Just a little flirting...

There's really no harm in flirting. In fact, in my opinion it is one of the best things you can do for your relationship....with your dog.

I'm not talking about whispering sweet nothings in his ear or batting your eyelashes. I'm talking about making your own flirt pole! There are times when all you want to do is relax with a book and a glass of wine and all Sparky wants to do is play, play, play. You look longingly at the sofa and fuzzy blanket, but you know as soon as you get comfortable, you will be stared at from across the room by big puppy eyes pleading with you to show them affection and maybe spend a few minutes wrestling on the floor.

Do you have a dog where even if you spend two hours walking, they still come home and run laps around the couch? Thirty minutes with a flirt pole has been compared by some to that two hour walk.

By now you are probably wondering what a flirt pole is, besides apparently a magic wand. A flirt pole is basically a giant cat toy for dogs. It's a simple pole and toy connected by a thin rope. You can make one yourself, which is what we did at DIY Dog Stuff, or you can purchase one. Our original was made from a spare curtain rod, rope, and a stuffing-free dog toy. Recently, we upgraded to a lunge whip for horses with a stuffing-free toy at the end.

 

Many dogs love to leap into the air to catch their "prey." Quest would rather it drag around the ground really fast and he'll try to scoop it up. Once it's caught, he'll shake it until you can almost hear his eyeball rattle in his head.

 

By the way, if you ever want to get pictures of your furkids playing with their flirt poles, it might be best to have a second person around to use the camera. Fast dogs + flirt poles + cameras in one hand = blurry pictures.

Weights for Agility Tunnel

My wonderful husband embraced my love for our furchild and training and bought me an agility set for Christmas. I honestly think it's the best present he has ever gotten me! It had the basics: a bar jump, tire jump, weave poles, pause box, and a short tunnel (with removable chute). The tunnel came with stakes to put in the ground for outdoor practice, but this winter was also a winter with tons of rain. I was anxious to start practicing and teaching Quest the basics.

I quickly realized that the tunnel would need to be weighed down for safety. I went through my fabric scraps and pantry can came up with a plan to make some small weights.

 

 

They're simple to make. Just cut squares, put the wrong-sides together, and sew three of the sides. Then, turn the pouches right-side out and fill with rice/beans/sand. I put the rice in baggies first, so if I ever took them outside, I wouldn't have to worry about ground moisture leaking in. I took a small section of bias tape and folded it in half and placed it about halfway down the top of the weight (green tab in picture) for the line to attach to and sewed across the top.

These do not weigh very much, but for indoor/light use (ex. recalls through the tunnel) they keep a short tunnel fairly stable. If your dog is going to be running at high speeds through the tunnel - please increase the weight for everyones safety. This can be done by using water filled milk jugs.