# What is your routine when practicing agility?



## Shiningsummer (May 24, 2010)

Merlin and I are about halfway through his first agility class. We only have class for about an hour each week. My instructor said that if we want to come in and practice that it's $15 for a half hour! And that's only when there's time available between the other classes going on. I'm sorry, but I think that's crazy. Merlin's picking it up pretty quickly, but I still think we need to practice. I'm just wondering for those of you who do agility, how often do you practice and where?


----------



## Sibe (Nov 21, 2010)

Most places seem to do a monthly rate that allows you to come in whenever you want when classes or private lessons aren't going on. In my experience, it's been $30-40/month. 15 for a half hour does seem like a lot. Ask if there is a monthly rate you can pay. I practice at the location of classes, usually once a week. I try to space it out, like currently I have classes Tuesdays so I go to the field Friday or Saturday. I usually stay about 30-45 mins and work a few specific things (like rear crosses, front crosses, contacts, sending her out to obstacles, weave entrances, start line, serpentines, taking jumps from the back side, etc etc). I just pick a few and do that to have focus instead of doing a big mix of everything. I also make up my own courses at the end to include what we've been working on.

Once I have a backyard, I plan on building some equipment myself to save on the monthly fee.


----------



## So Cavalier (Jul 23, 2010)

$15/half hour is crazy. My trainer will allow us to work on Saturdays with her equipment for $5 when she isn't teaching agility (she has two hours of obedience classes between her agility classes). If I practice during the week, it's in my backyard. I have weave poles, 6 single jumps and a "homemade" broad jump. I don't practice much....bad me! We do take weekly classes. My one dog who is actively competing does pretty well in competition for CPE, which is my favorite. NADAC is another story, but she is a Cavalier not an aussie so I don't feel too bad about that. I haven't really done AKC (only entered once) but I think she would do fine there too. My other dog who is in classes really needs work on her weaves. I really need to buy some 2 X 2s because she is so close and we just aren't getting enough time in class. I want to buy a competition tunnel. Cha ching.....My backyard would be fine for basic drills but I have an bunch of roses smack dab in the middle of the yard that makes it hard to work around. If I can ever get my act together, I am going to pull those out and get an area for doing drills.

Sibe....are you doing the Performance Dog CPE trial that is coming up?


----------



## Sibe (Nov 21, 2010)

I'm not doing CPE, I'm in all 3 AKC this month so wanted a weekend off. The other weekend is Comic Con, and while I'm sadly not going I plan on having my butt glued to the couch and watching the live coverage. I'm such a nerd!

I made 2x2s with PVC from Home Depot. There are no plumbing pieces that allow you connect the sets to each other, so I just have 3 sets of 2 poles that don't connect into a full 6 pole set, but it's easy to get the spacing close enough between them all. I didn't cement much of it together so that it can break down easily.


----------



## So Cavalier (Jul 23, 2010)

What kind of connectors did you use for the weaves? I don't care if they don't connect for a full 6 because I have a full set of weaves (just not 24 "...grrrr). You were able to find the connectors at the Home Depot? That would save me a bunch of money. I was looking at the single jumps that I made and it looks like the connectors that I used might work. I just need to buy the smaller size.

My kids used to go to Comic Con all the time, but it got too crazy for even them. Soooooo many people!


----------



## DJEtzel (Dec 28, 2009)

I have an agility course at our dog park that I have access to every day for free...

So Frag and I go out and practice about 3 times a week for an hour or two with dock jumping and breaks between.  We're very lucky in this department.


----------



## agility collie mom (Jan 26, 2008)

Backyard when it is cooler. At the club once a week and lessons once a week. You can make your own jumps. http://www.instantagility.com/2008/04/14/bar-jump-or-hurdle/ Starting out with three basic jumps. I also made these channel weaves http://www.instantagility.com/2008/05/05/adjustable-channel-weave-poles/ which worked out well for teaching Savannah and used the 2x2 method for weave pole entries (which we have 2x2's at our club.) Of course two single spiked poles would work for 2x2's also just a pain to move and measure distance. Love these jump cup strips
http://www.clipandgoagility.com/jump-cup-strips-dog-agility/index.htm If your not handy these are well worth the cost http://www.clipandgoagility.com/ready-jump-dog-agility/index.htm. Also doing just foundation work at home will help: lead outs, coming to side, in line heeling (teaching both to turn in to you and flip away from you.) I am starting training on my third agility dog. Hercules is a teacup and the training is a little different than my rough collies. He notices everything on the floor. Good luck. Hope this was of help.


