I woke up this morning with the overwhelming urge to make agility equipment. So that is how I spent my day!
I started by making an agility ladder using PVC pipes and stuff I found around the house. Batman supervised and served as beta tester, demonstrating the flimsiness of my first attempts. I posted detailed instructions for the finished product (and for the models that didn’t survive the Batmanimal, but that might work for smaller puppies) on batmanimal.com.
I also made a Buja board and pause table. I will post instructions for those later. It was a very long and labor-intensive day, but I saved around $300 making this stuff myself vs. ordering it from a store. Batman likes it when I save money because it means I can buy him more things to eat and do.
Here is Batman, learning that he has a big Bat butt back there.
The ladder is barely 4" off the ground, but forces Batty to slow down and pay attention to his back legs to avoid hitting the rungs. For fun, I striped the rungs with electrical tape and checkered duct tape.
The finished product, brought to you by PVC pipes, tape, discarded closet hardware and zipties.
Way to go, Batman!
Great job! I wish I would have taught Kapone to be aware of his back end, because he always walks across me and steps on my legs. I think he does it on purpose, because he could get off the bed in any number of ways without stepping on me but he has to come across me every time. I think he is getting back at me for making him move when I want to come to bed! LOL I like that you used things around the house and saved money too. It shows us to use our imagination a little bit and you can make some cool things without paying mega dollars for it. Thank you for sharing, and great job with batman too!
Thanks, Karen! Kapone just wants to make sure you’re “really” awake!
Holy Buttladder, Jennie! You ROCK!!
Jennie, you are amazing!
Batman, you are amazing also… putting up with your crazy mom!
LOL, that is exactly what I told Julie, “Batman probably thinks I’m crazy!”
Whenever we go out, we come back with a new project. Luckily, Batman indulges me. He will do anything and try anything, especially if he *might* get a treat out of it.
I wonder what Eric REALLY thinks about all of this stuff. LOL
His typical response is, “Oh, wow!” Followed by, “Is this something most people do?”
He was out of town this weekend, so he missed all the fun at Home Depot. Imagine me trying to take down sheets of plywood, 2x4s, and 10-ft PVC pipes by myself. Oh lord.
Wait til you see Batty on the Buja board. He is a Buja-ing fool!
I love Batty’s expression, “Mommmm, get out of my way…you are going to make me miss!!!
Great job Jennie! I need to buy/make a ladder…maybe you will help me get motivated…
In a house of nine 4-day-old puppies, you don’t have time to build agility ladders!
You should buy one — I almost got the affordable agility one (linked in post), but felt like being crafty instead.
You are amazing, Jennie. I want to do agility with Oso but do not have the building skills that you do. Batty is a lucky dog. What was it that vet said – you are in over your head? I think not, you got it all going on.
Thanks, Kelli. That’s right, I’m going to prove that vet wrong, that’s for sure!
One thing you can do is get a bunch of PVC pipes that are about 2 inches diameter and 3′ long, and some matching PVC elbow fittings. Lay the pipes on the ground like a ladder, putting an elbow on one end of each pipe to prevent them from rolling away. Then have Oso walk across the “ladder.”
He is so little, when he bumps the pipe with his rear leg, the pipe will move, but he will still need to step over it, and that will teach him he’s got something on his back end!
Putting them on the floor also helps you make adjustments easily to ensure that the pipes are spaced correctly. They should be spaced apart so that his step lands right in the middle of the space between rungs. Coax and praise him along if you need to, but be careful not to get him too focused on you because he needs to pay attention to what’s at his feet. Make the first runs short, keep it at 4 pipes to start.
Click and treat (put the treat on the floor to reinforce his focus) only after he passes the second-to-last rung — for agility, you don’t want your dog to instinctively pause in the middle of an obstacle waiting for a snack. You want him to be motivated to complete the obstacle quickly, and get the treat he knows is waiting for him at the end.
That’s what I read in the beginner’s agility book by Laurie Leach, anyway. Julie (and Monica, Lynda and the other agility pros) might have more tips based on their own experience.
Great job Jennie…and Batman for “helping” you build the equipment and testing it out!
You are sure getting The Bat off to a good start in his training.