I started Davinci in agility this summer well all is going well he loves the Aframe the dog walk and the jumps the shoot is his favorite. He will do the tunnels but here is the problem he only goes in on the right side if you are facing the tunnel. I can not get him to go in the on the left!!!!!! What do I do??? The instructor doesn't have any suggestions for me. So I'm hoping one of you guys can help. I don't have a tunnel at home too much $$$.
I need agility help!!!!
- Thread starter DaVinci
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I dont know how small/big he is... but we have a kids tunnel from Toys R Us we have in the yard. Can you think of anything differently you are doing when putting him in on the left side?
We're currently worked on Kiba bawling at the tunnel if I cant run along side her with it... like having her go in a tunnel that curves around an Aframe.
Good luck!
We're currently worked on Kiba bawling at the tunnel if I cant run along side her with it... like having her go in a tunnel that curves around an Aframe.
Good luck!
He does all the other stuff just fine. I can send up the Aframe on either side the dog walk from either end. We do jumps on both sides. He doesn't like the tunnel on the left. By left I mean when you are standing in front of the tunnel and it is your left side. Yes the tunnel is curved. He goes in either end when it is straight. DaVinci doesn't like whee or rick either in freestlye dance. It doesn't make much sence to me.
I would take him back to square one by teaching a curved tunnel again, with you on his left. Also be very aware of your body language, you should be traveling in a slightly merging path with the tunnel and making sure you turn your feet, knees, hips, shoulders towards the entrance, also be looking at the entrance and not your dog. As for a hand signal point to the tunnel and not your dog. If and when he starts doing it make sure he is committed to going into the tunnel before you stop supporting the entrance with your body language.
Start by only sligthly curving the tunnel on the entrance end and with the tunnel shorten to the max. The tunnel should be so short and with only the first two ribs turned, he should be able to see out the other end. You can also put a target on the exit side and when he does it successfully, say Yes or click and putting a reward on the target (or if its a bait bag, open the bag and reward. Then you curve the exit end by a rib or two, slowly increase the degree of curve on both ends and slowly make the tunnel longer. If he stops going in again, take him back to the point where he was successful.
I am curious when you trained the tunnel did you train it from both sides and from all angles as it was slowly curved? And did you also train both ends?
What colour is the tunnel? Dogs that are not Hoovers for the tunnel often don't like a darker coloured tunnel. I start all dogs on my orange tunnel, its much brighter inside than my green tunnel. Once the dogs are fine with the orange tunnel, we train the green one because I don't assume that the dogs will automatically do the darker tunnel, so we start at the very being.
Don't forget just because a dog can do an obstacle from one direction or one side, you can't assume the dog will do the other end or from a different direction. It becomes a whole new obstacle or sequence to the dog, therefore it has to be trained every possible way, which means from the very beginning. The goal is to have the dog always successful and to not have holes in the training, which often leads the dog not to be successful.
If he will do the chute, I would expect it isn't a sight issue and if he will jump and turn to the left, I would expect it not to be a lameness issue.
Start by only sligthly curving the tunnel on the entrance end and with the tunnel shorten to the max. The tunnel should be so short and with only the first two ribs turned, he should be able to see out the other end. You can also put a target on the exit side and when he does it successfully, say Yes or click and putting a reward on the target (or if its a bait bag, open the bag and reward. Then you curve the exit end by a rib or two, slowly increase the degree of curve on both ends and slowly make the tunnel longer. If he stops going in again, take him back to the point where he was successful.
I am curious when you trained the tunnel did you train it from both sides and from all angles as it was slowly curved? And did you also train both ends?
What colour is the tunnel? Dogs that are not Hoovers for the tunnel often don't like a darker coloured tunnel. I start all dogs on my orange tunnel, its much brighter inside than my green tunnel. Once the dogs are fine with the orange tunnel, we train the green one because I don't assume that the dogs will automatically do the darker tunnel, so we start at the very being.
Don't forget just because a dog can do an obstacle from one direction or one side, you can't assume the dog will do the other end or from a different direction. It becomes a whole new obstacle or sequence to the dog, therefore it has to be trained every possible way, which means from the very beginning. The goal is to have the dog always successful and to not have holes in the training, which often leads the dog not to be successful.
If he will do the chute, I would expect it isn't a sight issue and if he will jump and turn to the left, I would expect it not to be a lameness issue.
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At class we have one green tunnel, one purple tunnel and one red tunnel. That is way I wanted help is because he does do all the other obstacle from both sides he just puts on the brake at goig in the left side of a tunnel. Actually the instructure started the tunnels out straight had the dogs run though them a few times then he curved them a lot with the tunnel bieng fully extented. DaVinci just balked at the green tunnel when it was on his left side that he needed to go in. I don't think it was the course but it was really advanced we had three jumps then the A frame, a tunnel, a jump, weave poles, tire jump, tunnel going in on the left, pause table, tunnel going in on the left, dog walk, jump, tunnel, double jump, tunnel going in on the left, tire jump and jump.
