Flirt Poles! Just like a giant cat toy fit for your pit! Resembling a fishing pole with a toy on the end, the flirt pole is the perfect tool for exercising your dog mentally and physically while barely working up a sweat yourself.
- Use it to practice commands like sit, stay, wait, take it, leave it, and drop it.
- Use it in the house instead of going out into the cold.
- Use it before a walk or Meet n’ Greet to burn off excess energy and keep them more relaxed!
You Will Need:
- PVC Pipe - $2
- 3/8 inch Rope - $11
- Duct Tape (optional) - $5
Purchase 3/4 inch PVC pipe, as smaller diameters may allow too much flex and break during play. You can get a 5 foot length at Menards or Lowes for under $2 per pipe.
The rope will be the most expensive purchase, but you can team up with friends to share as you will have more than enough for multiple flirt poles. It also doesn't hurt to have extra for when your bully gets chew happy. Since we know they can be strong tuggers, i wouldn't get much thinner than a 3/8 inch rope. This should stand up to multiple games, while still being cheap and easy to tie.
- Cut the PVC pipe down to the size you would like to use. Cutting the pipe in half works well for creating two poles that are a good size for indoor play. PVC is easy to cut, so if you do not have a power saw, you can prop the pole over a bucket or trash can and cut with a hand saw.
- Decorate! You can come up with all kinds of fun designs using colored duct tape. I used some fun patterns, but learned quickly that this requires a little more work to line the pattern up properly. The results are worth the extra effort!
- Feed your rope through the PCV pipe and make a double or triple knot at the end so it wont pull through the pipe, (give it an extra hard tug to be sure) and then knot again so that there is a large knot on each side of the PVC pipe.
- Measure out roughly 5-6 feet of rope and cut. Tie a small knot to prevent unraveling. If you find that this length is too long once you tie a toy to the end, you can trim it down to fit your space, but it is better to start on the long side for starters.
It is important to remember that this exercise should not be a free for all, but instead use commands to reinforce training and to stimulate your dog both mentally AND physically. It is recommended that your dog know sit, down, drop it, take it, and wait before you get started with the flirt pole. Check out Bad Rap's tutorial on flirt pole basics for inspiration, and have fun!