Hayley Thompson
Well-Known Member
The other day, I decided I would try to make my own homemade agility hoop! I already had the hoola hoop and had tried awhile back to get Riley to go through, and she would but progress was very slow and she always required a lure. I think the fact that even when I try to hold the hoop as still as possible, I am ultimately still moving it because it is very hard to hold the hoop, lure, click and treat with just one person. I had asked Grant to help one day as well, but she wasn't having the distraction. So I made this contraption:
Which is basically a hoop tied to 2 reflective poles that we use in the winter at the end of our driveway! Using the twine and the flimsy poles actually works great because if Riley happens to hit the hoop it will sway with her, so no fear of it being too rigid she may hurt herself. So I started with it at ground level, slowing inching it up higher and higher, the hoop is now probably just over a foot high. (How high should I go for a border collie, I read around 22 inches?) I'm only doing it for my own fun, not to compete, so I am not actually concerned with the "proper" heights, but I would like to push her to her maximum, as she LOOOOVEESSSS jumping and it is a great way for her to get exercised! Now that we are at a height at about a foot, she perfers a run off, so if I do make it higher, I think it would be best to go slower than we did before with regards to increasing the height because I don't want to overwork her muscles. Does that even sound logical?
Anyway, so she is great at it, and I love watching her jump! I showed Grant last night at how good she was as it only took one 10 minute training session to move it up to the height I have it now!! He kept asking me, "Have you been practicing with her!?" "I think she must jump when we're not home, because she is getting so good!" I was proud as a peacock!!
So below I have some snap shots I took of her last night while jumping (sorry for the poor quality they were taken on my blackberry- note to self: buy new camera!)
So she's great at doing it with no lure anymore, just a voice ("hoop") and hand command! But my problem is I think I caught the agility bug.....What is the usual progression that they teach agility obstacles in? What can I do next!?!?!?
Which is basically a hoop tied to 2 reflective poles that we use in the winter at the end of our driveway! Using the twine and the flimsy poles actually works great because if Riley happens to hit the hoop it will sway with her, so no fear of it being too rigid she may hurt herself. So I started with it at ground level, slowing inching it up higher and higher, the hoop is now probably just over a foot high. (How high should I go for a border collie, I read around 22 inches?) I'm only doing it for my own fun, not to compete, so I am not actually concerned with the "proper" heights, but I would like to push her to her maximum, as she LOOOOVEESSSS jumping and it is a great way for her to get exercised! Now that we are at a height at about a foot, she perfers a run off, so if I do make it higher, I think it would be best to go slower than we did before with regards to increasing the height because I don't want to overwork her muscles. Does that even sound logical?
Anyway, so she is great at it, and I love watching her jump! I showed Grant last night at how good she was as it only took one 10 minute training session to move it up to the height I have it now!! He kept asking me, "Have you been practicing with her!?" "I think she must jump when we're not home, because she is getting so good!" I was proud as a peacock!!
So below I have some snap shots I took of her last night while jumping (sorry for the poor quality they were taken on my blackberry- note to self: buy new camera!)
So she's great at doing it with no lure anymore, just a voice ("hoop") and hand command! But my problem is I think I caught the agility bug.....What is the usual progression that they teach agility obstacles in? What can I do next!?!?!?
All great ideas! Thanks for sharing them!