For those that don't know Whee and rick are circle moves that are counter clock wise.
For those that don't know Whee and rick are circle moves that are counter clock wise.
In my opinion, doing a tunnel a few times then going to full length and curving it a lot is an completely unrealistic expectation of your instructor and they are taking short cuts, therefore creating holes in the training. Which in turn doesn't allow you and your dog to be completely successful.
I have to question the knowledge and the experience of your instuctor, because doing as I suggested (shortening and slowly curving the tunnel ) should have been the first thing they did, especially when a problem came up.
Were are you? I have never heard the terms Whee and Rick here in N.A, anyone else???
How long have you been training for agility?
I have to question the knowledge and the experience of your instuctor, because doing as I suggested (shortening and slowly curving the tunnel ) should have been the first thing they did, especially when a problem came up.
Were are you? I have never heard the terms Whee and Rick here in N.A, anyone else???
How long have you been training for agility?
First of all I live in Northern Minnesota.
Whee and Rick are freestlye dance terms.
that is why I'm asking for help because I know that I'm not getting a very sound instructual experience, but this is what we have. I live in an area of the dark ages when it comes to dogs I would have to say that 90% of the population still thinks that dogs on chains in the back yard is fine. I belong to a small dog club about 50 members. We try to educate the public about things you can do to have fun with your dogs. The instructor of this class competes in shows around the midwest area. I don't know where he learned I know that he is not certified as a dog trainer but he is the person giving the class.
Thank you for your suggestion I'm going to take DaVinci to the park it has a tunnel leading from a bridge to steps. He has gone on this before so I will work him in both directions there. In the spring with income tax refund money I will order a tunnel.
Whee and Rick are freestlye dance terms.
that is why I'm asking for help because I know that I'm not getting a very sound instructual experience, but this is what we have. I live in an area of the dark ages when it comes to dogs I would have to say that 90% of the population still thinks that dogs on chains in the back yard is fine. I belong to a small dog club about 50 members. We try to educate the public about things you can do to have fun with your dogs. The instructor of this class competes in shows around the midwest area. I don't know where he learned I know that he is not certified as a dog trainer but he is the person giving the class.
Thank you for your suggestion I'm going to take DaVinci to the park it has a tunnel leading from a bridge to steps. He has gone on this before so I will work him in both directions there. In the spring with income tax refund money I will order a tunnel.
Oh sorry I forgot your one question. We have done 4 classes in agility. only have 4 more and it will be the end of this session. That is why I'm making some of the stuff to have here at home. Already made the tire jump looks pretty good my son is sanding the legs for the pause table as I write this. Thrusday I will have cut the boards for the A frame. Already have jumps and the chute is almost done.
I didn't mean to sound harsh. And I am glad you realize it may not be the best.
Trust me, I know that feeling, I started with someone too that wasn't good and I know the frustrations that go with it. I also know how long it took to fix all those problems that came from starting with that woman. She too had us running courses in 4 wks, it was at that point that I quit because I knew it was doing more harm than good. Actually the whole experience was so bad, I just about hung up agility forever :yikes:
After 4 wks, doing 18 obstacles is a lot. Most instructors don't have their students doing half that much in twice the mount of time, if not longer.
I recommend getting a subscription to Clean Run, that you wont regret on any level.
If you are also interested I can provide you with some awesome websites that have a great deal of info from leading agility instuctors. The problem with a lot of those sites is the fact that they are often too advanced for novice people both in skills and the terms used. Therefore people are lost.
Good luck
Lynn
Trust me, I know that feeling, I started with someone too that wasn't good and I know the frustrations that go with it. I also know how long it took to fix all those problems that came from starting with that woman. She too had us running courses in 4 wks, it was at that point that I quit because I knew it was doing more harm than good. Actually the whole experience was so bad, I just about hung up agility forever :yikes:
After 4 wks, doing 18 obstacles is a lot. Most instructors don't have their students doing half that much in twice the mount of time, if not longer.
I recommend getting a subscription to Clean Run, that you wont regret on any level.
If you are also interested I can provide you with some awesome websites that have a great deal of info from leading agility instuctors. The problem with a lot of those sites is the fact that they are often too advanced for novice people both in skills and the terms used. Therefore people are lost.
Good luck
Lynn
That would be wonderful. I love to have a place to go to learn and help my dog become all that I know he can be. I'm going to look into that clean run. Sounds like it would be a good thing to hae around as now my sister would like to try agility with her flyball dog and my son is working with his pitbull on agility too. I know we are oing to fast but we don't have a place to work the dogs all winter long so agility will be wrapping up here in 3 to 4 weeks and we wont get back to it as a club until june. One of the reasons I'm making some equipment. thank you for all your help, Sharon and DaVinci
