Weaves are an essential part of agility training, especially if you wish to compete. Both jumping and agility classes contain weaves. If you wish to enter KC classes, then these are the only 2 classes that allow you to go up the grades if you win (UKA and independent shows usually also have steeplechase classes which don't contain weaves or contact equipment). Weaves are quite a complicated piece of equipment and we are essentially teaching the dogs to move in a completely foreign way than they would normally move. Dogs either complete the weaves using a 2 foot method, where they bounce through the poles with their 2 front feet, or slalom through the poles where one foot goes through each pole, almost like they are swimming through them. This video contains some great images of dogs doing both methods http://foohmaxagility.blogspot.com/2012/10/a-study-of-weave-performance-front-view.html
No matter which method your dog uses, independent weaves are a must for anyone wanting to compete and here are my 5 top tip top achieve that.
1. FOUNDATIONS, FOUNDATIONS FOUNDATIONS
No matter what I am teaching my dogs in agility, the foundations are always key. There are so many steps I need to do before my dogs even see any equipment.
There are 4 common ways to teach weaves. Myself I prefer sliding channel weaves, but you may prefer another method.
Sliding channel weaves. Essentially every other weave pole can slide away from the centre, creating a large channel for your dog to go through. Eventually you move the poles closer together until they are closed completely in a straight line.
2. Weave guides. These are plastic wires attached to the weave poles to create a channel for your dog to go down. Eventually the wires are removed once the dog can weave.
3. 2x2 weaves. Each section of weaves only contains 2 weaves. The aim is to place 1 set of poles at a wide angle and gradually you add more poles and the angle gets narrower.
4. V weaves. The base of the poles stays in the same place, and you are able to adjust the angle the weaves are stood at to allow the dogs to go through them. Eventually the weaves are moved to be more vertical.
But before I start any formal training, I just allow my dogs to see and be rewarded for interacting with the weaves. I then will concentrate on just the weave entry and make it super easy for my dogs to get lots of easy wins.
REWARDING THE WEAVES
Rewarding the correct thing at the right time and in the right place are vital parts of training. Rewards for weave training need to be;
HIGH VALUE save your dogs favourite treats or toys. Really give them a desire to achieve.
TIMING. You need to reward as soon as your dog has completed the weaves or the part of the weave you are asking them to do. This helps them connect the behaviour and reward.
PLACEMENT. I personally use a treat and train when teaching weaves. This is placed at the end of the poles. This encourages my dog to look forward to the end of the poles and not look at me. If you use a toy, a helper would be great, someone who can stand at the end of the poles and give your dog the toy if they succeed.
PRAISE. Keep your energy and enthusiasm up as weave training can be quite boring for some dogs. So keep that desire to train high.
2. WEAVE ENTRIES
This is a skill I teach my dogs first before I begin training weaves. If we don't have a dog that understands the rules of weaving then all our hard work will be for nothing. My dogs have to learn to find the first pole and enter between the first and second pole with their left shoulder. I use angles and distance as part of the training and until they have a good understanding of this skill I don't move on to the next part.
3. WEAVE EXITS
How many of us have a dog that pops out before they have completed the weaves (usually number 10 :-) ). It's so frustrating, if you are competing you normally have to take your dog back to the start of the weaves and redo them, this adds on a whole heap of extra time and also is 5 faults). The most common reason is the handler begins to move away from the weaves in preparation for the next obstacle and looses connection with their dog. Our dogs must be taught to complete weaves no matter what we are doing. So we must train our dogs to get used to us being in different places i.e. behind them, in front of them, crossing in front or behind them.
4. DISTRACTIONS
Does your dog see a tunnel at the end of the weaves and decide they can't wait and want to take that obstacle instead of finishing the weaves (or even staring them in some cases)? Courses these days are designed to give your dog choices and distractions, weaves are deliberately placed near other obstacles to see if your dog truly understands the equipment. We need to prepare them for that challenge.
Distractions can also be other things such as dogs and people, or noises. Quite often I find weaves are placed near the outside edge of a ring and often people and dogs can be quite close. So try and include as many distractions as you can in your training once your dog has mastered the weaves. As with all training, distance is your friend, so start off with the distractions further away and gradually train them closer and closer. If your dog begins to fail, then that is their way of telling you that what you are asking is too hard, and you must go back several steps and increase the difficulty slower.
5. DISTANCE IS YOUR FRIEND
Courses are no longer designed where you can help your dog into the weaves and run along the side of them until they have completed them. Course designers now add in other pieces of equipment preventing you from being there, such as sending your dog through a tunnel under the dog walk to weaves the other side. My foundation of weave entries involves distance to begin with, so my dogs are already used to finding entries without my help. Once weaving I begin to move further away from the poles and the exit and entry. This is all done very gradually and I often go back several steps and are closer to the poles to give my dogs more confidence.
If you have trouble with the weaves or would like to find out more about agility training and joining Tip Top Agility Club then contact me on email tracypeach99@hotmail.com or phone 07914 775166
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