Every dog agility organization includes a dog agility tunnel on its competition courses, and often dogs will have to navigate through the dog tunnel twice during a run therefore tunnel training is essential. Here are a few facts about how to train with dog agility tunnels and some facts about tunnels in general.
1. Dog Agility Tunnels Are Easy To Train
Ok, that statement might seem a bit misleading. After all, you may have a dog that took one look at the dog agility tunnel and was very hesitant to enter the obstacle at all. This initial fear is very common, but it is easy to overcome.
You can begin by shortening the dog agility tunnel, so it is not at its full competition length. Allow your dog to sniff the tunnel and then put your head into the tunnel so they see that it is safe. Then, with a person at either end of the tunnel, coax your dog through the tunnel. It can be easier to offer a treat at the end of a successful journey through the tunnel, but praise sometimes can be enough of a reward.
Once they have made it through this shortened tunnel several times, you can bring the dog agility tunnel back to its full length and try it out. It may take some extra coaxing to get your dog through the lengthened tunnel, but it should only take a few tries before they are comfortable with this obstacle.
2. Dog Agility Tunnels Are Perfect For Puppies
Many pieces of dog agility equipment are not safe for puppies. For instance, we don’t recommend training any type of jump before your pup is fully grown. Dogs cannot compete on a dog agility course until they are fully grown anyway, so there’s really no need to bother with jumps in their early months anyway.
A tunnel, however, can be an easy fun option for puppy training. Our mini agility equipment selection includes mini agility tunnels, and these are perfect for puppies. You also could purchase a collapsible chute and simply train using the small barrel at the head of the chute, and our chutes can be detached easily from the barrel.
Other equipment that can be used with puppies includes the pause table (just use the top of the table so they don’t have to climb) and perhaps the dog walk with plenty of supervision. You also could have them learn to walk over a pole jump placed flat on the ground just to get used to the idea of it. In general, though, it’s best to work with puppies on basic obedience commands as well as games such as fetch or find the toy.
3. Don’t Forget To Curve Your Dog Agility Tunnel
While it’s best to begin your dog agility tunnel training with a straight tunnel, you probably have noticed that the tunnels on competition courses are curved. Therefore, once your furry friend has mastered a straight tunnel, you will want to set the tunnel up in a curved position and train using a curved tunnel from that point forward.
Some dogs have no trouble adapting to the curved tunnel, but if your dog seems a bit unsure, just go back to the basic idea of having a handler at either end of the tunnel, coaxing the dog through and providing praise once they make it through the curved tunnel.
Eventually, you will set up a complete agility course and will need to practice entering the tunnel from either end and making turns once you exit the tunnel. Be sure to set up many different course configurations in your yard, as the courses are always a big surprise on competition day, and it is more important that you dog master each skill and master your signals rather than mastering one specific course configuration.
4. Collapsible Tunnels Can Be Tricky To Train
While regular dog agility tunnels can be fairly quick for dogs to master, the collapsible tunnel or collapsible chute is another kettle of fish altogether. After all, they cannot see you at the end of the chute and it makes a funny rustling sound that can spook some dogs. The good news is that most agility organizations don’t use the chute anymore, but a few still do, so be sure to research your organization before investing in a chute.
A chute can be a great option for backyard fun, though, and since some agility organizations still use the chute, we do have a few tips. We recommend first teaching the regular, open dog agility tunnel to your furry friend and once they have mastered that both straight and curved, then consider teaching the chute.
You will want to begin by allowing them to sniff the chute and make it rustle a bit so that they can hear the noise it makes. Then have one handle hold the chute open at the end while a second handler stands at the rigid end of the chute. Coax your dog through the tunnel (a small treat can help with this) and provide plenty of praise.
Once they have completed the chute several times, stop giving the treat and just provide the praise. Dogs are usually just as happy to receive praise as they are treats, and you cannot use treats on the competition course anyway, so eventually it’s important to stop giving out treats. Still, they can be very helpful for tunnel and chute training.
5. We Have Everything You Need At Carlson Agility
At Carlson Agility, we have a full selection of dog agility equipment, and this includes dog tunnels and chutes. We have several starter kits that include a dog agility tunnel, and a dog agility starter kit can be a great way to build a collection of agility equipment.
You can find our starter kits, by heading to the Products tab and selecting “Agility Starter Kit,” which is near the top of this list. Our Agility Starter Kit B and Agility Starter Kit H both include a dog agility tunnel, and these are two of our most popular kits as they also include a few dog jumps. While every competition course includes a variety of obstacles, jumps make up the majority of what you need to complete for a clean run, which is why all of our starter kits include one or more agility jumps.
Contact Us At Anytime If you have any questions about our dog agility tunnels or any of our quality dog agility equipment, don’t hesitate to contact us at any time. All of our agility equipment is built using top-quality materials and built to competition standards. We also have K9 training equipment and nosework supplies if you are interested in training for either of those dog sports.
