# I've been busy making Agility stuff



## Miss Daisy's Mom

Competative?? You?? Naaa. :roflmao: Have fun!!


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## MegB

Nothing wrong with a little competition, especially if you both are having fun!


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## mojosmum

I guess the Agility training for you is when you have to maneuver around everything when you cut the grass! :lol: 

When does teaching start again? You have a LOT of time on your hands right now :lol: Where are you going to store all this? You guys get wicked winters too so I can't see this staying out. Poor little Sidney's tongue will get stuck on the poles! hehehe

It looks GReat Monomer! I'm sure if Sidney could talk he would say "I have the bestest DAD in the world"!

Your gardens and lawn are spectacular as well.


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## monomer

mojosmum said:


> I guess the Agility training for you is when you have to maneuver around everything when you cut the grass! :lol:


MM... You're quite a funny lady and very observant as well...

My wife got to wondering about the mowing thing too. I tried to design the obstacles so that they could be quickly broken-down into several light-weight pieces... this would allow me to easily keep changing the course around... but hey, I'll bet its going to help with the mowing. (I haven't actually mowed the lawn since building this stuff.)



mojosmum said:


> When does teaching start again? You have a LOT of time on your hands right now :lol:


Preps start in 2 weeks... however I really enjoy having my summers off... who says "you can't stay in school forever"... I'm living proof you can!



mojosmum said:


> Where are you going to store all this? You guys get wicked winters too so I can't see this staying out. Poor little Sidney's tongue will get stuck on the poles! hehehe


I'll just dis-assemble all the obstacles and then wrap the whole caboodle up in a big plastic sheet and put it behind the compost piles and let the snow bury it for 6 months... and if it doesn't survive, well, let's see... I've got about $50 into it now (minus the plastic tunnel I've got coming)... that works out to about $4 per month... hmmm, I think I can afford that.

Seriously, I am somewhat keeping track of how much I'm spending and I'm figuring my limit will be $100. Jumps cost about $2.50/each... weave poles were $2 for the PVC and $3.50 for all the garden stakes. The 'tire' jump was $8 for the PVC pipe and fittings (I already had the corrugated drainage pipe and bungee cords). The dogwalk cost $8 for an 8' treated 2"by10" and $17 for the paint and sand (I already had the 2 door hinges, the up and down planks and slats and the 2 sawhorses). Today I build the 'teeter'... I have the 2"by4"s, a short piece of galvanized pipe, slats and paint... I just need an 8-foot plank and 2 U-bolts. I should start a thread on 'who can make the cheapest agility obstacles and how'd you do it?'. It really is just doggie playground equipment... and as soon as I breakout the treats, start calling out commands and pointing and running around, Sidney just comes alive and has the biggest, goofiest grin on his face. It really is so much fun!



mojosmum said:


> Your gardens and lawn are spectacular as well.


Yes, we do gardening as a hobby but Sidney is the 'anti-gardener' and that gives us some balance. Over the years we've learned how to maintain the 'most' lawn and garden with the least amount of work. Between the digging, peeing, stick making, et al, Sidney has made it quite the challenge but fortunately we are not perfectionists... and since we do love Sidney a lot more than flowers, its okay.

EDIT: Added the images below. First image... Sidney can often be found on the dogwalk peeking over the hedge top to see what the neighbors are doing, he's been doing this a lot lately. Second image... Bullseye, Sidney doing the tire jump, note the big grin. Third image... Me 'leading' Sidney through the weave poles.


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## Miss Daisy's Mom

Again, really great pics, monomer.  I just love looking at them. You're a teacher? What do you teach?


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## monomer

Miss Daisy's Mom said:


> Again, really great pics, monomer.  I just love looking at them. You're a teacher? What do you teach?


Not woodshop or plumbing that's for sure... (notice I didn't show any close-ups of my handiwork).

Plastics Engineering at a local University... its my engineering background that makes me so methodical in my thinking and so inclined to tinkering... these traits often get me into trouble.


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## Miss Daisy's Mom

Ah yes .... that makes sense. And I mean that in a good way.


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## monomer

Yippee! I just finished Sidney's new teeter! Now the real work starts... teaching him to use it:doh: 

The first image is of paint drying while the teeter sits in the garage. The second image is of its construction, just in case someone wants to make one... all the white stuff on the 2by4's is cement... being cheap, I reused the wood I use for cement forms earlier this summer when I extended out our patio. The last image is the dogwalk again... I tidied up its construction a little.

Also the 'tire' in the tire jump I built keeps getting smaller. I found out that its suppose to have a 24" diameter... well it started off at 38" so I reduced it down to 32" then 28"... next stop is 24". Hey I think I've stumbled upon a good way to train a dog to do the tire jump properly... with the problem being many dogs like to jump between the frame and the tire when first introduced to it. So I suggest making the tire so big at first that it would be impossible to jump incorrectly, then slowly reduce the tire size over time.


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## Miss Daisy's Mom

Awesome! You do good work!  Great idea about the tire, too!


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## Dilligas

Very nice action shot of the jump! This sounds like a lot of fun -- maybe more for you than for your dog


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## monomer

Dilligas said:


> ...This sounds like a lot of fun -- maybe more for you than for your dog


You're beginning to sound like my wife...


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## monomer

Agility class update... this past Monday, agility class was a whole different experience for us. At this point Sidney had 4 days worth of 10-minute practice sessions on his own 'private' agility equipment... we only do 10-15minutes per session because I don't want things to get stale for Sidney (always keep 'em barkin' for more) and we do this 4 or 5 times each day. The moment we entered the agility yard for class, Sidney went straight to the large A-frame and climbed right over it. This was amazing because he had never been introduced to the A-frame. He then proceeded to climb back over it again... and on the third time I stopped him. Boy, was he happy... his tail was just wagging furiously. Next, from 6-feet away, I gave the command "Walk it!" and pointed to the dogwalk... Sidney ran over to it and walk the length of it in about 3-seconds. Everyone was stunned including the instructor (remember he froze last week) they couldn't believe the major change... he was easily faster and surer than any of the other dogs. He later did the weave pole again and again way faster than any of the other dogs had, in fact none were even in the same league. Sidney also went on to do the tunnel... this amazed me because we had no tunnel for him to practice on and he was lousy the week before. I was so proud and pumped that night I was phoning everyone as I drove home that night.

