Closed Tunnel

Topics: Contruction  |  Training  |  Trouble-Shooting

Trouble-Shooting

For a dog that plays in the chute, back up to the basics. You want to avoid allowing the dog to continue enjoying its game so remove the temptation. Have someone hold the dog while you show them their favorite toy or goodie and head out toward the end of the chute. Open up the chute and let them see what you have, call them through. At home you can set up a target a distance away from the end of the chute. Fold the cloth up around the barrel so your dog can see daylight. Let them see you placing food on the target then take them back to the front and send them through. The dog should charge right through to the reward. After doing this a number of times, go back and try a complete run through. Show them the goodie, pump them up with "Ready chute?" a few times, then charge off to do it! They should be eager to meet you at the other end once they realize there's a payoff for doing so. (Katie Greer)


To get your dog accustomed to a wet chute, you could sew a six foot long tunnel-let, patterning your mini to blast through it and then adding "distractions" such as weight, dampness, etc. Be sure to give your "chute" command

Will your dog blast through a pipe tunnel with a target (food or a toy) at the end if he can see it waiting for him? Train that behavior first (go tunnel, get your toy/cookie) and then transfer it to the collapsed tunnel (dry), then add the variables of weight, wet, etc.

Will your dog blast through the collapsed tunnel after another dog? Can you borrow a dog who doesn't care if the collapsed tunnel is wet and let your dog follow a friend a few times? Sometimes mimetic behavior is a real big training aid. If somebody else does the tunnel and gets hugs and kisses and cookies ... well, then, maybe it isn't so bad.
(Liby Messler)

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