The 10 Best Dog Agility Equipment Pieces For Training and Exercise

Best Overall

Better Sporting Dogs Deluxe Agility Equipment Set

$185 at Amazon

For an exceptionally designed, versatile, and affordable training kit that the professionals recommend, the Better Sporting Dogs Deluxe Agility set is the best option for most dog owners.

Most agility tests include between 15 and 20 obstacles, but a 7-piece kit helps owners create a great practice course for their dog, no matter their experience level. This kit is customizable to challenge your dog in a variety of ways, incorporating two bar jumps, a tire jump, six fixed-base weave poles, two tunnels, and a pause box. The bar jumps are 26-inches wide and adjustable, while the tire jump has a generous 24-inches diameter. The tunnels are 10 feet long, and include sandbags for maximum sturdiness.

The equipment is well-made and suitable for indoor and outdoor use year round. It’s not prohibitively heavy either, which means it’s not hard to drag back and forth from the garage. If you are varying your training location between your home and elsewhere, you can easily transport the entire set with its accompanying carrying case set; all items are easily collapsible.

The adjustable capabilities of the items in the 7-piece set means that this kit can adapt to you and your dog’s changing skill level. Consumers and professionals agree that it is a fit for beginning to advanced dogs and trainers. The customizability of the set also means that it’s the rare kit that is both reasonably budget-friendly and suitable for dogs of most sizes and breeds, except for the very largest.

^{Size: Tunnel: 10 feet long, 24 inches in diameter; bar jump: 26 inches wide | Materials: Vinyl, PVC, plastic | Colors: White, black, blue}

Best Competition Kit

Affordable Agility Agility in The Bag

$259 at Amazon

This kit from Affordable Agility—Arden’s favorite agility equipment brand—represents the industry standard when it comes to competition-and-trial-level equipment. It comes with a 36" wide adjustable bar jump, 6 weave poles, an adjustable tire jump, pause box, and a tunnel which can be adjusted to run between 3 and 11 feet.

At 22 inches, the tunnel is the same diameter as the agility tunnels used in competitions, and the other items in the kit are similarly professionally designed. As a result, they pass the safety standards laid out by the American Kennel Club for agility equipment. 

The kit is only unsuitable for very large breeds, and is acceptable for indoor or outdoor use. With an oversize carrying bag, it is relatively easy to transport and reassemble. If the price tag seems daunting, do some price checking; with most combinations of products, you’ll pay less than you would if you bought each of the pieces individually.

^{Size: Tunnel: 3 feet long; bar jump: 36 inches wide; weave poles: 33 inches tall; pause box frame: 36 inches; carrying bag: 38 x 30 x 3 inches | Materials: Not available| Colors: Various}

Best Budget Kit

CHEERING PET Dog Agility Training Equipment

$48 at Amazon

This affordable kit is chock full of crucial obstacles and fun toys and accessories designed to build your pup’s mental and physical aptitude and awareness. It is a 28-piece set including this cornucopia of items: a 58.5-inch long tunnel, 2 vertical poles, 8 slalom poles, an adjustable hurdle, and a pause box. Also included are stakes and carrying bags for securing your equipment, plus a few helpful training accessories—string, a rope toy, and a whistle.

The kit is a great pick if you’re looking for training equipment to take to the park with your dog. Its high-end polyester makes it easy to transport around without the material ripping. Though it’s marketed for both dogs starting out with agility exercises and competition-level pups, it is likely best for beginners, however, since its items are not up to American Kennel Club size and safety standards.

^{Size: Package dimensions: 29.6 x 25.4 x 4 inches; 8.2 pounds | Materials: Polyester | Colors: Blue, orange}

Best Jump Set

PawHut Dog Agility Training Equipment

$80 at Amazon $80 at Home Depot $92 at Macy's

Beverly Mapes recommends adjustable jump sets as the first agility equipment items you should invest in for your dog. This product for PawHut is a top-of-the-line, fully adjustable, and safe set of bar jumps that is suitable for dogs of a range of skill levels. With their moveable cups, the jumps can be set at anywhere between 6 and 33.5 inches, with generous proportions to accommodate pups of all sizes (38.5 inches long, 26.5 inches wide, and 36.5 inches high). 

The design is outfitted to prevent the jump from toppling; if the dog doesn’t clear the jump, the bar will fall, rather than the whole structure. The set allows for a fairly rigorous workout, including six jumps; with its customizability, it can emulate either an American-Kennel-Club-level agility trial or a modest workout. While not suitable for indoor use, it is easily movable—via a carrying bag—to different outdoor locations. Just be sure you set your course up on flat ground. 

Small but important note: the cherry on top in the set is a whistle, a beneficial accessory when it comes to dog training.

^{Size: High jumper: 38.5 x 26.5 x 36.5 inches; adjustable bar height: 6 to 33.5 inches | Materials: Polyester, ABS plastic | Colors: Orange, white}

Best Open Tunnel

HDP Dog Agility Training Open Tunnel

$40 at Amazon

Tunnels are usually considered to be the best agility exercise for dogs to start out with. This HDP tunnel is highly affordable—currently less than $40 on Amazon—but is not just a toy for beginners. It meets AKC’s competition standards, with its 24-inch opening and generous length. Thanks to the set of steel rings included in the kit, the tunnel can expand to 18 feet in length, longer than many popular tunnels in the same price range.

