Traditionally we have used a treat as a bait held in front of the dog's nose and a guiding hand on the collar to get it to wiggle through a straight set of poles.
Now we have a new device - I wonder if anyone else has used it? It is two lines of parallel poles in holders that you can bend to set each pole at an angle so the two lines form a V. The amount of room at the base of the V can be varied as wide or close as you like. We start off with a gap of about 12 inches and gradually move the parallel lines closer until there is only a 1 inch gap between them. Then we start to gradually reduce the angle the poles are sloping until they are straight up. At this point the dogs usually graduate to the normal weave poles.
I think this new method is good because the dogs all approach the weave with confidence and speed and are conditioned into running the whole length of it right from the start. I think they enjoy it more too.
I have also seen it done Two other ways. Two rows of poles,staggered of course, stuck in the ground, and set the dogs shoulder width apart. Walk the dog through with watever command you are going to use. Give treat, ball, whatever. Praise,Praise, praise.Every couple of weeks, move poles in toward one another only a couple of inches untill they are in line.
The other method is to put the poles in their normal position, and connect every other one with half hoola hoops,(I'm older than most here),doing the same on the other side. this creates a path the dog has to follow. There are probably many more methods, just do a few reps each training session and keep it FUN. Over repetition in any training bores the dog.
Some folks use the V-shaped line (called weave-a-matic in the US) but the most popular technique is to put wires on the poles (called channel weaves) so that the dog can't make a mistake. There's only one way in and out and the wires keep them in the poles. Usually these are put on upright poles that are widened to form a straight channel (same as what you are using but without the V) and gradually closed. It does seem to be the most effective way to teach independent entries at all angles, though for big dogs like GSDs, I think it has the drawback of not teaching the dog to single-foot thru the line.
Sc3FH2
Thanks for the clarification. Channel weaves sounds better and a lot more high tec than hoola hoops. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" />
Thanks for your input everyone <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />
Steffi has started transferring to the straight competition weave poles. I don't think she enjoys them as much as the training ones because she has to go very slow for now (she could race through the training ones). I don't think she likes having to go back to basics. :rolleyes:
i train with 2 sets of parallel poles that are upright and about a foot apart. then i gradually move them closer. i tried the guide loops. my dog would either jump them or go under them. he finally got the idea, but when i took them off, i had to start training the weaves again. it wasn't the same to him. now i don't use them.
A dog teaches a boy fidelity, perseverance, and to turn around three times before lying down.
--Roger Caras
Some dogs bounce thru the weaves, using both front feet together simultaneously. Think of it like if your shoelaces were tied together and you had to hop with both feet together. But dogs with a long enough stride, like the GSD, can reach thru the poles and only plant the outside foot and then push off to the other side, so they use a normal stride pattern of left foot to right foot and so on. It is usually faster to single foot and drive thru the poles than to bounce, at least for the big dogs it is.
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