Agility hurdle

Agility hurdle made of plastic for an eventful fitness programme. The set consists of 2 posts, 1 pole and 2 supports. It has a fully adjustable height. The bar lies loosely in supports to minimize danger of injury. It can be set up and dismantled easily. It comes with handy nylon bag.

Measurements 123 × 115 × ø 3 cm

Details

It gives your dog a varied fitness routine. Exercise keeps your dog fit and helps to give him a long, healthy life. Playing together strengthens the relationship and builds trust.

General information

1. Always warm up before starting any sports. This could be a little bit of running or some easy exercises.
2. Never train on a full stomach or feed your dog just after the training. Small snacks as a reward are allowed.
3. Slowly increase the tasks your dog should perform and do not expect too much of him.
4. Adjust the sport to suit your dog and please consider the breed, age, capabilities and size of your dog.
5. Plan in extra time for breaks during the training, so that your dog does not overexert himself and continues to have fun. Always
ensure that your dog has access to drinking water and let him catch his breath after drinking.
6. Remember that the training should always end on a positive note with a feeling of success.
7. Puppies and young dogs should only be trained after consulting a veterinarian in order to avoid potential injuries.

Important: Stroke and praise your dog during training – this will motivate him and help him to trust you.

Assembling Instructions

Before building the hurdle choose a flat area, so that your dog will jump on even ground. Push the carriers over the bars, with loosened screws. Put up the bars upright with an interior distance of approx. 120 cm, so that the hurdle will lie on them loosely. Tighten the screws until the carriers cannot slip.

The training can start

1. Start the training with a low height adjustment. It helps to prevent your dog from creeping underneaththe hurdle. Put the  hurdle so far down that your dog can jump over it easily.
2. Repeat each training phase several times in order to make sure that your dog has understood the training phase and can cope with it.
3. After your dog has overcome the obstruction you should praise your dog. Give your dog a little dog treat from time to time.
4. If you have little experience in dog training, or if you would like to take part in dog competitions during the dog training, it might be advisable to join a dog school or to train in a dog sports club. There you can get a lot of tips from experienced dog trainers and training mistakes can be avoided.

The training phases

You can start the first training phase with a dog lead or a second person:

With dog lead: Position yourself and the dog in front of the hurdle. Now run with your dog over the hurdle or run along side the hurdle, while your dog jumps over it by himself.

With a second person: The second person and the dog are in front of the hurdle. You stand behind the hurdle and lure the dog with a toy or a piece of food so that he runs towards you.
If this works without any problems after several trials, you can perfect the first training phase by working without a second person or without a lead.
If your dog copes with this successfully, you can start with the second training phase. Position yourself and your dog in front of the hurdle, point at it and run with your dog towards the hurdle. Use a dog command like 'jump' right before jumping.
Start the third training phase by moving away from the hurdle with your dog. Then run towards the hurdle together. Give your command for jumping while your dog is jumping over the hurdle and you are running alongside the hurdle.
The training can be made more difficult by adjusting the hurdle at a higher level and increasing the speed.
If your dog likes the training with the hurdle, you can challenge him by a hoop. It is a piece of agility equipment which trains your dog to jump precisely.