The tunnel is also incredibly durable and safe. The tough nylon fabric is resistant to tearing and waterproof; thanks to a convenient carry bag, it is easy to transport the tunnel around without wear and tear. The kit includes steel grommets to keep the tunnel safely affixed to the ground to prevent the tunnel collapsing on your dog or ripping. 

All of this points to the reason that the tunnel is best used outside. If you’re looking for a more modest item to use in your basement or garage, this product won’t be a good fit for you; for most dog owners though, it’s the best bang for your buck you’ll find among affordable open tunnel options.

^{Size: 18 feet x 24 inches in diameter | Materials: Alloy steel frame, Dacron cover | Colors: Blue}

Best Weave Poles

Cool Runners Agility Dog Training Weave Poles

$63 at Chewy

Along with open tunnels, weave poles are one of the most popular starting exercises for dogs and owners who are experimenting with agility training. Cool Runners makes a popular 6-pole kit that is both suitable for dogs starting out with agility training and advanced pups, since it adheres to American Kennel Club guidelines for trials and competitions (in this case, in regards to spacing). 

The poles can be customized to form more or less complex courses—straight, offset, or 2x2—thanks to their adjustable PVC bases. The kit is also more easily portable and lightweight than the majority of modestly priced pole sets on the market. They are also safe for pups, with no metal edges, allowing for a margin of error as they build their skills, Grass stakes make the poles easy to fully secure wherever you choose to set up your course.

^{Size: 36.5 x 6 x 7 inches | Materials: Plastic | Colors: White, blue}

Best Tire Jump

Weave Poles Dog Agility Equipment

$140 at Amazon

Another high-caliber product endorsed by the American Kennel Club (AKC), this tire jump is built sturdily enough to be worth the $100-plus investment for any dog owner who is serious about agility training. The product can be a go-to training jump for pups throughout their agility education and can serve all sizes of dogs, with a height adjustable from 4 to 26 inches and a 24 inch diameter—the ideal measurements for agility training and trials, according to AKC guidelines.

The frame for Weave Poles’ product is extremely sturdy, constructed from Furniture Grade PVC and uses a ground bar with a wide base to create maximum stability for the jump. But despite its heavy-duty design, it’s easy to assemble and reassemble. This allows it to travel easily, making it perfect for owners who like to train their dog in different locations or those who break it down and store in between sessions.

^{Size: Diameter: 24 inches; Adjustable height: 4 to 26 inches | Materials: Polyester | Colors: Not applicable}

Best Training Book

The Power of Positive Dog Training

$19 at Amazon $22 at Barnesandnoble.com

A good dog-training book is key for building a foundation of understanding between you and your dog upon which you can begin to explore and practice agility skills with your dog. Since the book's release in 2008, The Power of Positive Dog Training has been a popular guide for applying positive reinforcement dog training methods to create a strong bond between owners and their dogs. The author, Pat Miller, is a renowned dog trainer and their work is continuously featured in popular dog-training publications.

In this book, Miller provides a step-by-step program that will take you and your pet on a training journey for six weeks. During this time period, you will learn how to interact with your dog by understanding and responding to their body language. It also introduces clicker and treat training, and provides a helpful diary for tracking the training progress. This book is available in paperback, Kindle, and audio.

^{Size: 288 pages | Materials: Paper | Colors: Not applicable}

Best A-Frame

Better Sporting Dogs Agility A-Frame

$250 at Amazon $250 at Etsy

Better Sporting Dog's Agility A-Frame is a reliable agility tool for beginners and experienced dogs alike. The wooden piece of equipment arrives fully assembled and no tools are required for setup. The wooden panels are textured on top and painted bright yellow and blue to help your dog identify where the should land.

The A-frame is suitable for indoor or outdoor use and can support dogs weighing up to 100 pounds. It is manufactured by Better Sporting Dogs in the United States and comes with an agility trainer book with helpful tips and exercises to try.

^{Size: 42 x 25 x 42 inches | Materials: Wood | Colors: Yellow, blue}

Best Agility See-Saw for Practice

Better Sporting Dogs Dog Agility Teeter

$175 at Amazon

For backyard exercise, Better Sporting Dog's Practice See-Saw Agility Trainer is a versatile piece of equipment that is easy to setup. This see-saw is not professional grade, but it's portable and fold ups for transport, so it is a very practical piece to have for practice and a workout.

The see-saw is designed to support small and medium sized dogs weighing up to 60 pounds, No tools are required for assembly, but once it's unfolded it should be tethered to a secure spot in the grass. The color-coded plank is yellow and blue to help your dog distinguish target zones, learning where to stand to activate the see-saw, and lightly textured to prevent slippage. You can also use it as a mini A-frame trainer

^{Size: 72 x 12 x 12 inches | Materials: Wood, metal | Colors: Yellow, blue}