Well, since then I've finished the teeter and the kiddy play tunnel arrived in the mail. Within 2 days Sidney has already mastered (he is fast!) the teeter and tunnel. Actually I cannot hardly believe the change in this dog in just one week... he will do all these things with just a command and me pointing at the object: teeter, dogwalk, single jumps, tire jump, tunnel... I still have to 'swish' my hand through the weave poles as I chant rhythmically "Weave, weave, weave" all in sync but he does dash through the poles just like the dogs you see on TV. Just wait 'til the rest of the class sees Sidney this coming Monday. He has this new found confidence that he now flaunts... he's starting to try all sorts of new things he's never done before. I really didn't know agility could have such an effect on a dog... and so quickly too. He's now aware he has four feet and pays attention to the placement of each one... if something moves under him, he shifts his weight to counter-balance... he doesn't seem bothered by heights or closed-in spaces, etc.....

Anyway, though I realize there are no agility people on this forum today (GoodTimn is the exception though she never seems to visit this forum anymore), I figure at some future point in time someone interested in agility will either join this forum or a current member will suddenly 'discover' the joys of doing agility with their Golden and then they might find my little dialogs on agility helpful... so I'll just keep posting my learning experiences and triumphs and woes in this thread until I tire of it.


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## MegB

Wow, that is great! He sounds like a natural! Any thoughts of competing?

Our obedience school offers agility classes and competition, and I thought about it a little, until Woody's hip dysplasia. I didn't think his bad hip could handle jumping. However, lately, he has had so much energy, and he has taken to jumping out of the car when we take him somewhere (I used to have to lift all 70 pounds of him in and out of the car!). So it makes me wonder if someday he might be able to jump. Our school also offers Rally-O, which I have read is sort of a combination of obedience and agility. He is so smart, and so willing, that I would really like to get him into something. He starts beginner obedience next week, but if his hip keeps improving, who knows?

I am not sure if I could just go out and make equipment as nice as yours, maybe you could make up some spec sheets for us non-engineering people --ha ha!

Good luck, keep us posted on Sidney's progress!


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## monomer

MegB said:


> Wow, that is great! He sounds like a natural! Any thoughts of competing?


Our instructor basically asked the same thing last Monday... but I'm a non-competitive sort though I know he'd be ready to earn his Novice title in a couple of weeks easily. The AKC is holding an event in Sept... we'll (my wife and I) have to think about that one.

You know, even though Sidney is amazing me with his recent accomplishments, I don't think Sidney is a special case, I think all Goldens are capable of doing the same things... the 'trick' is to actually have the equipment available where you can do little mini-agility sessions several times through-out the day. But the real pay-off is watching your Golden light-up when you get that treat bag out and start heading toward the equipment... the excitement, the attention, the focus, the PURE HAPPINESS! as he runs through each obstacle. Also if your dog is a little shy of new things (Sidney's case especially as a puppy) or a bit nervous etc. I believe this training can give their confidence a real big boost... I can see it happening with the other dogs (there are some real shy ones too).

So I'm thinking you don't necessarily have to do all the obstacles with Woody to experience the good things that agility has to offer... you could set the jumps very low (8"), but remember there's also the teeter, tunnel, closed chute, pause table, weave poles, A-frame and that's only in AKC... UKC has even more obstacles. Just pick whichever ones you (and your vet) think would be safe for Woody to do and just stick to short little mini-sessions... you could even invite over friends and neighbors with their dogs to have a 'mock' agility event. Once you have several obstacles set up in your backyard, you'll soon come to realize as I did, its nothing more than a doggie playground and you are simply teaching your dog how to play and have fun on the equipment.

Do a web search on agility and tell me which obstacles you think you might be interested in attempting and I will tell what I've found to be the cheapest method of assembling or obtaining it.


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## MegB

Thanks a lot, I appreciate that.

Woody starts beginner obedience tonight, and I am going to check out some of their agility equipment and talk to the instructors. If I think it is something we can do, I will definitely be getting back to you. Thanks again!


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## monomer

Hi MegB... how did the first obedience class go last night?

Week 5 and another agility update...
Sidney did the 'chute' (aka closed tunnel) all 15-feet of it... he was a rocket! That completes all the obstacles AKC has other than some jump varieties... broad jump, double and triple jumps. It's just as well though because Sidney is not quite 16-months old and though the growth plates should be fused to the longbones sometime between 14 to 18-months of age, I don't really want to push it if I don't have to... and I don't have to. Though I know Sidney could easily do 24" jump heights, I have intentionally kept him to 18" (any lower and he'd just walk over them). Also last night we started 'sequencing' obstacles... that's were you take your dog through 3 to 5 obstacles in a directed sequence before give him the treat. Sidney was perfect... to the point where he was being called the "over-achiever". He really 'attacks' the obstacles... I mean he is really FAST! yet he never misses at the pause table. The only place where he is still lacking is the weave poles... he's very good and fast through the poles by I still have to 'lead' him by swishing my hand through. I hope to get him 'off that crutch' in the next couple of weeks.:crossfing

He is such a different dog (confidence-wise) than he was just 2 short weeks ago, I still can't get over it... nor can anyone else who has seen him recently. I know its got to be the agility training.


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## MegB

Hi Monomer, thanks for asking. Our first class went pretty well, although today I had to check Skenney's thread under "Training," because Woody was SO distracted. I don't remember him being that way in puppy class, but last night, he just could not focus on much besides the other people and dogs. We practiced today at home, and of course he did everything perfectly! I hope that once he gets used to things, he will be able to focus a little more.

That is great that agility is doing so much for Sidney (and you too!). I really think that dogs need to have a "job" or "purpose" to be content, whether it be obedience, playing fetch, keeping us company, or whatever. And agility seems to be the perfect "job" for Sidney! Keep up the good work!

Our training club offers agility classes--like I said, I had considered them at one time, but after hip surgery and seeing the price of commercial equipment, I decided that this was not the thing for me. However, now that Woody is feeling better, and I know where to look for cheap equipment  , I am thinking that our next class will be an agility class! I'll keep you posted...


