read more...

    tag cloud of all blog subjects
    Tags:

  • Save Your Grass From Your Weaves

    18 Jun 2020

    A simple tip to keep your weaves from killing your grass.

    Read more...

    tag cloud of all blog subjects
    Tags:

  • DIY Dog Agility Teeter Mover

    14 Jun 2020

    A dog agility teeter can be awkward to move by yourself. Here's a video showing how I move mine with a small, cheap hand truck and a bungee cord.

    Read more...

    tag cloud of all blog subjects
    Tags:

  • Backyard Agility LED Lighting

    05 Apr 2020

    I replaced two old halogen yard lights with modern outdoor waterproof LED lights to extend our training and playtime into the dark winter nights.

    Read more...

    tag cloud of all blog subjects
    Tags:

  • My Home Agility All Season Practice Area

    15 Mar 2020

    How I converted part of my yard into an all season agility practice area and what I'd do differently next time.

    Read more...

    tag cloud of all blog subjects
    Tags:

  • Tunnel and Tunnel Bag Cart/Mover

    24 Jan 2020

    Check out these clever homemade carts for moving and storing tunnels with their sandbags.

    Read more...

    tag cloud of all blog subjects

  • Sandbags for PVC Ring Dividers/Gates/Fencing

    08 Dec 2019

    My experience using my moveable PVC ring dividers/gates outdoors lead me to invest in photographer sandbags.

    Read more...

    tag cloud of all blog subjects
    Tags:

  • Weave Safety in One Photo

    15 Nov 2019

    Whitney Rupp of Chops Photography took this action shot of Snap! and I loved it because it showed three potential weave safety issues in one shot; can you spot them?

    Read more...

    tag cloud of all blog subjects

  • PVC Moveable Ring Dividers/Gates/Fencing

    27 May 2019

    How to build your own moveable ring dividers/gates from PVC with a spreadsheet calculator for materials and saw cuts.

    Read more...

    tag cloud of all blog subjects
    Tags:

  • Use Sight Lines to Accurately Setup/Build Agility Courses

    01 Sep 2018

    The "baseline" method of course building ( Daisy Peel how to video , 2004 Clean Run article by Dave Hanson ) is the most accurate way to…

    Read more...

    Tags:

  • Jump Bar Cavaletti

    06 Apr 2018

    A simple way to convert any PVC jump bars into dog training cavaletti.

    Read more...


  • Beautiful Coordinate Numbers for Your Agility Ring

    22 Nov 2017

    Whether you call them "numbers", "coordinates", "wall numbers", "grid numbers", "yard lines", or something else, having coordinates posted…

    Read more...

    Tags:

  • Adjusting Dog Walk Height with Rotating Supports

    19 Oct 2017

    I love my dog walk (made by Iowan Mark Ries 10+ years ago) because it's easy to move on rough terrain, tunnels can be placed anywhere…

    Read more...

    Tags:

  • Contact Equipment Safety in Photos

    20 Mar 2017

    I'm always concerned about our dog's safety on course and I'm collecting photos of dog agility contact equipment and highlighting unsafe…

    Read more...

    Tags:

  • Seesaw or Teeter or ?

    03 Apr 2016

    I was at Canine Sports Zone for their awesome 2016 National Agility Championship fun match and we were watching the AKC event on the…

    Read more...


  • Contact Resurfacing - Part 2: Upgrading the Frame Structure

    15 Sep 2014

    In the first article of this series I showed how to remove the old surface of your A Frame, Teeter and Dog Walk. In this article I'll show…

    Read more...

    Tags:

  • Contact Resurfacing - Part 1: Removing the Old

    25 Aug 2014

    My dog walk, teeter and A frame all needed their original plywood surfaces replaced. As an example, I have an aluminum framed A Frame that…

    Read more...

    Tags:

  • Converting Weaves to 24 inch Spacing

    16 Jun 2014

    In the past couple years all the agility venues we compete in have converted to 24 inch weave spacing and I had two sets of weaves with…

    Read more...

