How to Build a Dog Agility Tire Jump

Teaching a dog to run an agility course is a great way to bond with your pet while keeping them active and improving their listening and obedience skills. An agility tire jump is a fun obstacle that challenges your dog to try something new and teaches them the value of trusting you. Follow these steps to build your own dog agility tire jump.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

1. Create a solid base. Build the base for your tire jump with heavy duty 4-by-6 pieces of wood. Sink the wood deep into the ground until the pieces are steady and space them far enough apart that you can hang a full-sized tire between them. If you do not want to plant the wood in your yard permanently or you need the jump to be portable, anchor the support pieces to crosspieces of wood of equal measurement to form a T-shaped foot on either side of the tire.

2. Measure the height from the ground that the tire will need to be suspended. This height will vary based on the height of your dog, but the tire should be suspended about 6 inches taller than the standing height of your dog. Mark this measurement clearly on each wooden support beam.

3. Drill two heavy duty eye-hooks into each support beam above and below the point where the center of the tire will be when it is hanging. Eye hooks are metal anchors whose end forms a loop like the eye of the needle. Use eye hooks whose eye is large enough to tie heavy rope or nylon twine around it.

4. Cut four equal lengths of rope or heavy duty nylon twine to suspend the tire in the middle of the tire jump. The needed length of these rope pieces varies, again based upon how high you are suspending the tire, but follow the old "measure twice and cut once" adage and give yourself some extra length on each piece. You can always trim excess length after the tire has been anchored in the proper spot.

5. Lay the tire on the ground between the support beams and tie two lengths of rope around the bottom left and bottom right sides of the tire.

6. Have an assistant hold the tire in place where it will be suspended. Tie the other ends of the two length of rope around the loops of the eye hooks and make sure the lengths of rope are sturdy and taut so that they will give enough tension once the tire is in place.

7. Tie the other two lengths of rope to the upper right and upper left sides of the tire.

8. Repeat the process of attaching the other ends of the lengths of rope to the loops of the eye hooks and adjusting the length of the rope until it is pulled taut with very little slack, and the tire is held solidly and firmly in place.

Resources

• Learn more tips for building your own agility tire jump.
• Find discount agility equipment.