Canopies our home away from home when we're out enjoying our activities with our dogs. They can be a godsend or a you wish you've never laid eyes upon.

Is it anotherpiece of junk for the garbage?

Overall we have found canopies very helpful in regards to maintaining our space, receiving protection from the elements in general.

It’s like our outdoor living space.

For us it provides a great space for grooming, meals, and a place for the kids to hang out plus it’s great for social occasions with other competitors.

There are basically two types of canopies, one type is where you clip the frame together, its price is around $30 , it is time consuming to assemble and dismantle. The other type is the self erecting frame, they cost around $130.

A few of the things to consider when looking at purchasing one, is its collapsed size…will it fit into the boot of the car or dog trailer?

Consider how solid the framework is, we have found that the lighter framed canopies although easy to carry, seem to snap and break easily at the struts, if blown about.

If you have back problems or may be likely to develop back problems when maneuvering it, you may have to consider the overall weight of the canopy. Will you be able to lift in and out of your car?

There are different types of material used for the canopy itself, most will protect you from the rain, and a lined canopy allows full protection from the sun, especially in summer. The material may be a little heavier but it is worth it.

There are sides that you can purchase that give added protection from the sun and wind.

You get what you pay for.

The cheaper ones that can be purchased for around $80 to $100 seem to have thinner frames and don’t seem to handle constant erection and collapsing as the struts snap off after a while.

Examples of broken struts

When you are in the market check out what other people are using, ask them how they have found its performance and find out where they purchased it from, its cost and the brand.

The only tool you may need is a carpenter’s hammer, it’s good for knocking in the pegs to anchor the canopy and the claw part is helpful for removing the pegs.

Be aware that are sometimes rocks below the surface and no amount of force will drive the peg into the ground without bending it beyond further use. When this happens just choose another spot to place the peg.
Driving the peg in on a slight angle will provide more resistance if the leg of the canopy is forced directly up.

Anchoring your canopy ensures it will not be caught up in a sudden gust of wind and carried away. We have seen that a fair few times at shows.

Once you have purchased one you may want to know if you can erect it by yourself.

A practice run at putting it up in the backyard will make you familiar with the process.

Nowadays this seems to part of the general equipment that people like to take to shows.

But if you have the advantage of sharing space with friends all you will need is your own chair, of course it is courteous to help put up and help with the packing up of the canopy.

Wishing you all a happier showing experience or dog activity