The trickiest of the agility obstacles is the seesaw, or teeter-totter, which is a tilting platform that a dog must ascend upwards, find his pivot point, tip the seesaw, and then exit the bottom of the other end. There are a lot of intimidating components to the seesaw, including the movement, the tricky balance, and the noise that it can make.
Full Answer
Take a look at how to go about taking up this exciting hobby...
To be eligible to compete in Agility, your dog must be:
Introduce Contact Obstacles
The following obstacles are covered in the rule book:
3:018:59How To: DIY Agility See-Saw | TheDogBlog - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipYou're going to need two pieces of PVC. Cut into 20 centimeter length. And last but not least fromMoreYou're going to need two pieces of PVC. Cut into 20 centimeter length. And last but not least from uprights you're going to need 2 PVC pieces. Cut into 35 centimeter length. So all those materials.
1:2557:58Dog Agility Teeter Totter Training - LIVE! - Subscriber HangoutYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipAll the way to the end and then riding the board down. So. I need to go back and revisit some of theMoreAll the way to the end and then riding the board down. So. I need to go back and revisit some of the foundation. Exercises that I did initially to teach her my criteria for the ending behavior.
The standard heights for a dog agility seesaw are 8 inches (20 cm), 12 inches (30 cm), 18 inches (46 cm), and 24 inches (61 cm) from the ground. The lower heights can be used to train your dog, building its confidence towards the 24 in (61 cm) standard for most dog agility competitions.
This dog agility teeter (see-saw) has a board that is 8' long and 10" wide. The base can be adjusted to be either 12" or 18" high. The board is aluminum alloy with rubber surface and the base is steel.
0:384:56Teach your dog the See-Saw | Zac & Lucy's agility - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipSo to start off what you want to do is just get the seesaw plank and lay it flat on the ground withMoreSo to start off what you want to do is just get the seesaw plank and lay it flat on the ground with your dog on the lead just calmly walk past the plank and get your dog to walk on the plate.
The best objects to offer teething puppies depend on your dog's size and level of activity. They include rubber teething toys that you can put in the freezer, such as a Kong, edible puppy teething rings, and flavored puppy chew toys.
How high do dogs jump in agility? The most common question of dog owners starting out in agility is how high their dog will be jumping. The quick answer is: roughly as high as their shoulder height.
approximately 12 feetThe see-saw (sic) shall consist of a sturdy plank measuring approximately 12 feet (365cm) in length and measuring between 11 inches (28 cm) and 12 inches (31cm) in width.
Scoring. Agility is scored on a time and fault basis. Dogs must complete all necessary obstacles in a course in the time allowed. Dogs can accumulate faults for a variety of reasons including running an obstacle out of sequence, displacing a bar on a jump, or refusing an obstacle.
It needs to measure 12 feet long and the base has to extend 2 inches past the sides of the plank with a gap that should not exceed 4 inches. When measured from the top of the board at the pivot point it has to be 24 inches, with the allowance to take an inch or 2 more or less, but no further.
9 Feet 8 InchesTeeter Totter (9 Feet 8 Inches Overall Length)
The seesaw or "teeter-totter" is one of the most challenging obstacles for a dog to perform. This 12-inch wide, 12-foot long plank rests on a fulcrum. The seesaw should be balanced carefully so a 3-foot weight placed 12 inches from the high end of the seesaw causes it to hit the ground in 3 seconds or less.
1. Cut a piece of 2 by 12 in (5.1 by 30.5 cm) wood to make the seesaw plank. The planks for an official dog agility seesaw are usually 12 feet (3.7 m) in length. Purchase a long 2 by 12 in (5.1 by 30.5 cm) plank of wood online or from your local hardware store.
To keep your seesaw visually interesting for yourself and your dog, choose a color that contrasts with the paint for your contact areas to cover the rest of the board. Use latex or oil-based paint that is waterproof, applying a thin coat to the plank with a paintbrush or roller.
Moving the fulcrum of the plank closer to one end will make sure that the longer side always sits on the ground when the seesaw isn't in use.
Most standard dog agility seesaws make the contact area bright yellow so that dogs can see it more easily. To keep the lines between the contact area and the rest of the seesaw straight, wrap the edge of your contact area with masking or painter's tape.
This should create a single seesaw base. The fulcrum with the seesaw board will sit between the 2 uprights.
Your stands will need to be almost perfectly identical. If they are too different, your seesaw may not sit evenly on the base, or it may break more easily.
The size of the contact area on each end of your plank varies between different dog agility associations. Measure the length of an appropriate contact area from each end of your plank and mark it with a pencil line.
Many people may not be familiar with agility competitions, where dogs navigate through an obstacle course while racing against the clock. Even for those who have heard of the sport, acting as a simple spectator can be a little intimidating.
In Novice or Open Standard and Jumpers With Weaves courses, if a dog gets a Refusal (R) — meaning he turned away from or stopped in front of the obstacle — he can still qualify since it is just five points off, but in Excellent and Masters [courses] a dog has to have perfect runs.”. 2.
Many actions can result in a fault such as entering the Weave Poles incorrectly or missing a pole altogether, failing to place a foot in the “contact zone” while performing an obstacle like the Seesaw, or performing the obstacles out of order.
8 inches: For dogs 11 inches and under at the withers (the ridge between the shoulder blades of a dog).
Weave Poles — Comprised of six to 12 up right poles, a dog must enter to the right of the first one and weave through each of the others quickly without missing a pole. It is considered one of the trickiest obstacles to master. 4. Tire Jump — A dog must jump quickly and cleanly through the opening of the tire.
Agility Course Obstacles. Courses typically have between 14-20 obstacles. Here are several you’ll run into: 1. Jumps — These vary from course to course, but a dog must leap over the bar without displacing it. The height of the dog determines the heights of each jump. FYI: Dogs are measured before the competition.
A-frame — Made up of two broad ramps hinged together, a dog must quickly scale the structure, scramble over the apex, and touch the “contact zone” while descending.