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## monomer

I know Woody will begin to focus more as time goes on... that's one of the major functions of an organized obedience class... to offer a venue of enticing distractions where you can work with your dog trying to get him to try an focus on your commands. You should try and do some 'homework' at your local Wal-Mart... there's more details over in Skenney's thread.

If you do go on to do agility, you'll need a good 'down', 'sit', 'come' and an especially strong 'stay'. Stay will help immensely with teaching Woody to work at a distance from you. Good Luck and keep posting Woody's progress (either in Skenney's 'training' thread or here).


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## monomer

My wife had the camera out today and took some pictures of Sidney being agile... and I got caught in some of those.


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## monomer

I can't help myself... just 3 more...


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## Miss Daisy's Mom

monomer, those are wonderful action shots! of both of you!


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## shaneamber

monomer,Your Golden is awesome!!!! I like what you have built.Are the weave poles sch 40 plastic pipe? Are they just stuck in the ground or attached to something?
My wife loved your flower beds and lawn,very nice indeed!:wave: 
Shane


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## monomer

Miss Daisy's Mom said:


> monomer, those are wonderful action shots! of both of you!


Yeah well, if you really look at those pictures, you'll see I'm not all that active... I'm in my mid-fifties and find pointing and shouting is just about at the limit of my physical capabilities anymore.


Shane... you cannot believe how simple and cheap my whole set-up is. I've used 4-foot fiberglass poles (from the local farm supply store... its used in cattle fencing, costs about $1.15/each) and pound them about a foot into the ground. Then I put 3/4" sch40 PVC 3-foot length of pipe over the 'rods' and 'clip' them into place with 5/8" binder clips... yeah, I know it sounds confusing. Tonight or tomorrow I'll edit this post with some pictures and captions to better explain how to create a cheap set of weave poles that bend just right for your dog.

EDIT: Added the images below.
The first image shows the fiberglass rod pounded into the ground about a foot deep. The second image has the PVC end caps with holes drilled in them... one for each end of the 36" PVC pipe. The third picture is the caps fixed to both ends of the pipe... solvent bonding is not necessary nor is it desireable. At this point the assembled pipe with end caps is now slip over the fiberglass rod and to keep it from 'riding up' the rod, a binder clip is used. The fifth picture is of 6 finished weave poles space 20" apart in a straight line... I use a 100" piece of 1/2" PVC pipe with 20" increments marked off to allow me to set-up the weave poles very quickly while maintaining precision spacing and alignment.

The last picture is the reason my weave poles were so lope-sided in the earlier 'action shots'. Sidney charges HARD through the poles and over time the holes will widen in soft ground... this hole is what happens after about 150-runs over a 2 week period in soft rain-soaked ground.


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## shaneamber

Monomer,Very cool. I have a bunch of fiberglass rods from a motel.They were on the sliding door curtains,pull rods I guess.When they renovated the motel,they threw all the curtain tracks with the rods away.I helped a friend strip the aluminum tracks for scrap and I kept the rods.I have been using them in the garden to support plants.They should do nicely.

Thanks for the info,us "old" guys need to help each other out.
Shane


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## monomer

Shane, sounds like they should work... if not, you can always get the fencing rods. The weave poles was the most difficult obstacle for me to build and have them function correctly... this last iteration was my THIRD go at it. I used garden stakes the first time... if you have a 'heavy-handed' dog, they soon bend and eventually snap. For the second attempt, I tried using a 6" galvanized spiral spike 'sandwiched' between two PVC caps of differing sizes... these things moved all over the place in the ground and had to constantly be re-planted after almost every run... that sucked! Finally I tried these fiberglass rods and they work like a charm... they only have to be re-planted after numerous runs in soft turf and probably never in harder ground and they allow for just the right amount of flex for hard-charging dogs.

Tip: You don't need to use sch 40... that's just means the pipe is rated for 600psi of pressure. You can use the stuff rated for 200psi... its cheaper and much lighter... true it has thinner walls, but since this is not a structural application it really doesn't much matter. For any jumps or contact obstacles, all PVC must be sch 40 or even 'furniture grade', which is even stouter stuff and has none of the outside lettering but be prepared this grade of PVC is NOT CHEAP! For more 'regulation' weave poles, you MUST used sch 40 and in should be 1" to 1-1/4" diameter for the poles.

And speaking of 'old guys', I just had a conversation last night with the agility instructor (a woman) as to why it is that every formal class I attend (obedience or agility) ALL the participants are women... I am ALWAYS the ONLY guy doing this stuff. So why is that??? And most other people (again all women) tell me that every dog class they've ever attended is overwhelmingly populated by female dog owners... WHY IS THAT???????


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## Goldndust

Thats looks like you both are having a great time out there, and your equipment looks pretty cool too! Nice Job!!! I've always loved watching the agility dogs, they have so much fun out there. 

Loved seeing your pictures, oh...did you make the hoop? Maybe I missed it.


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## MegB

Very nice pictures, Monomer! 

Woody is still doing well in obedience, although all the sit and downs start getting to him. He does fine sitting and getting down, but getting up is still pretty hard for him. We do have very nice, understanding instructors who let us sit out a few exercises if he gets too tired.

It makes me wonder if something like agility would be a little easier on him than obedience. Walking and running are no problem for him, and I wonder if with time he could do some low jumps. It is really just getting up and down that he has trouble with.

By the way, I noticed in your pictures that you shirt said "Cuba." Have you been there? I have family there, so I was wondering.


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## mojosmum

WOW! Double WOW!

First of all let me tell you that if you ever need to rent yourself out (you know, when the wife has had enough for a while) and you need a place to keep busy, then.................this is your place man!:wave: 

What a wonderful job of the agility equipment! What a tremendous job on the yard and gardens!!!!!!! 

How do you keep Sidney out of the flower beds? How do you keep him in the yard (I didn't see any fencing). Who has the green thumb because the flowers are GReat!

I remember reading a post that you're a teacher. Am I correct and if so then what do you teach?  If you taught stuff like this then I might be willing to go back to school (hahaha - I'm in the same age group as you)

You're a married man but you could pass the information on to any single men you know that you have the perfect place for them to find women. Only requirement is they need a dog :lol:


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## monomer

Goldndust said:


> oh...did you make the hoop? Maybe I missed it.


