|
Post by lpyrbby on Jun 29, 2009 20:20:28 GMT -5
Just sharing pics of the flirt pole I made this weekend Thought you guys might enjoy. Yep, I noosed the toy cat...lol I went to Lowe's and got the .97c piece of PVC pipe in the 5ft length. Then, I got 100ft worth of 144lb 3/8 inch polypropylene rope. I have NO clue what I'm doing with the other 90ft of it lol! The whole lot of rope cost about $10. Then, I got two washers for either end of the pipe that the rope would fit through but that wouldn't have a huge lip around the pipe. Those were .10c a piece. And for the "handle", I got some rubber weather stripping which was like $12 I think? Anywho, I ran the rope through the pipe and ran one of the washers over the rope then knotted the rope. Turn to the other end, I cut the rope where I wanted the length and ran the other washer down to the pipe, tying another knot. And finally, I tied one final knot at the very end of the rope so that when I tie a toy to it, the rope is less likely to come loose. Seriously, it took all of 10 minutes to make this. Piece of cake And a vid for your viewing pleasure It cuts off at the end because I neglected to remember that rechargeable batteries need to be charged before you can use them lol!
|
|
|
Post by Courtney on Jun 29, 2009 22:32:39 GMT -5
lol @ noosed the toy cat
nice work, I think I'll make one soon!
|
|
|
Post by loverocksalot on Jun 30, 2009 19:51:42 GMT -5
Thats very clever. I enjoyed the video as I always wondered what you do with a flirt pole. Now Im wondering what happens when the dog gets the toy at the end. Is he able to pull the whole thing out of your hands?
|
|
|
Post by lpyrbby on Jun 30, 2009 20:07:43 GMT -5
If my batteries had been charged more, I'd have gotten the whole play session lol! Cyrus did catch it several times and its only gonna go flying out of your hands if you don't have a good grip on it. We played a little bit of tug with it since I wanted to find out how it'd hold up and so far so good The strong rope, washers and strength of the PVC really help to make it a solid toy for them, even if they catch it. One piece of wisdom though, try very hard not to let them catch it when they're going full steam ahead! LOL Almost had my arm jerked out a couple of times
|
|
|
Post by maryellen on Jul 1, 2009 7:08:03 GMT -5
looks good!!! you can make the rope longer,this way you get a larger range to play with, mine has a 5 foot rope at the end, with a 4 foot pipe, this way i can really extend it while playing (and it prevents the dog from slammng into you to get the toy lol and knocking you over...) it also lets you get tied up lol..
|
|
|
Post by RealPitBull on Jul 1, 2009 7:31:41 GMT -5
Very cool!!! Now I need to make one! Thanks for posting this
|
|
|
Post by Courtney on Jul 1, 2009 13:33:06 GMT -5
lol @ ME's pic!
|
|
|
Post by maryellen on Jul 1, 2009 14:56:44 GMT -5
i was peeing in my pants when she did that to my husband... trying to take pics and laughing sooo hard.... she did it a few times, and he finally gave up and threw me the flirt pole and went inside...
|
|
|
Post by teiaperigosa on Jul 2, 2009 12:10:39 GMT -5
is he playing on a long leash? I'm not questioning your methods, only curious as to why you have this. just seems to me like extra hassle. I'm cautious about the short attention span of my dog when we are in public. He will stop playing with a rope toy or flirt pole in order to observe a passing person or dog, but I can get his attention back by a verbal command or swinging the toy again
oh...great creative toy btw. the pvc seems a lot better (lighter/reactive) than the broom handle/tug toy contraptions that I put together. mine worked fine, but you def seem to have a nice fishing pole effect there
|
|
|
Post by lpyrbby on Jul 2, 2009 12:22:18 GMT -5
He is playing on a long leash. I don't have a private fenced in yard since I live in a town house complex. So, not an extra hassle when its for the safety of my dog and the neighborhood strays LOL! It would be a ton easier and probably even more fun if I had my own private yard. One of these days I will!
|
|
Chloe
I Love RPBF!
Posts: 433
|
Post by Chloe on Jul 2, 2009 20:42:25 GMT -5
That's neat!
