Agility…. Inside?

When you’re sitting inside in the winter, watching snow, sleet, rain, or ‘wintery mix’ fall outside your window, it’s easy to get that horrible all over itchy twitchy feeling of cabin fever.  Dogs have it even worse, as they run from end to end of the kitchen and bounce in place – especially the little guys who hate to go out in snow!  A solution to your blues is to set up an agility course inside!  Here’s some ideas to get you started enjoying your time inside just a little more.

• Snake a tunnel through and around the dining room table.  It can get pretty complex!
• Set up Cavalettis or a ladder in a hallway and walk your dog up and down them. This has the added benefit of being an aerobic exercise, as well as good ‘send away’ practice.
• Train contacts and motion with a rockerboard or mini contact equipment! Your dog doesn’t need an entire course to practice his contacts and learn to avoid flyoffs. If you have a small to medium dog, you can even set up a teeter inside!
• Weave down the hallway. Set up a set or two  along a wall.  While yes, that means your dog can not pop out on one side, it’s still practice, and they’re still learning weaves.
• Practice startline behaviors.  Prepare his dinner with him sitting way far away, where he can still see you.  Your dog needs to stay even as you set the bowl down, and walk away from the bowl, until you say those wonderful, glorious words… ‘Go!’
• Set up duffle jumps– these great jumps are small, preset to your dogs’ height category, and extremely easy to store! They’re my personal favorite for indoor use, since they’re so little.

Share your indoor agility ideas below!