    Tags:

  • Tagg Pet Tracker Review

    12 Jun 2014

    For some reason people think microchips are an alternative to tracking collars. They solve two very different problems. Microchips help…

    Read more...

    Tags:

  • USDAA Spread Jumps Made Easy!

    14 Apr 2014

    As of this writing these are the applicable equipment regulations . Dave's technique is to build a pair of jump uprights with four feet on…

    Read more...

    Tags:

  • Running A Frame - "Nerd Box"

    07 May 2013

    I'm using Rachel Sanders' running A Frame technique with Flyer and I thought I'd share my "Nerd Box" design with you. I came up with…

    Read more...

    Tags:

  • Are We Qualified for Nationals Yet?

    22 Apr 2013

    That is the question many competitors ask throughout the year in their agility venue(s) of choice and you can use Agility Record Book to…

    Read more...


  • Protect Your (Jump) Feet!

    14 Apr 2013

    I was looking over my jumps after the winter and saw that a couple had cracked and broken end caps. Water had collected in the based of the…

    Read more...

    Tags:

  • Add-On AKC Triple Jump

    18 Mar 2013

    I bought jump cup strips for building a triple jump over 5 years ago and never got around to building a frame to hold them. I was just too…

    Read more...

    Tags:

  • Cold/Wet Training Gloves

    18 Jan 2013

    I really want to continue training Flyer throughout the Winter. Here in Chicago it can get pretty cold and wet in the winter and my hands…

    Read more...

    Tags:

  • Ban Dangerous Steel Jumps Now!

    28 Nov 2012

    There is no reason to use dangerous steel jumps anymore! Period. There are just too many opportunities for injury. Eye injuries and…

    Read more...


  • Test Your Agility Age!

    24 Aug 2012

    You've been in agility as long as me if this was once common on a piece of standard agility equipment: here are some hints: Spoiler Alert: I…

    Read more...

    Tags:

  • My AKC Tire Safety Proposal

    06 Aug 2012

    Lately there have been many discussions on agility email lists and among competitors around the subject of tire safety; specifically with…

    Read more...

    Tags:

  • Mark's Agility Equipment Pause Table

    31 Jul 2012

    My old pause table delaminated and warped years ago and I kept putting off making a new one. So rather than DIY I came up with a list of…

    Read more...

    Tags:

  • Tunnel Bags - Filling 'Em

    29 May 2012

    My tips for filling up tunnel sand bags.

    Read more...

    tag cloud of all blog subjects

  • Unexpected Rubber Contact Danger

    20 Apr 2012

    In almost all regards rubber coated contacts are "a good thing" TM . The most common "danger" about them is to the people moving them…

    Read more...

    Tags:

  • Max 200 Break-Away Tire

    20 Mar 2011

    I've written in the past about the need for break-away tires in agility. Well I ordered one from Max200 after seeing one at a USDAA…

    Read more...


  • FarmTek Electronic Timer Sound Recordings

    13 Jan 2011

    Ever since electronic timers have been introduced to dog agility competitions there have been dogs that were startled and scared by the…

    Read more...

    Tags:

  • Sports Bras for Agility Competitors

    05 Aug 2010

    I was late to Dana Pike’s class this week, due to taking Meeker to TOPS , and as I walked in Dana said I needed to blog about the most…

    Read more...

    Tags:

  • iPhone Dog Agility Record Keeping Now Available!

    07 Mar 2010

    Ever since the iPhone was released folks have been asking for an application that would record their agility scores on their phone; well one…

    Read more...


  • Building a Double Jump

    22 Feb 2010

    Even though the backyard was still covered with snow and ice, yesterday's temperatures in the 30s got me itching to do something agility…

    Read more...


  • 24 inch Weave Pole Spacing Survey Results

    26 Aug 2009

    Last week Susan Garrett started a survey a weave pole spacing for USDAA and the results are now in. 2658 people completed the survey and…

    Read more...


  • 24 inch Weave Pole Spacing

    23 Aug 2009

    There has been a lot of discussion on the USDAA email list trying to convince the board to change to 24" weave pole spacing. I chimed in…

    Read more...


