How to Make: Wobble Board for Dogs!

  

We made our own Wobble Board for under $35. We already had the grip tape, wood glue and tools. You can use skateboard tape instead of grip tape. 

Wobble Board DIY Tutorial

   

Materials:

1. Round Table Top 24"
2. Banister Ball w/double sided screw 2-3"
3. Grip Tape
4. Outdoor Paint (Optional)
5. Wood Glue

Tools:

1. Drill
2. Pliers
3. Tape Measure
4. String
5. Paint brush (Optional)
6. Razor Blade 
7. Pencil

Step One:
Measure the dog. Have the dog stand comfortably and measure paw to paw. 

Step Two: 
Purchase all the supplies if you don't have them laying around already. Your board should be around 4-6 inches larger in diameter than your dog's measurement. We purchased a 24" board. It's okay if your board is bigger. The banister ball should be between 2-3". We couldn't find a 3" ball so we used a table saw to cut ours down to size. I would recommend a shorter ball for a nervous dog who is just starting out. Paint is an optional step. I highly recommend purchasing grip tape for the dog's safety. 

Step Three:
You need to find the center of the board. Lay your string down on the widest part of the board with a pencil draw a line across the board. Repeat that step 4-5" away from the first line and again 4-5" from the next one.

 

Step Four:
Drill a hole into the center of the board. You only want to go 1/2 way through the board. Then with the banister ball it has a double sided screw built into it, with pliers twist the screw further into the banister ball to where 3/4" of the screw is still out. Put wood glue around the hole in the board and screw the banister ball into the board. Let it dry for as long as your wood glue says. I recommend letting it dry for a few hours.

Step 5 (Optional):
Painting is optional. We used Smurf Blue. Make sure the paint is completely dry before proceeding to the next step.

Step 6:
Install your grip tape. We used a razor to the cut the strips into shapes. You don't have to do that but my husband is artistic. 

My husband calls it a "Smurf Board"

 

 
Once your board is complete it's time to let your dogs play with it! My dogs are already experienced with a wobble board so we didn't have any trouble getting them on the new one. In my earlier blog post I talked about why you would want to use a wobble board and you can check that out here: Heeling Platforms & Wobble Board

I would recommend taking it slow when you introduce your dog to the wobble board for the first time. Use high value treats (think real meat!) and make it fun! I would recommend shaping them to the wobble board breaking it down into small steps. Pam Johnson has a wonderful tutorial on this.

Pam's Dog Academy - Wobble Board
Pam's Dog Academy - Wobble Board Part 2

 The Girls on their wobble board:

Phoenix in the purple collar and Zoe in the pink collar.