How to Make Homemade Agility Jumps (Part Two)

The part you thought was never coming! The sequel to How to Make Homemade Agility Jumps (Part One). It’s advisable to read that post first.

We added a second diagonal strut a week later, for both aesthetic and practical reasons. The original was sturdy but we thought it could be sturdier, which is what the second support offers. We also added a bar at the bottom as a foot to stop the jump falling over in a light breeze. The bar is 35cm long and is made of the same 3.5 x 2.5 wood as the base.

Check out the paintwork! We went with black and pink paint because a) they look fantastic together, b) it’s unique, no-one else has black and pink equipment, and c) black and bright pink were the colours most likely to freak the dogs out. And if they can handle black and pink, they can handle any other colour that crops up on the circuit (or so is the theory).

We used a gloss wood paint for the black and a special brew* for the pink. Only one coat was necessary for both colours, and both were applied directly to the wood without a primer. We painted every square inch of wood that was accessable. The jumps have been living outside since they were painted a few weeks ago and are showing no ill-effects. One and a half small 250ml pots of gloss black were used for 9 jumps (18 wings), and approx 250ml’s of pink for the same. We had one small hiccup in that the gloss paint took over 2 weeks to dry completely; it remained slightly tacky in the underside corners and joints between the wood. Although we painted on a warm and sunny day in late September, the following days and weeks were somewhat damp and cold which probably prevented the paint from drying as quickly as it could.

*The pink paint was mixed by a talented friend out of some colours she had at home. Unfortunately I don’t know exactly what went in the pot but it looks awesome.

The jump cups arrived and got screwed in a long time ago. I’d definitely recommend these jump cups to anyone attempting to make their own equipment, they’re relatively cheap and a lot easier than attempting to make the cups yourself. They’re also very easy to attach and very durable. They look quite shallow but our poles fit comfortably in them and none of our dogs have poles down any more than you would usually expect.

The cups are attached at the standard Kennel Club heights.