Teaching your dog to “Tunnel”, or to run through an agility tunnel, can be lots of fun. The point of teaching “Tunnel” is to train your dog to plow through the obstacle as fast as he can. He has to find the entrance you’re looking for and run through even when you are many feet away from him.

Competition tunnels are 15 feet long and are typically curved. To start training your dog, you’ll want to use a short tunnel or shorten a long tunnel and keep it straight.

In training this command, you’ll want to work on speed and send offs (sending your dog through the tunnel from a distance).

You might want to let your dog get used to the tunnel first. Give him time to sniff and walk around it. If your dog is anything like ours, he’ll think the tunnel is a big strange toy that must be play bowed and barked at.

To get your dog to go through the tunnel, try throwing some treats into it and see if he’s willing to get them. Toss the treat further each time until he’s going through the tunnel without worry. If your dog needs help, have someone hold him at one end while you go to the other end and encourage him through. kneel down so that your dog can see you at the other side and call him in a happy voice.

When your dog is used to going through the tunnel like this, go to toss a treat and fake it. Quickly run to the other side and treat your dog as he emerges.

Put your dog into a heel a ways from the tunnel. Run up to it, calling out “Tunnel” and act like you’re tossing a treat in as you pass. Immediately treat him at the other side.

If your dog runs around the tunnel instead, don’t worry about it. Just take your dog back to the starting point and try again. Only reward him for successful runs.

Run him by the tunnel many times, always giving out the “Tunnel” command before you get too close. Soon, your dog will have connected the command to the action. Then you can try sending him through by telling him to “Tunnel” a short distance from the obstacle.

If your dog avoids the tunnel at this point, you’ve probably moved too fast. Just go back to running with him to the tunnel a few more times. Soon you’ll be sending him through like a pro.