I'm gonna make one now!
|
|
|
Post by loverocksalot on Jul 8, 2009 6:30:27 GMT -5
I noticed the long leash too and thought wow what an expert at long leash play. You must be very coordinated. Nice job. Did you get the rope at lowes too. Also have you found having such a long pole better than a shorter one. I like this idea as I was thinking last night Rocky rarely plays with anything. except his couch blanket he thinks is his girlfriend. I am tired of spending good money on something that sits in a basket. Thanks for the idea.
|
|
|
Post by lpyrbby on Jul 8, 2009 6:42:37 GMT -5
I noticed the long leash too and thought wow what an expert at long leash play. You must be very coordinated. Nice job. Did you get the rope at lowes too. Also have you found having such a long pole better than a shorter one. I like this idea as I was thinking last night Rocky rarely plays with anything. except his couch blanket he thinks is his girlfriend. I am tired of spending good money on something that sits in a basket. Thanks for the idea. LOL I think the "expertness" comes from not wanting to be tripped. You get pretty used to keeping the rope out of the way. The toy can help manipulate things in your favor too lol! And I did make my own long line. I actually bought the rope for the long line at Tractor Supply, but Lowes has some similar rope that would work well. I picked up some rope clamps and some trigger snaps and a long line was made Now, as far as the length, there are pros and cons. With using it with the long line, the longer length actually helps keep the dog in a wider circle so there are less tangles in the line. It can be a little awkward at first, but really, its just a learning curve more than anything. I know we'd have a ton more fun without the long line so I could safely hold it with both hands. I bet if I could do that, I could plant my butt somewhere and not really have to move. When I used the cot toy before, I had to move around a LOT more since there was only about 3 ft worth of stick and toy combined. Lemme dig up another vid to see if you can tell the diff between the lengths and movement that's required on the person side.
|
|
|
Post by maryellen on Jul 8, 2009 6:56:41 GMT -5
you could try putting the long line around your ankle... this way your hands are both free....
|
|
|
Post by RealPitBull on Jul 8, 2009 7:29:34 GMT -5
That's neat! I'm gonna make one now! Post pix!
|
|
|
Post by lpyrbby on Jul 8, 2009 7:37:45 GMT -5
you could try putting the long line around your ankle... this way your hands are both free.... Umm...I'll have to pass on that idea ME ROFL! I can see myself easily breaking a hip! Or leg, or arm, or...
|
|
|
Post by emilys on Jul 8, 2009 8:36:35 GMT -5
about the other 90 feet of rope: you can make leashes! You can tie knots if you're good with that, or just get some rope clamps for the 2 ends. That rope does fray eventually; I've made mine with mountain climber rope which is very very durable (though of course more expensive, but still much cheaper especially if you want to make a 10 foot, or longer, leash)
|
|
|
Post by maryellen on Jul 8, 2009 9:18:20 GMT -5
true, you dont need to break a leg or anything... what about doubling up or buyng a longer lead at tractor supply and tying one end around a tree? this way you have both hands free and the dog cant go anywhere..
|
|
|
Post by lpyrbby on Jul 8, 2009 9:27:14 GMT -5
It's not a huge deal to have both hands free I'm pretty good with one handing it lol! Emily, I've got a ton of rope leads already so I was hoping to find a good idea for a tug toy or something of the sort with it. I haven't gotten around to looking just yet though.
|
|
|
Post by bullyforus on Jul 9, 2009 6:47:23 GMT -5
Just in case folks didn't know - a long lunge whip with a 6 foot long lash runs around 16-20 bucks at most tack shops or even online. Ours lasts about a year - and it's got a great reach and flexibility - so it works with pulling to some degree (think fishing pole lol). Here is a link to a listing on eBay for a variety of them (I can't recommend the seller, as I've never bought from them - we buy ours from the local tack shop for 16 bucks) : cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=300328358398And hey - they even come in colors if that floats your boat! lol Toby ADORES his ... We tie on a piece of scrap leather on the cracker/popper for Toby to grip when he catches it. Anyways, just thought I would share a cheaper option that doesn't require building anything for those that might be interested. For search keywords, use "lunge whip" - it's what you use to lunge a horse, and with a APBT on the other end, they seem to love to run in a circle around you while holding it in their mouths. One nice thing about a tall pole or rod, its the ability to stand in one place and move the whip in a full circle by going over and around your head. Oh. And a note - get the one piecers, the two piecers aren't something I'd recommend. They do reach lengths of 84 inches - and they can be short, so if buying online, make SURE you note the length!
|
|