Teaching novice BC to do weave poles

[echoskybound]

I'm actually new to this board. Everyone here seems to have great training tips :]

 

Rio is a 3 year old male who hasn't had too terribly much training. Unfortunately my family doesn't really have time for him, and I'm of at college. But when I go home I work with him on heeling and less demanding agility (low jumps, weaving) but I think if he could figure weaving out, it would be a lot of fun. Plus, it's the cheapest piece of agility equipment available.

 

Rio doesn't like treats, so he won't really follow a treat - not will he follow a ball, he just freezes and stares at it whenever it's in someone's hand. He's not into tuggy toys either or stuffed animals. He's a strangely adult dog, and always has been since he was a puppy (can you imagine? No running around like crazy and tearing the furniture apart. He's more mature than most humans I know!) I think he's willing to do tricks without treat rewards, just because they're fun. He has no problem with obedience and he'll come just when I look at him. I just need to find a way to get him to follow my hand.

 

I've read about some people guiding their dogs through weave poles by the collar, but I'd rather him do it on his own for the most part. I'd also like to get him to weave in and out of someone's legs just for fun.

 

Does anyone know of a good way to get him to follow my hand, or any method of training him to weave?

 

Thanks :]

[kelpiegirl]

You should try to find something that motivates him as a reward- even if it is just you- as in a celebration for doing it. I really don't like guiding dogs through weave poles, I prefer them to do them on their own, all the while going for the reward. Do you have guide wires or weave o matics? If the latter, then make sure they are bent enough so he can figure out the movement. Is there anything he likes? What about his dinner?

[ziggzmom]

I'm actually new to this board. Everyone here seems to have great training tips :]

 

Rio is a 3 year old male who hasn't had too terribly much training. Unfortunately my family doesn't really have time for him, and I'm of at college. But when I go home I work with him on heeling and less demanding agility (low jumps, weaving) but I think if he could figure weaving out, it would be a lot of fun. Plus, it's the cheapest piece of agility equipment available.

 

Rio doesn't like treats, so he won't really follow a treat - not will he follow a ball, he just freezes and stares at it whenever it's in someone's hand. He's not into tuggy toys either or stuffed animals. He's a strangely adult dog, and always has been since he was a puppy (can you imagine? No running around like crazy and tearing the furniture apart. He's more mature than most humans I know!) I think he's willing to do tricks without treat rewards, just because they're fun. He has no problem with obedience and he'll come just when I look at him. I just need to find a way to get him to follow my hand.

 

I've read about some people guiding their dogs through weave poles by the collar, but I'd rather him do it on his own for the most part. I'd also like to get him to weave in and out of someone's legs just for fun.

 

Does anyone know of a good way to get him to follow my hand, or any method of training him to weave?

 

Thanks :]

 

Hi,

 

Rio is very handsome!

 

I'm not as much into agility as I am obedience, but I do use lots of play and motivation while training....I know some dogs really aren't into food, but sometimes you just need to try different treats than what you 'think' your dog will like. What type of treats have you tried with Rio? Have you tried liverwerst(sp?) or braunswieger(sp?), most dogs are crazy for these! Or maybe some chicken or roast beef or hot dogs? String cheese is usually a favorite. I've heard of a dog that works for cheerios and another that loves lettuce....Have you tried working him when he's really hungry, like for his dinner? My dogs will do anything for their dinner-LOL!

 

Happy Training~

 

Janet

[Ninso]

I just started agility, so I can't comment on the weave poles. In my class, we use a set of poles with guides on them and just kind of steer the dogs through until they figure it out.

 

My dog does weave between my legs. This was one the first tricks I taught him. I used a clicker and treats, but you could use praise or whatever Rio is motivated by. I started with my dog at heel, took a step forward with my right leg, and held a treat for him to follow through my legs. If Rio won't go for a treat, maybe snap your fingers or pat your leg or gently guide him through by the collar. When he steps in the right direction, whether all the way through, or just part of the way, reward. Start with just one leg and when he gets it consistently, add in another step. The second step may take you back to square one again, but once you get two down, it should be no problem to add as many more as you want.

 

I've often described my Lok the way you decribe your Rio, very serious, adult, mature. Never gets into any trouble. He is crazy about chicken and ham, but doesn't necessarily care about other treats, unless he's really hungry. It's funny though, he loves leg weaving! Once he caught on he would go super fast and he would always finish all bouncy with tail wagging! I would use leg weaving to keep his interest level up at obedience classes because he got bored easily with repetition of easy stuff.