----------



## Shiningsummer (May 24, 2010)

Sibe said:


> Most places seem to do a monthly rate that allows you to come in whenever you want when classes or private lessons aren't going on. In my experience, it's been $30-40/month. 15 for a half hour does seem like a lot. Ask if there is a monthly rate you can pay. I practice at the location of classes, usually once a week. I try to space it out, like currently I have classes Tuesdays so I go to the field Friday or Saturday. I usually stay about 30-45 mins and work a few specific things (like rear crosses, front crosses, contacts, sending her out to obstacles, weave entrances, start line, serpentines, taking jumps from the back side, etc etc). I just pick a few and do that to have focus instead of doing a big mix of everything. I also make up my own courses at the end to include what we've been working on.
> 
> Once I have a backyard, I plan on building some equipment myself to save on the monthly fee.


Ok, thanks for your help! I'll try to see if there's a monthly fee.



DJEtzel said:


> I have an agility course at our dog park that I have access to every day for free...
> 
> So Frag and I go out and practice about 3 times a week for an hour or two with dock jumping and breaks between.  We're very lucky in this department.


Yes you are! I'm seething with jealousy right now just so ya know. 



agility collie mom said:


> Backyard when it is cooler. At the club once a week and lessons once a week. You can make your own jumps. http://www.instantagility.com/2008/04/14/bar-jump-or-hurdle/ Starting out with three basic jumps. I also made these channel weaves http://www.instantagility.com/2008/05/05/adjustable-channel-weave-poles/ which worked out well for teaching Savannah and used the 2x2 method for weave pole entries (which we have 2x2's at our club.) Of course two single spiked poles would work for 2x2's also just a pain to move and measure distance. Love these jump cup strips
> http://www.clipandgoagility.com/jump-cup-strips-dog-agility/index.htm If your not handy these are well worth the cost http://www.clipandgoagility.com/ready-jump-dog-agility/index.htm. Also doing just foundation work at home will help: lead outs, coming to side, in line heeling (teaching both to turn in to you and flip away from you.) I am starting training on my third agility dog. Hercules is a teacup and the training is a little different than my rough collies. He notices everything on the floor. Good luck. Hope this was of help.


Great info, thanks for the websites! It would be great if I had my own equipment, then I could work with Molly too! I would like to try to build it if I can, it looks like it's explained very well on the instant agility website. 

I totally understand about the problem Hercules has with noticing everything on the floor. Merlin's a beagle mix, so when he starts sniffing, it can be pretty difficult to get him to stop lol!


----------



## MegaMuttMom (Sep 15, 2007)

agility collie mom said:


> Backyard when it is cooler. At the club once a week and lessons once a week. You can make your own jumps. http://www.instantagility.com/2008/04/14/bar-jump-or-hurdle/ Starting out with three basic jumps. I also made these channel weaves http://www.instantagility.com/2008/05/05/adjustable-channel-weave-poles/ which worked out well for teaching Savannah and used the 2x2 method for weave pole entries (which we have 2x2's at our club.) Of course two single spiked poles would work for 2x2's also just a pain to move and measure distance. Love these jump cup strips
> http://www.clipandgoagility.com/jump-cup-strips-dog-agility/index.htm If your not handy these are well worth the cost http://www.clipandgoagility.com/ready-jump-dog-agility/index.htm. Also doing just foundation work at home will help: lead outs, coming to side, in line heeling (teaching both to turn in to you and flip away from you.) I am starting training on my third agility dog. Hercules is a teacup and the training is a little different than my rough collies. He notices everything on the floor. Good luck. Hope this was of help.


Cherokee is a medium sized dog and, if I lose his attention for even a nanosecond, every little molecule on the floor gets noticed! He will even go sniff places where he knew there had been food in the past! Fast courses are the best for him because then he doesn't have any time to think about anything but RUNNING!