Which hoop? If you mean, did I make the tunnel out of hula-hoops and vinyl sheeting? ...nope! ...I just bought a child's play tunnel on-line from a Canadian store and it works fine. In retrospect, the whole hula-hoop and plastic vinyl sheet thing was really kinda nutty anyway.



MegB said:


> ...It makes me wonder if something like agility would be a little easier on him than obedience. Walking and running are no problem for him, and I wonder if with time he could do some low jumps. It is really just getting up and down that he has trouble with.
> 
> By the way, I noticed in your pictures that you shirt said "Cuba." Have you been there? I have family there, so I was wondering.


Woody's still very young and if he's anything like Sidney, his muscle strength should really start to develop in another 4 to 6-months from now... and its those muscles that will really hold the joint together. I think that, in time, he will have no problem getting up and down. As far as jumping in agility... the jumps are always set very low to start... so low that most dogs actually do little more than step over the bar. This is good... its to teach the dog to go OVER the bar and between the up-rights and to associate the "jump" command with going over the bar. Only many weeks later is the bar very gradually raised. My guess is that Woody's problem will not be the landing but rather the take-off, where he must spring off his hind legs. You know, there are agility matches ('show and go's) that are just for the fun of it and there is even an agility association created just for fun matches... if you want I will try to find their web-site... I had managed come across it just a couple of weeks ago while doing an agility search.

I have no idea what the Cuba shirt means... my wife works at JCPenney and just brought it home one day... I kinda like it. I'm originally from Hawaii, another warm topical island place with sugarcane... I'll bet the climates are very similar. Never been to Cuba but I'd sure like to visit it someday.



mojosmum said:


> How do you keep Sidney out of the flower beds?


We use the words "Sidney, No!" alot. In fact, I told my wife we could have saved some time by just naming Sidney "NO!". Seriously, he did wander into the beds and dig holes and pull up plants when he was younger (like just last summer) but we just keep yelling at him and eventually bit-by-bit he began to let the plants live. His only vices now are pulling up whole patches of grass with his front teeth and making sticks out of our Forsythia bushes:doh: ... oh well, I guess there are worse things he could be doing.



mojosmum said:


> How do you keep him in the yard (I didn't see any fencing).


Electronic fencing... I swear by it, but that's another thread isn't it?



mojosmum said:


> Who has the green thumb because the flowers are GReat!


Both my wife and I are the gardeners. People are always asking us, "What's your secret?"... okay, so here it is! THE SECRET! REVEALED... Take a walk through some local meadows, fields and woodlands and see what grows naturally in your area then go to the local garden center and buy the hybrid versions (meaning very 'showy') of these same flowers and plant them in the very same type of locations around your yard (pay attention to soil type such as sand, clay, or rich and whether sun, part-shade, or full-shade)... Guaranteed, they WILL grow like weeds and thrive on your neglect... for real!



mojosmum said:


> I remember reading a post that you're a teacher. Am I correct and if so then what do you teach?


Yep, Plastics Engineering Technology... not very exciting... I do love to teach bright young minds but the bureaucracy and politics has me so worn down I would now rather just be retired and teaching my golden.



mojosmum said:


> You're a married man but you could pass the information on to any single men you know that you have the perfect place for them to find women. Only requirement is they need a dog :lol:


You know, I started thinking about this and just figured out I don't know any single guys at all (except my 101-year old next-door neighbor and an 80-year old millionaire up the road... actually, come to think of it, they are both millionaires... hmmmm, do you suppose there's any connection between being single and having lots of money?). Back when I was a bachelor it seems everyone I knew was also single... just pure coincidence? I think not.


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## MegB

Thanks, Monomer, it is encouraging to hear you say that about Woody. I have never owned a big dog before, and I have to keep reminding myself that he has a lot of growing left. I did not realize that the muscles develop after the first year, but it is good to hear that. Sometimes, in obedience class, I feel like he will never be as healthy or active as the other dogs, so I am glad to hear otherwise.


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## monomer

MegB... At the beginning of this summer Sidney was just 13 months old, really kind of thin (like a teenager) and he had problems jumping into my full-size 4by4 pickup, he couldn't walk into the cab using the side-step rail... then by July he suddenly started to exchange some subcutaneous fat for real muscle in his shoulders... it was very noticeable. When we started his agility training in July he still couldn't negotiate my truck on his own without a boost up and could barely hop into my wife's Honda CRV. But during August he again grew a bit more muscle, this time mostly in his "butt" area and began really leaping into the Honda and even my truck and he started really flying over the agility jumps, doing triples and 48" broad jumps. I must tell you though, Sidney did do a lot of swimming (good for strength building) and running (good for aerobic conditioning) and hiking (good for agility) this summer. Now just this past week we've noticed he's growing more muscles yet again... and his leaping ability is bordering on simply amazing. Sidney is also our first large dog (first Golden) so I can't tell you at this point where its going to end, I just know he is getting stronger and more muscular every day. He will be 17 months old in two weeks. BTW, his height had essentially stop growing by the time he was 10 or 11-months old... since then I really doubt he has grown more than maybe a quarter inch. So if Woody is like Sidney, though his height is just about done, he still has a lot more muscle to put on, this can only help to stabilize his joints and you just might be amazed at what he will then be capable of.


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## Brandy's Mom

Brandy just completed her beginning agility class, and starts the next level next week. We had a heckuva time with the teeter but now she loves it! The only thing that is still iffy is jumping through the tire. 

I'm also going to start Jenna, our new rescue, in beginning agility next week. She's been watching Brandy's class and obviously wants to join in the fun. 

We eventually plan to move back to a town north of Houston where no agility classes are available. That's when I want to have our own equipment so that I can continue to have something so fun and positive to do with our dogs!


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## monomer

Brandy's Mom said:


> ...The only thing that is still iffy is jumping through the tire...


Might I suggest using some corrugated drainage pipe (probably the 4" diameter stuff will suffice... probably get about 8-feet of it just to be sure) and connect the ends together with duct tape. Then you can just hang it from a tree limb... loop rope or string or yarn (whatever you have on hand) through the tire opening, one on each side, and tie them to stakes in the ground (one on either side). It will now be impossible for Brandy to make a mistake... since there is no other place to jump through except the tire (no frame to cause confusion).


