How to Build a Dog Jungle Gym

Dogs literally jump at the chance for exercise.

Dogs need and love exercise. A doggie jungle gym is something your dog is guaranteed to adore as it will provide hours of useful fun for the pet, including the exercise proven to help your dog lead a long and healthy life. It also can help with training methods and improve your dogs motor skills. Raid your garage for materials to use for this gym, and start a simple jungle gym for your dog in the backyard.

Things You'll Need

• Rope
• Dog toy
• PVC pipe
• Teeter-totter
• Benches
• Wooden boxes

Instructions

1. Scope out your backyard and decide what is feasible. A large yard provides more options. Hilly and flat areas provide opportunities for different features. Consider the state of your lawn before building any structures as heavy dog usage can have disastrous effects on a well-maintained lawn.

2. Find a tree in your backyard and construct a simple dog toy. Toss a rope over the tree and attach a dog toy on the end. A squeaky toy or a toy with scent will be especially alluring. The perpetual motion provided by the swinging of the rope will entertain your dog.

3. Build an agility course. Using 4-foot PVC pipes, lay out a course for the dog to run through. Plant eight to 10 poles in the ground in a straight line about 4 feet apart and train the dog to weave in and out of each pole like a slalom skier. Reward the dog with a treat for a fast time to encourage the dog's speed.

4. Use an old children's teeter-totter on the lowest setting to add an advanced feature to your jungle gym. Reward your dog for any interaction with the ramp. Train the dog to walk up the downed side of the ramp and over the other end, tipping the teeter. Eventually, the dog will be able to do this activity alone.

5. Construct hurdles. Using benches or wooden boxes, build a hurdle run of increasing height. Start the hurdles low, about 6 inches off the ground, and work your way up to a 2-foot hurdle, depending on the size of the dog. Train your dog on the smallest hurdle. She will naturally progress to the higher ones.

References

• Awesome Paws: Jungle Gym Teeter
• Cottage Country Now: Slice, the Agility Dog