----------



## DJEtzel (Dec 28, 2009)

Shiningsummer said:


> Yes you are! I'm seething with jealousy right now just so ya know.


Come visit!


----------



## Sibe (Nov 21, 2010)

Here's how I did the 2x2 weaves. I used 1 & 1/2" pvc parts. The poles are each 3' tall, the horizontal piece between them is 2 feet, and the side pieces are each 1', so 10' total for one 2x2. The elbow joint pieces (3 way) have the top part which is for a screw-in part, make sure you get both. Make sure you cut the pvc with an actual pvc cutter, they usually have one in the aisle for customers to use. If not ask someone and they can cut it for you. To measure in store, I borrowed a yard stick from the paint department  I used painters tape to do the stripes, to keep them even from one pole to the next I'd start with a short piece, hover it over the pole I'd already done to get the angle right, then stick it on the new pole. If that makes sense.. horizontal stripes on the poles would probably be easier lol.

I didn't cement all the parts together so that I can easily take it apart enough to make it transportable or hide it away. You probably don't *need* to cement any of it. First I put the short side support pieces on (not cemented) and then cemented the horizontal bar between the poles into one of the elbow joints. Oh, and use the purple cement stuff over thick cardboard or something, it stains everything! A thick piece of cardboard in the garage is perfect. Once it sets, do the other elbow joint (make sure it's pointing the opposite way from the first one, supports go opposite directions!) and IMMEDIATELY set it on a flat surface to make sure it sets straight. The cement dries fast. If you aren't cementing it, don't worry about it because you can always adjust it- but that's why I did cement that part so that it will always be straight. It's up to you. If the elbow pieces aren't lined up, your poles will be crooked. I then cemented each pole into the screw part (aka "male adapter": http://www.homedepot.com/catalog/productImages/300/04/04d7784b-bfd3-4310-972a-7412d11b4c2e_300.jpg ). And then you can screw the poles down into the elbow joints and all done!

Top view, affectionate nosey kitty not included









Close up of the 3 way piece on the left pole from above pic. You will notice the 3-way elbow joint has 2 equal sized holes and one small one. The small one is the screw one that you need the male adapter piece for. I couldn't find pieces that had 3 equal sized holes.


----------



## agility collie mom (Jan 26, 2008)

Sibe said:


> Here's how I did the 2x2 weaves. I used 1 & 1/2" pvc parts. The poles are each 3' tall, the horizontal piece between them is 2 feet, and the side pieces are each 1', so 10' total for one 2x2. The elbow joint pieces (3 way) have the top part which is for a screw-in part, make sure you get both. Make sure you cut the pvc with an actual pvc cutter, they usually have one in the aisle for customers to use. If not ask someone and they can cut it for you. To measure in store, I borrowed a yard stick from the paint department  I used painters tape to do the stripes, to keep them even from one pole to the next I'd start with a short piece, hover it over the pole I'd already done to get the angle right, then stick it on the new pole. If that makes sense.. horizontal stripes on the poles would probably be easier lol.
> 
> I didn't cement all the parts together so that I can easily take it apart enough to make it transportable or hide it away. You probably don't *need* to cement any of it. First I put the short side support pieces on (not cemented) and then cemented the horizontal bar between the poles into one of the elbow joints. Oh, and use the purple cement stuff over thick cardboard or something, it stains everything! A thick piece of cardboard in the garage is perfect. Once it sets, do the other elbow joint (make sure it's pointing the opposite way from the first one, supports go opposite directions!) and IMMEDIATELY set it on a flat surface to make sure it sets straight. The cement dries fast. If you aren't cementing it, don't worry about it because you can always adjust it- but that's why I did cement that part so that it will always be straight. It's up to you. If the elbow pieces aren't lined up, your poles will be crooked. I then cemented each pole into the screw part (aka "male adapter": http://www.homedepot.com/catalog/productImages/300/04/04d7784b-bfd3-4310-972a-7412d11b4c2e_300.jpg ). And then you can screw the poles down into the elbow joints and all done!
> 
> ...


Get idea!! Me like....pvc is like duct tape 1001 uses. lol If u r teaching cat agility I'm coming to your house. Have a fat cat who needs the exercise but, is pretty agile!!


----------