Brandy's Mom said:


> ...We eventually plan to move back to a town north of Houston where no agility classes are available. That's when I want to have our own equipment so that I can continue to have something so fun and positive to do with our dogs!


If you have a backyard now, you could already start building some equipment. Like anything else, once you build your first piece you will think of ways to improve the design so the next one is even better than the first, and so on. Plus having your own equipment at home allows you to practice several times a day with short 'mini-sessions' (only 10 minutes or less)... which I believe is more productive than one long session once or twice a week, 'cause you can run a real risk of burning out your dogs on agility by making sessions last longer than their enthusiasm for the sport... you should always keep 'em wanting more by stopping before they want it to. I'm learning now with Sidney, that as time goes on the 'thrill' of 'playing agility' with me is steadily increasing and hopefully one day it will rival even 'fetch' as the activity of choice. Don't get me wrong, Sidney has enjoyed agility from the beginning but focus was short and distractions were many during the long formal training sessions (hour long, once a week) by the end of each session he was showing some frustration and boredom... now, just a month after classes have concluded, when we work on agility in our mini-sessions, Sidney will just zip around the course and fly over obstacles, charging through the weave poles, all with focus... and when he is done he jumps around me with the biggest grin on his face, as if to say "Come-on let's do it some more". I've seen quite a few dogs who were burned out on agility (our instructor's own Golden began avoiding all contact obstacles after less than a year of training)... in every case I think it was due to long tedious sessions of repetition while training for absolute perfection... sucked all the fun right out of the sport.

Anyway, those are just some of my thoughts and suggestions... I will try to take some pictures of my 'freshly' built A-frame and some newer jumps... I will try to post them some time this week... maybe it will offer you some inspiration to start construction now. Its nice to have someone else with a Golden participating in agility to converse with... keep it up.


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## Brandy's Mom

Thanks for the guidance. I actually took Brandy home last week before class ended because her concentration was shot. And I like the idea of not giving her an option but to jump through the tire. 

Since we don't plan to live in this house long, we are debating whether to go to the expense of fencing the backyard. If we do, we start building agility equipment right away! I look forward to seeing your pictures.


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## monomer

Brandy's Mom said:


> ...we are debating whether to go to the expense of fencing the backyard. If we do, we start building agility equipment right away!...


I'm curious as to why building agility stuff is actually dependant upon having a fence... Somebody might steal your neat agility stuff? Afraid the dogs will run away when doing agility stuff off-leash? Shield your neighbors from the sight of dogs doing agility badly? What???


Brandy's Mom said:


> ...I look forward to seeing your pictures.


Okay, you don't have to ask me twice... so without any further ado, here they are: The A-Frame and my latest/greatest jump designs (drum roll)...

(I just couldn't resist slipping in the last two pix... my wife took them and he was just soooo cute.)


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## Brandy's Mom

Cute questions, Monomer. How about without a fenced yard, a 10-month-old puppy is very likely to just keep on running!!! 

I've loved reading about your agility adventures. It reminds me of Brandy's level one class. She's having a blast in level 2 -- blast is the operative word as in she's a speed demon! 

I'm especially proud of her on the teeter -- her problem area in the past. Now she's on and off of it so fast that I don't have time to steady it. 

The only thing I'm not sure of is teaching her those higher jumps. Maybe I don't want her to know she can jump that high!!!


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## monomer

Now this is a real doggie's playground...
I realize some of you will be envious and some of you will be horrified... but this is now the new look our backyard will be sporting 'til the snow comes to stay. And next spring? I'll be adding a chute and another (better quality and longer) tunnel and increasing the weave pole count to 12. Needless to say, our neighbors have never seen anything like it... yet they do love to watch Sidney out there doing his thing.


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## Brandy's Mom

Put me in the "envious" column.


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## mojosmum

ME TOO Brandy's Mom - ME TOO!

I'd actually like to be adopted by Monomer and his crew :lol:


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## monomer

Okay mojosmum, you didn't think I'd let you get the last word in, did you? When I get home I'll have to include a picture of our backyard as it looks now, with the silhouettes of the A-Frame, dogwalk, teeter, pause table, and weave poles outlined in SNOW... about 6-inches of it!... so far! It's quite a sad sight to see... sniff, sniff. :bawling: I've already stored the jumps but my timing was off on the contact equipment... so maybe this weekend I can store them as well, provided they aren't already frozen to the ground.

So that brings me to the final chapter in Sidney's agility career for the year. At the end of October, I enroll Sidney (and me) into an Advanced Beginner's Agility Course. So every Monday evening, for 5 straight weeks, we drove 55-miles to a farm where a new pole barn was erected specifically for doing agility stuff... and we trained along with 5 other doggie/handler teams (one of them was a Golden). On the first night we realized that Sidney was very far advanced compared to everyone else in the class. Those dogs had never been exposed to the weave poles or the teeter. The instructor uses the channel-method, which involves using two sets of six weave poles spaced 40" apart. The two sets are then placed a foot apart, then the dog is called through this wide gap... as time goes on you are suppose to narrow the gap until your dog is now weaving through 12 in-line poles. On day one everyone was having difficulty just getting their dogs to walk through the gap... when it came Sidney's turn I had them put all the weave poles in a straight line (because I was afraid Sidney wouldn't recognize them as weave poles) and he then proceded to run the whole 12-poles, several times over because the instructors kept thinking it was a fluke. Same thing with the teeter, everyone else was using the small puppy teeter and the pause table for height leverage... meanwhile Sidney just ran the big teeter on command. In fact Sidney was doing everything correctly on command. Now here's the kicker... at this point I quit working with Sidney on agility in the backyard during the week... and over the succeeding 5 Mondays, he actually REGRESSED... by the end of the course, all Sidney wanted to do was play with all the other dogs... he was popping out of the weaves, running a series of contacts and then suddenly take off to 'go visit'. Still, we did have a LOT of fun... this bunch of ladies were more into laughing and having fun than the other group from this past summer. Oh well, I figure with winter upon us, agility season is over for now but in the spring we can start all over again... I wonder if Sidney will retain anything he learned this year?


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## Lucky's mom

mojosmum said:


> Poor little Sidney's tongue will get stuck on the poles! hehehe.


