While setting up a backyard course filled with dog agility equipment is always a good idea, there are a few dog obstacles that can be used to play other fun games. The dog agility tunnel can be used to play an assortment of fun games that your dog will love and will provide him with some great exercise.
1. Agility Tunnel Race
Set a timer and encourage your dog to run through the agility tunnel as fast as they can. Reward them with a treat or their favorite toy at the other end. If you have two tunnels and two dogs, this could even be a competition between the two dogs, although be sure to provide plenty of praise for both dogs once they exit the tunnel.
2. Hide & Seek
Hide a toy or treat at the other end of the tunnel and encourage your dog to find it. This is a great game to enhance their sense of smell. Did you know dogs have more than 300 hundred million olfactory sensors in their noses, and we have less than six million? Dogs love to play games that target their advanced sense of smell.
3. Fetch (With a Twist)
Throw your dog’s favorite toy through the tunnel and encourage them to retrieve it. This can be a good way to encourage a timid dog to become less fearful about entering the tunnel.
4. Tunnel Switcharoo
If you have two tunnels, set them up side by side and encourage your dog to switch between them. This can help improve their agility and listening skills.
5. Tunnel Tag
Run around the tunnel and have your dog chase you. Then, run through the tunnel and encourage your dog to follow. This is another great way to encourage a dog to go through a tunnel if they seem unsure.
6. Treat Trail
Place treats at regular intervals inside the tunnel to encourage your dog to go all the way through it. This can be a great way to introduce an uncertain dog through the tunnel and associate the obstacle with fun.
7. Tug of War
Play a game of tug of war with your dog, with the winner getting to go through the tunnel. Tug of war, in general, can be a great first game to introduce to a new rescue dog or a puppy. Dogs build confidence playing this game, because they receive praise when they tug away a toy successfully, and it’s a great way to bond and build trust with your new dog.
8. Pop Out Surprise
If you have a long tunnel, hide at the end of it and pop out to surprise your dog when they reach you. This can be a fun game that also builds trust and confidence in your pet. You could even have one person at either end of the tunnel and teach them commands such as “go” and “come.”
For example, tell your dog “Go to Mom,” and have Mom at one end. When you want them to come to you, say “Come to Dad.” You can even combine it with a hand signal. Then try teaching this skill without the tunnel, and you may find this is a good way to teach some obedience skills.
While the most important factor with any game, is to have fun, be sure to keep safety in mind at all times. Always ensure the games are suitable for your dog’s size, breed, and fitness level. Keep an eye on them while playing to avoid any injuries, and, in general, keep playing times short, perhaps 20 minutes or less.
These games provide a great way to bond with your dog. Organized play also provides dogs with much-needed exercise and stimulation, and you can even bring the tunnel indoors for some rainy day or hot weather fun. But, of course, we also recommend that you . . .
Set Up A Full Agility Course!
Create an obstacle course that includes the open tunnel, along with a few other fun pieces of dog agility equipment, such as some jumps and maybe a teeter-totter and agility dog walk or perhaps an a-frame. We have all of these items and much more available at Carlson Agility.
Agility training is an excellent option for just about any energetic, healthy dog even if you never plan to compete. While daily walks are great exercise, agility truly provides your dog with a total body workout and mental stimulation as well.
If you have a dog that barks too much, tends to be destructive or has an abundance of energy, agility training can help them calm and you might find that these issues begin to lessen. Often, dogs bark or chew on things because they are bored or stressed, and what relieves boredom and stress best? Exercise!
If you do wish to participate in a dog agility competition, every item we sell is competition quality and the same type of equipment you will find at any competition course. For instance, a competition tunnel will be exactly like the high-quality tunnel we sell online. Our heavy-duty equipment is perfect to use in training sessions for NADAC agility events, UKC events, CPE events, AKC events and most other dog agility organizations.
In addition to agility tunnels, our selection of agility equipment for dogs includes the following:
- Agility Jumps (Single, Double, Triple, Fence Wing, etc.)
- Obedience Jumps
- Tire Jumps
- Pause Tables
- Weave Poles
- Dog Agility Teeter Totters
- Agility Dog Walks
- Agility A-Frames
- UKC Equipment (Sway Bridges, Swing Planks, Window Jumps, etc.)
In addition to agility tunnels, our selection of agility equipment for dogs includes the following:
We also offer a full selection of mini agility equipment, which is perfect for smaller breeds. If you love the idea of nosework, we also have nosework supplies for this fast-growing dog sport, as well as K9 training equipment, which can be used to train police dogs and guard dogs, or, just for fun.
Whether you are searching for a dog agility tunnel, a pause table, agility jumps or another piece of dog agility training equipment, we have everything you might need at Carlson Agility. If you have any questions about our products, just click on the Contact tab on our homepage and send a message at any time.
