Dogskool Workshop - Free Jump Plans

DogSkool Agility Training Center

Materials needed to build one dog jump for less than $4.00

(I've noted the prices per piece at Orchard Supply).

3/4 inch 125 weight PVC pipe cut to various lengths.

I recommend the 125-weight PVC pipe because the lighter weight pipe seems too flimsy to hold up.

Cut the PVC pipe to the following lengths:

Six 1 foot lengths (.13 cents each); four for the base and two for the uprights.

You can make the jump higher or lower by making the uprights longer or shorter. To make a higher jump you can either add extensions to the basic I foot jump or make the uprights longer (e.g. 2-feet). I think the most stable method is to cut two additional I foot extensions and use extra tee slips to add the extensions onto the original I foot uprights. Using longer uprights would also work. However, without the cross bar at the 1-foot level, a 2-foot or higher jump may not be as stable as the basic 1-foot jump. Furthermore, most dogs can walk right under a two-foot or higher bar.

* One 3 foot length for the jump bar (.39 cents each).

The 3-foot length makes the jump a good width. Narrower jumps (e.g. 2-feet) are too easy for the dog to run around A longer jump bar (e.g. 4-feet) would be more awkward to transport. If you are adding extensions to make the jump higher, you'll need two 3-foot lengths, one for the stabilizing cross bar at the I foot level and one for the jump bar at the 2-foot (or higher) level. Note that the jump bar is part of the jump and does not knock off when the dog hits it.

Orchard Supply will cut the PVC pipe for you to lengths down to 1-foot. If you plan to do your own modifications, I recommend buying a PVC pipe cutter (Orchard has them for $8.99). I needed a shorter upright for my pups, so I used the PVC cutter to make 8-inch uprights out of a 4-foot length of PVC.

Four 3/4 inch tee slips (two to hold the base together and two to hold the jump bar).

- Orchard has these in bags of 10 for $1.79 or you can buy them individually.

If you decide to use extensions to make your jumps higher, you will need at least 2 additional tee slips per jump.

Optional - Four 3/4-inch cap slips

The caps slips (.26 cents each) go on the ends of the PVC pipes that make up the jump's base. Cap slips are optional however, they add a little weight to the base which helps with the stability and they finish the ends off nicely.

STEP 2: Insert a 1-foot (Or longer) PVC pipe into one end of a tee slip to create one upright.

………. Repeat STEP 2 to create the two uprights needed for one jump.

STEP 1: To build the base, insert a 1-foot PVC pipe into each of a tee slip. Add the cap slips to finish off the ends. ………. Repeat STEP 1 to create the two base pieces needed for one jump.

STEP 3: Insert an upright into the open tee slip in the middle of a base piece.

……….Repeat STEP 3 to create two sides for the jump.

PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER

STEP 4: Insert the 3-foot jump bar into the middle openings of the tee slips at the top of each upright. Adjust the base pieces so they are parallel to one another and set up your jump.

You don't need to glue the pieces together since the 3/4 inch PVC pipe and the corresponding 3/4 inch tee and cap slips fit snuggly together. You can take the big pieces apart for easy transportation and storage. To avoid loosing the tee slips and cap slips, you may want to leave them attached to their respective pieces (e.g. base or uprights).

To make your jump higher, follow the instructions in STEP 2 to create two additional uprights; insert them into the tee slips at the top of the uprights of the basic 1-foot jump; and insert a second 3-foot jump bar at the higher level. For added stability, and to prevent the dog from going under the jump, leave the first 3-foot bar in place at the 1-foot level.

Good luck and have fun jumping, with your pup!

Making an Inexpensive Jump for Your Dog

Special thanks go to Melinda Winchell for designing these jumps, to Michelle McGuire for writing these plans, and to Leanna Goldenberg for putting all of this into digital format.