You know, I've never known a dog to do that, but years ago, when my older son was 8, in the bitter cold, he decided to lick a chain link fence pole to see if his tongue would really stick. :doh: Is it possible dogs have more commonsense then kids? I never saw so much blood. It took me 15 minutes to get his tongue unstuck.


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## Brandy's Mom

Monomer,your story makes me nervous about Brandy starting back in January (hopefully my troublesome knee will finally be healed by then). She was doing so well when we had to quit.


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## monomer

(I couldn't seem to attach a picture to my other post, so I just created a new one.)


A doggie's playground buried in winter for the next 4-months... now that is sad. :bawling: :sadwavey: :bawling:


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## shaneamber

You need to get him some snow shoes or ski's  
Shane
PS That's the ONLY way I want to see snow,in someone else's photo's


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## mojosmum

You're a party-pooper SHANE!

I thought the A-frame with snow would make a wonderful slide for Monomer as long as there's enough snow to cover the strapping. Thump, thump. thump, thump! Little hard on the tush, I would think :lol:

Sidney could also use the A-frame as a fort to hide out in. COOL!

HEY MONOMER - Could we get pictures of you using the equipment in the winter?


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## monomer

mojosmum said:


> ...Could we get pictures of you using the equipment in the winter?


You know, you've given me an idea. Every winter for years, I've cut a maze into our backyard with my snowblower. I use the maze as a way to play with my dog... I'll put him on a sit/stay and then move to another part of the maze, then I call him. Its neat to watch him go this way and that trying to figure it out... how to get over to me and of course then sometimes he'll cheat by just plowing through the snow in frustration. I also do another 'think exercise' very similar to this at a local park that has a 'maze' of chain-link fences that over-lap the entrances.

Well anyway, I think this year I'll just snowblow some paths connecting all the pieces of agility equipment together and see if we can't do some 'polar' agility. I will post a picture of that.


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## Brandy's Mom

Polar agility? Just the thought makes me shiver! My dogs have always loved the cold far more than I do!


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## katieanddusty

> the real pay-off is watching your Golden light-up when you get that treat bag out and start heading toward the equipment... the excitement, the attention, the focus, the PURE HAPPINESS! as he runs through each obstacle.


Well Monomer, a few months doing agility and you already have the important stuff figured out  It took me a little longer to start seeing that I could teach Dusty to love agility and not just do it because I told him too :doh: 

I'm jealous of all your equipment  I convinced my parents to let me get all the equipment but the dogwalk ("takes up too much room"), but the teeter base and the hardware for the A-frame have been in the garage since December and we still haven't gone to Home Depot and getting the boards and the stuff for the weave poles, tire, and table. I did put together the tunnel and the chute so at least we have some new toys to play with 

Good luck on the polar agility


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## monomer

katieanddusty said:


> ...I convinced my parents to let me get all the equipment but the dogwalk ("takes up too much room"), but the teeter base and the hardware for the A-frame have been in the garage since December and we still haven't gone to Home Depot and getting the boards and the stuff for the weave poles, tire, and table. I did put together the tunnel and the chute...


Put together the tunnel and the chute!!!! I'm really impressed 'cause I wouldn't know where to start... I would have to be a seamstress I guess (which I'm not).

The jumps are very easy and cheap to do... just look carefully at my earlier photos and I think it becomes self-explanatory how to cut and assemble the pieces... and believe me PVC is ridiculously cheap to buy. Tip... I used a "3-way Tee" cut in half and a half-inch strip cut out of the backside for the cup holders (the bar supports)... so one Tee gets you two bar holders.

The dog-walk won't take up much space if assembled like mine is... again, view the most recent photo in this thread. Its basically 3 long pieces of wood connected together with 4" door hinges... you pound-out the hinge-pin (with a hammer and suitably sized nail) and replace with a 1/4" steel dowel cut to maybe 8-inches length and bent-over at the end (say the last 3"... this is to give you a 'handle' on it). This allows you to quickly and easily separate (just pull the pin) and reconnect the three boards whenever you need to move or store the dog-walk. The supports are just two saw-horses... nothing special... you can buy a set of saw-horse brackets, some 2X4s and make them any height you want... and the bonus feature is "You have two saw-horses!!!"... whenever you or your dad needs to saw something, you've got the saw-horses... [psssss!...if your dad already has a pair, steal them for the dog-walk (and if you get caught I will disavow any and all knowledge of the crime... your on your own then, kiddo)].

The A-frame can be quite heavy (mine weighs a ton)... so some people use two cheap 'hollow-core' doors, hinged together at the top (not quite regulation dimensionally but close enough for practicing with)... this set-up is really light and quite stiff. The only problem is the weight of a big dog might topple the A-frame on its side... so you will have to work out some sort of staking system or attach wide-flat support bars (1X4s) at the bottom of each door.

When you get around to actually building these things, if need some ideas and photos to help with the construction of these obstacles, just give a 'holler' in this thread and I'll see if I can't help.


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## Goldndust

For those of you that can't make your own, I seen on the PetSmart site they have a few things there for Agility. They did have a tunnel, but can't remember the size.

Kode would excel in Agility, but i'm not too sure I could keep up with him! He's fast little bugger. But would he fly through that course. I'm thinking the poles would be the hardest of all to teach, or it just seems like it to me.

GReat shots Monomer!!


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## RickGibbs

I'd love to look into all of this.....We'll be looking at PetSmart today....but I think I could make a lot of it....


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## katieanddusty

Hehe, okay Monomer I put together the braces for the tunnel, put the non-strip strips on the chute barrel and attached the chute to the barrel. I cheated 

The weave poles are hard to teach, but the good news is that there are many many methods out there that all usually work, so if one method doesn't "click" for you and your dog there is always another ...


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## mblondetoo

I would love to get into this but our dog Tabitha has a way to go before she is good with sit, down and stay. She needs more to do though. Is there anything she could start with to see if this is something she would like?


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## katieanddusty

Some agility clubs have "intro to agility" workshops where you can introduce her to the equipment and see if she enjoys it and you enjoy it. They also sometimes have these at show-and-go's or fun matches. You should contact local agility clubs and ask them if they're doing anything like that. You can search for agility clubs near you at http://www.cleanrun.com/agilityinfo/clubs/clubsearch.cfm


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## monomer

mblondetoo said:


> ...Is there anything she could start with to see if this is something she would like?


