Dog Sport Obstacle Equipment Requirements

Equipment requirements concerning obstacles in advanced obedience and protection titles:  First, the judge for the event will be responsible for inspecting all equipment prior to conducting the trial. The following equipment must be available for advanced obedience and protection titles: A-Frame, Window Hurdle, Rail Fence Hurdle, and a Solid Vertical Hurdle.

Equipment Standards currently being used by UKC- Agility and Schutzhund events are acceptable as long as the height standards and modifications for safety are satisfactory.

Window Hurdle.

Framework. The framework for the window hurdle may be constructed with varying materials, however the top rail or material should contain a protective cover to help in preventing any injury; suggested material includes foam rubber, brush material, carpet etc...

Panel. Overall dimensions of the panel should be approximately 42"- 48" wide and  7- 8 feet tall with an opening 18" to 30” wide and 30" high. Provisions to adjust the bottom of the opening to 16", 26", and 36" for Divisions 1, 2, and 3, respectively, must be provided. The panel with the opening may be made of wood or heavy cloth such as denim or canvas. When made of cloth, a 4-inch sleeve may be sewn along each of the vertical sides so that the cloth can be held in place by slipping the sleeve over the uprights. In this case, changes in heights may be made by pushing the cloth panel up or down over the uprights.

A-Frame.

This obstacle consists of two panels (ramps) connected together at one end and positioned to form a structure that simulates an A-Frame. The A-Frame apex should have a protective cover to prevent the dog’s feet from being caught or pinched. Carpet or some form of rubber mating is suggested. The judge will inspect all equipment for safety concerns prior to the competition.

Note: A-Frames that meet the standards for current UKC agility events and standard for Schutzhund trials are acceptable, however the height at the apex should not exceed 60 inches; a range of 52 to 60 is acceptable.

   1). Contact zones. For both panel lengths, the top edge of the contact line is located 42" with a ¼" tolerance from the bottom edge of the panel. The color of the contact zone must contrast with the rest of the panel but must not be white, black or brown. It is recommended that the entire contact zone be painted a contrasting bright yellow. The color of the contact zone is to be extended around the edges of the board, in order to be visible from the side. It is permissible to have a slat on the contact line.

   2). Construction.

       a) Panels. The panels may each measure 6'8" or 8' in length and 30" to 49" in width. They may be constructed from wood or a wood like substance attached to a metal or wooden framework rigid enough to withstand the impact of large dogs jumping part way up on to the panels. The panels are connected along one end by hinges. An insert must cover any gap between the two panels at the apex. A chain or other brace is attached approximately halfway up on the inside of each panel to secure the proper angle to the panels when set up for use. The apex for the 6’8” panel is set 49"-50" vertically above ground, while the 8' panel is set at 59" vertically above ground.

     3). Slats. Slats are approximately 3/8" to 1" thick and ¾ – 1½" wide and cut to extend the width of the panels. The slats are attached 12" apart with a 2" tolerance. Slats must be rounded or beveled so as to not be sharp.

High (Vertical or solid) Hurdle.

This hurdle is similar to the High Jump used in Obedience. Construction: This obstacle may be constructed of PVC or wooden boards. The obstacle can be made of varying material and the overall dimensions should be approximately be from 42” to 48” wide and with the availability to adjust heights for three categories of the following: 16”, 26” and 36” . The structure should appear to be a solid structure. In addition the top surface area should contain a surface that provides some form of protection for the dog if struck during the routine.

1. PVC obstacle. Framework consisting of a pair of uprights on each side with support legs as needed may be made of 1" PVC to support stacked 3 to 4" PVC sections as a vertical wall. The bottom section of 4" pipe must be notched to fit over the bottom support pipe of the framework on both ends, so that the pipe rests on the ground, resulting in two 4" pipes to form the 8" hurdle. To form the 14" hurdle, the bottom section of pipe is turned so the notch is on the upper side, and the full length of the pipe rests on the cross piece of the framework which is 3½' to 4' wide. When the three 4" PVC pipes are placed on top of the cross piece, the height of the hurdle is approximately 13.5" high, which is acceptable. For the 20" Division 3 height, the bottom section of 4" pipe again is turned with the notch down, over the cross piece. Four additional sections are added (a total of five), making the hurdle height 20".

Rail Fence Hurdle: This hurdle has several cross rails held between two uprights. Spaces between the rails give the appearance of a rail fence. The structure should be approximately between 42 “ to 48” wide and have a height availability to adjust the top rail to any of the following heights: 16”, 26” and 36”inches. The rail hurdle may be constructed out of varying material, however the top rail should have a protective material that helps in preventing an injury if struck during the jump by the dog.

Construction. Several cross rails made of PVC pipe or narrow wooden boards are held between two uprights. It is preferred that the rails may be displaceable, however non-displaceable is allowed. PVC pipe rails may be held by inserting them through holes drilled through the uprights, or by means of cupped supports attached to the inside of the uprights. The cupped supports should be shallow enough to allow for the easy displacement of the pipe rails. Rail Fence Hurdles with displaceable rails may be used as required in the Agility III Class.

Hurdle Heights. The number of rails may vary, but there must be a minimum of one for the 16 hurdle, two for the 26" and three for the 36" hurdle. If small diameter pipes are used as the rails, 2, 4, and 6 rails may be used for the three heights.