  • Rubber Contacts and Training

    21 Jul 2009

    Rubber chip coated contacts are becoming more and more popular and are a "good thing" due to the excellent traction they provide, but they…

    Read more...


  • Weave Poles

    31 May 2009

    I really feel like I'm living up to the Nerd in AgilityNerd now; not an article on the Weaves themselves, only the poles! Here are a few…

    Read more...

    Tags:

  • Track Your Performance - Agility Record Book

    22 Mar 2009

    I use Dave Connet's Agility Record Book (ARB) software to track how Meeker and I do at our trials and wanted to share its features with…

    Read more...


  • Home Course Building

    07 Nov 2008

    I've been setting up more courses at home and I thought I'd share some steps I took to make that easier. I help build courses at every trial…

    Read more...

    Tags:

  • Replacing A Frame Slats

    20 Oct 2008

    With all the rain at the end of this summer my A Frame became too decrepit to put off repairing. It didn't need to be fully "re-skinned…

    Read more...

    Tags:

  • Honda Element "Dog Mobile"

    02 Jun 2008

    In response to a comment on my Window Film Application post here are my thoughts on the Honda Element as a dogmobile and how I store my…

    Read more...

    Tags:

  • Window Film For Cooler Cars

    25 May 2008

    Now that the heat of summer is coming I've started looking for ways to keep our dogs cooler and safer while traveling in the car. Like many…

    Read more...

    Tags:

  • Unattended Equipment Safety

    09 May 2008

    I saw a tragic story come through on a number of agility email lists a couple weeks ago that I thought I should share it with those of you…

    Read more...


  • Contact Cozies: Keeping Contacts Safe

    07 Apr 2008

    Here's my interpretation of the Contact Cozies Steve Stochaj wrote about in his comment on my article about the dangers of frost on…

    Read more...

    Tags:

  • Do We Need to Change the Tire?

    20 Jan 2008

    In the past month there has been a lot of discussion on the AgilityDogs and USDAA SoundingBoard email lists about serious injuries to…

    Read more...


  • A Frame Mover

    14 Dec 2007

    The best A-Frame mover I've ever used!

    Read more...

    tag cloud of all blog subjects
    Tags:

  • PVC Cutter

    25 Nov 2007

    I had never bothered using a PVC cutter before; I always used a hand saw or my powered miter saw if I had a lot of PVC to cut. The downside…

    Read more...

    Tags:

  • Outdoor Compact Fluorescent Floodlights

    15 Oct 2007

    The previous owner of my house had installed fixtures for three pairs of incandescent floodlights lights pointing out to the yard. This time…

    Read more...

    Tags:

  • DIY Chute

    11 Apr 2007

    Well I've had the parts for almost a year now and I finally made time to put together my own Chute. This isn't exactly a "how to" article…

    Read more...

    Tags:

  • Grass

    23 Mar 2007

    Grass as agility equipment you might ask? Sure. I want Milo and Meeker to have a comfortable and safe surface on which we can play and…

    Read more...

    Tags:

  • Contact Wicket

    04 Mar 2007

    Previously, I had made a Contact Hoop for helping Meeker hit his contacts; after working with Dana Pike on contacts she pointed out I…

    Read more...


  • Agility Matting For Indoor Training

    21 Feb 2007

    I've taken the plunge and put rubber matting down in My house has hardwood floors throughout and the sun room has a tile floor. The…

    Read more...


  • Contact Hoop

    08 Dec 2006

    It seems when I train with Rhonda Carter I not only learn to be a better handler and trainer but I find she has come up with an idea for a…

    Read more...


  • Seal Skinz Waterproof Socks

    23 Aug 2006

    Socks? you might ask. Yep socks. I was just miserable during a rain soaked three day agility seminar with squishy shoes and many changes of…

    Read more...


  • Bar Bells

    01 Jul 2006

    At Dana Pike's 2006 Spring Maintenance Camp Rhonda Carter mentioned temporarily attaching small bells to each end of a jump bar. If…

    Read more...