If you train her with treats... what's not to like? She will just love the opportunity to interact with you and get 'paid' for it too!... just be sure to always quit before she wants to... in the beginning that might be several 10-minute training sessions scattered thoughout the day. But you really need to start off with some basic obedience training first and THEN go on to agility.



Goldndust said:


> ...GReat shots Monomer!!


Thanks, but its my wife that's the photographer... so she thanks you too.



Goldndust said:


> ...I'm thinking the poles would be the hardest of all to teach, or it just seems like it to me....


Yes, that's what everybody says. The weave poles always seems to be the very last obstacle a dog finally learns to do properly... 'they' say its because its the only obstacle that incorporates unnatural movements for a dog... plus, you may not know this but, the entry into the poles must always be with the first pole on the dog's left regardless of your angle of approach... really hard to teach... its even hard for the handler to get right sometimes. Like katieanddusty has already said, there are several different methods you can use to teach the 'weaves'... eventually you'll find the one that works for your dog and you.

BTW, a fast dog is what everybody wants... if you really think Kody will be fast... do it!!!! You don't really have to run as fast as your dog... there's handler strategy that allow you to 'keep up' with your dog during his run... that's all part of the sport/fun of agility.


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## monomer

Goldndust said:


> For those of you that can't make your own, I seen on the PetSmart site they have a few things there for Agility. They did have a tunnel, but can't remember the size.
> Kode would excel in Agility, but I'm not too sure I could keep up with him! He's fast little bugger. But would he fly through that course. I'm thinking the poles would be the hardest of all to teach, or it just seems like it to me.
> GReat shots Monomer!!


Hey Goldndust... I just realized that you're also from Michigan (actually I knew that before but since you changed your avatar I got confused :doh: )... anyway if you are interested in agility and if I remember right you're from Northern Michigan, go check out this website http://www.pinemeadowsfarm.com/dogtraining.htm ...besides training, they hold a couple of fun matches during the summer too. Just so you're aware, the woman who owns the training center (Jane) is currently in the hospital (an aneurysm) so her friends are all pitching in to keep her classes/etc. going for right now but she has recovered and will be back soon. Anyway, look through the her site and see what you think.


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## katieanddusty

The weave poles might be unnatural, but dogs that really get them are beautiful to watch!


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## monomer

Wow, today was such a beautiful day... when you're so far up north, any winter day with all-blue skies that causes the thermometer to reach the 40s and continues to melt up the last of the snow is truly a wonderful day. We've actually had a couple of such days recently... Yesterday we went to the dog park (an 80+mile drive one-way) where we stopped off at PetSmart to get some doggie 'stuff' and picked-up a stuffed HedgeHog for you know who... ah, but today my thoughts turned toward agility.

I broke out all the agility equipment (literally had to break some of it free from the ice and snow where it was stored... under the pines next to the compost piles) and again turned the backyard into a doggie's playground. As I was setting things up, Sidney wandered around loitering on the dog-walk and hopping up on the pause table... stuff like that. Finally when I'd finished (everything except for the tunnel left in the garage and a 'chute', which I still don't have), I decided to hustle Sidney through the obstacles and see if he could remember anything. To my surprise he did remember how to do everything... except pay attention to my instructions!  ... it was pretty much turning into a 'free-for-all', doing just about any obstacle he felt like... then at one point he decided he wanted to do the whole course with his new HedgeHog in his mouth :doh: ... Oh Boy! I can see this new agility year is going to be a struggle. Anyway after that, we did our daily 'power walk' and other things... finally at the very end of the day, I went out back with Sidney and this time I was bearing the TREAT BAG!!! I'll be darned if Sidney didn't turn into a rocket... after he properly "launched" from his start-line stay, I couldn't keep up with him... he was both good and fast except I found I was not able to work at the distances we were working at back in the Fall... so he missed a few jumps (because I wasn't closer) and on about the third and fourth runs through the 'weaves' he broke early and he also launched himself from the middle of the teeter, twice! (something he's never done before). So the good news is he does remember how to do agility and the bad news is he doesn't remember how to do agility correctly... Oh well, here we go again... Agility and Sidney, year two... the saga continues...

Below is the HedgeHog of which I spoke... it makes a low-pitched grunting sound, well you know, like a HegdeHog makes? And though it appears to be too big for any normal retriever... leave it to Sidney's huge mouth and lips to wrap around the thing AND he had to try and get a ball into his big mouth in ADDITION to his HedgeHog... that was funny to watch, too bad we didn't get a picture of that.


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## monomer

Okay, I didn't realize one picture was 'side-ways'... but I can't seem to edit the thumb-nails so...
Here it is again but this time rotated correctly...


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## TobyLove

I went to the recent Agility show here in Fresno and I am hooked. I want to do this with Toby but I broke my ankel back in Sept. and I am still not able to run around. No way could I keep up with him in Agility classes. I have bought a jump for him to train him here at home to jump. I can't wait to reach a point with my ankle where I can run with him and go to traning classes.

YOU look like you are having a ball. Keep up the good work.

Debbie


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## greg bell

That looks like good stuff.. I like it when folks get involved with somthing in performace with their dogs. Agility looks like neat stuff.. I have Dixie's head full of field stuff, so I would probably have to put in an upgraded hard drive in her to do agility..


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## monomer

TobyLove said:


> I went to the recent Agility show here in Fresno and I am hooked. I want to do this with Toby but I broke my ankel back in Sept. and I am still not able to run around. No way could I keep up with him in Agility classes. I have bought a jump for him to train him here at home to jump. I can't wait to reach a point with my ankle where I can run with him and go to traning classes.
> YOU look like you are having a ball. Keep up the good work.
> Debbie


It is fun for both to be sure but only, I believe, if the handler has the right attitude about the sport... and that's that it's really all about the 'giggles' and if you get too competitive your dog might disappoint you by shutting-down. The real key to this sport is finding that delicate point where you can correct your dog while still maintaining a high enthusiasm in your dog for the sport... its not as easy as it might sound. I've come to this conclusion by having already seen a few dogs who have already been 'washed up' in this sport within 6-months because the handler just 'sucked' all the fun right out of the sport.


greg bell said:


> That looks like good stuff.. I like it when folks get involved with somthing in performace with their dogs. Agility looks like neat stuff.. I have Dixie's head full of field stuff, so I would probably have to put in an upgraded hard drive in her to do agility..


