quick video of barrel dog walk/tunnel

[Lisa Schmit In The Zone Agility]

   Last weekend, we had a C shaped tunnel in tunnels.   We had to take the inside tunnel entrance.   I would say that 99% of the handlers overhanded it (including me with  Tandem).      We pulled the dog towards us then switched .  Tandem actually went around the tunnel as I was late and crappy handling.
When I ran Syn, I was sooo smooth... as I just drew the path the the correct side of the tunnel and i  TRUSTED that she would follow my body language cues.   It was awesome and smooth.       I know that Tandem has a tendency to go OUT not in...so I overhanded it.  I know that Syn has a tendency to come in ...so I was confident in her going to the correct tunnel entrance..and Like  i said, I handled it well. 

So I think the same thing may happen with the barrels.   

I would set up exercises such that the it is 'easier' to get the inside of the barrel (off set the barrel) so that you are confident in your handling of it and slowly move the barrel out.

[sportk9s]

What I have been doing to teach my dogs to go both ways around barrels is to set up two barrels. I send the dogs in a figure eight pattern around them, with the dog going between the barrels to start the figure eight. They then do the figure eight around the barrels. Then I will do a figure eight which requires the switch, by sending them to the outside of the first barrel to start. They will then come through the center and need to do a switch to go back around the second barrel, come through the center, then another switch to go around the first barrel again. This has been working for my dogs, they caught on to it quickly.

I haven't tried the switch around a barrel on a course yet since I haven't had the chance but I'm guessing it would transfer easily.

Anne