You know... I think most people think 'learning' agility is all about getting your dog to 'do the obstacles'... but that's really the easy part. I dare say most dogs can easily be trained to 'do the obstacles' within 2 months (the weave poles being the only exception)... and since your dogs are older and participate in another sport, I'll bet you can have them running the obstacles within weeks (again, except for the weaves). However the REAL challenge in this sport only becomes apparent after your dog will 'do the obstacles'... the really difficult part is getting the coordination between the two of you when you begin sequencing the obstacles, the timing of the command and response, the high-energy enthusiasm, technique, your strategy based upon your dog's particular capabilities and taken in relation to your positioning on the course. I personally think you'd have a lot of fun and you'd be amazed at just how quickly your Dixie will 'come up to speed'... simply because her field training with you already gives you a big edge in coordination of the handling skills... in other words, she already looks to you for direction even when things are happening really fast... that's one hellva an advantage. You should really seriously think about giving it a try.

PLUS... since the distance between weave poles and the diameter of the tunnel, the dimensions of the contact obstacles do not change regardless of the dog heigth... smaller dogs about the size of a Border Collie have a distinct advantage over larger and smaller dogs. This is definitely a sport where a smaller Golden Retriever would be a real advantage.


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## Brandy's Mom

Brandy and I loved agility, until my two broken kneecaps and her surgery sidelined us. 

The hardest part of agility for me was MY not tripping over the obstacles. Also, my hand coordination with the treats left a lot to be desired. Nevertheless, we had a blast and Brandy always had a smile on her face. I plan to get back into it.


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## monomer

Brandy's Mom said:


> ...I plan to get back into it.


...but when? "inquiring minds want to know"...
what's the status on your 'sports' injuries? I want to swap agility 'fumbles' or successes with you... so, how long will I have to wait?


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## Brandy's Mom

Probably this summer. I can finally kneel again. I'm now waiting for Brandy to be 100%. Classes start every 8 weeks.


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## katieanddusty

TobyLove said:


> I went to the recent Agility show here in Fresno and I am hooked.


Was it the one at Cal State Fresno? I was there!


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## Brandy's Mom

Monomer -- where did you get your agility plans? And where did you find the cheapest tunnel? Hubby just ordered a book of plans and he's been surfing the Web looking for the best deal on supplies.


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## katieanddusty

Cheap tunnels get chewed up by young Labs. www.rockettunnels.com we got one of their ultra light weight tunnels several months ago, it's been rained on, snowed on, wrestled in, shoved around, pooped on, jumped on, and run through almost every day and it still looks new.


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## monomer

Brandy's Mom said:


> ...where did you get your agility plans? ...


I actually just looked at the pictures in some of the agility books I've got, and searched the Internet for ideas... there are several websites dedicated just to making your own agility equipment. (Just give me a few minutes to locate a couple of these websites and I will post back with a couple of links to help you.) Then I used some of the ideas I got and modified others to build my equipment... also as time past and I was willing to spend a little more money and time, I upgraded my equipment by improving on some designs. Right now my wife is in Germany (taking care of her folks) and she took the camera... so I can't send any current pictures of our backyard (I guess I could go borrow by sister's) but I can still post some old ones from last summer/fall if you think it would help... and I can give you (your husband) explicit instructions on how to construct anything you see. The bottomline for all my equipment is: must be inexpensive, durable and safe... (the part about 'durable and safe' only became a priority with the last iterations).

EDIT: To get you started... http://www.dogplay.com/Activities/Agility/agilitye.html, http://www.dogplay.com/Activities/Agility/equipment.html, 
http://www.dogbegood.com/equipment.html,
http://www.peak.org/~helix/Agility/,
http://www.mountainviewdogs.com/store/ubuildit.html,
http://www.campbandy.com/store/build.htm 



Brandy's Mom said:


> ...And where did you find the cheapest tunnel? ...


The cheapest tunnel was a child's play tunnel... they range in price from around $25 to upwards of $50 depending upon your requirements... my FIRST one was about $35 from a Canadian supply house... it was a regulation 2' diameter but only 9 feet long with colorful bugs on the outside of some thin, cheap vinyl. Amazingly, its lasted just fine but I finally broke down last month and purchased a REAL dog agility tunnel (15-foot long) from NTI through eBay. There are cheaper ones on eBay but the material used (lightweight nylon and dacron) make staking a must... so I went with the heavy reinforced PVC (UV stabilized and weather/rot resistant)... it weighs over 30 lbs. These tunnels are NOT cheap though... I paid $160 for mine (price includes shipping). Know that the professional competition type tunnels sell for much more (like $250 on up). Also I recently made the entrance to the chute (55-gallon plastic barrel and frame) but purchased the actual fabric chute (packed nylon with sand pockets) from eBay... it was $120 (which included shipping). The chute and the tunnel are the only two items that are not cheap and you really can't make them yourself easily. Everything else is really simple and cheap to make.


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## Brandy's Mom

That's such useful information, thank you! thank you!


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## Brandy's Mom

I'm proud of our little girl! We completed level 1 classes this week and Brandy ran 12 obstacles just about flawlessly. 

The trainer told me I was too slow for Brandy (my knees aren't the same since she clipped me last fall). I wound up about two stations behind her, calling out the equipment names. She listened and did as I asked!!!! 

I wish I had brought a camera because the broad smile on her face was so heartwarming. Afterward, she leaned into my legs and kept looking up at me as if to ask, "Did you see me Mom? Wasn't that fun?"

I think at 19 months, she's finally emerging from the airhead adolescent into a remarkable dog!:yipee:


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## Tailer'sFolks

Great Thread!! I haffa get to the plumbing store & get some pipe! Tailer is gonna have so new duties this summer...I can't wait! Now, I wonder when I will ever get to work...


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## hawtee

For those of us to slow for our dogs rofl yes I am one of them, there are some really great books out to teach distance work and a lot of it you can do at home. You might want to check out Jane Simmons-Moake -Unleashing the Velcro dog.


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