[dogsofmenace]

If I were you, I wouldn't try to use any method that uses luring to train the weaves. Channel weaves are a good option. If you haven't heard of the channel method, its essentially spreading the weaves poles apart, into a "channel" and letting the dog run straight through them. Gradually you close them until they are inline like regular poles. Heres a nice video I found showing the initial step. http://youtube.com/watch?v=dtva1j_q9MA

That might be a good way for Rio since the dog just gets to run. He might have fun with that. Good luck!

[orionbc]

I'm actually new to this board. Everyone here seems to have great training tips :]

 

Rio is a 3 year old male who hasn't had too terribly much training. Unfortunately my family doesn't really have time for him, and I'm of at college. But when I go home I work with him on heeling and less demanding agility (low jumps, weaving) but I think if he could figure weaving out, it would be a lot of fun. Plus, it's the cheapest piece of agility equipment available.

 

Rio doesn't like treats, so he won't really follow a treat - not will he follow a ball, he just freezes and stares at it whenever it's in someone's hand. He's not into tuggy toys either or stuffed animals. He's a strangely adult dog, and always has been since he was a puppy (can you imagine? No running around like crazy and tearing the furniture apart. He's more mature than most humans I know!) I think he's willing to do tricks without treat rewards, just because they're fun. He has no problem with obedience and he'll come just when I look at him. I just need to find a way to get him to follow my hand.

 

I've read about some people guiding their dogs through weave poles by the collar, but I'd rather him do it on his own for the most part. I'd also like to get him to weave in and out of someone's legs just for fun.

 

Does anyone know of a good way to get him to follow my hand, or any method of training him to weave?

 

Thanks :]

 

 

hi lauren,

 

 

he's not strangly adult, he's just like his grand pa i thought i recognized that pretty face! For weaving, since he' isn't too food motivated, try using something super tasty! steak is a good motivator cheese works well too. What are you using at home as weave poles? someone mentioned channel weaves, which i do. if you have home made poles, i'm sure you could set them up in a channel type. it would work with the ball too for channels. what i've done is set the dog at one end, and use the ball to get them to run through.

 

Kelli

[echoskybound]

hi lauren,

he's not strangly adult, he's just like his grand pa i thought i recognized that pretty face! For weaving, since he' isn't too food motivated, try using something super tasty! steak is a good motivator cheese works well too. What are you using at home as weave poles? someone mentioned channel weaves, which i do. if you have home made poles, i'm sure you could set them up in a channel type. it would work with the ball too for channels. what i've done is set the dog at one end, and use the ball to get them to run through.

 

Kelli

 

Wow, I would have never guessed I'd run into Rio's breeder here! I remember Rio's mom, it looks like he turned out to be ball crazy like her. We got him an automatic ball launcher and he figured out how to operate it pretty quickly

 

I haven't heard of or tried channel weaves, and I watched a video that a previous poster linked to, but I'm not really sure what I'd do once I started putting them closer together and getting him to weave. Knowing Rio, he'd look at me with a "What are you doing?" stare on his face, and the first challenge would be getting him to understand that he has to go through the channel instead of taking a shortcut around it. Did you ever give him any treats as a puppy that he really liked that you remember?

 

I have a photo album of Rio if you'd like to see him all grown-up :] http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=689&...p;id=1469730018 His first flyball lessons are coming up in the summer!

[diane allen]

I respect the OP's desire to teach weaves for fun. Once the dog figures it out, it really IS fun!

But this is so typical - "I just want the end result, I don't really want to work at it." (Deepest apologies if this isn't really what you really meant - but it sounded kinda that way....)

 

I just taught my now 2 yr old dog (who admittedly is both food and toy motivated - I did have to TEACH him both, though that was not difficult!) to weave in about 8 weeks. Yes, 8 weeks, not one!! It should have taken five or six, but we had some weather to deal with too. We used Nancy Gyes' method which is described in the Sept. 03 issue of Clean Run magazine. I highly recommend looking for that back issue! There is NO luring, and it does require channel weaves (which I like a whole lot better than the slanted weave-a-matics), as well as four x-pens for the first step. The gradual changes aren't readily noticed by the dog, and having the dog DRIVE to something at the end is critical. I can't really describe the whole process here in detail (besides, it's Nancy's method!). But I would highly recommend getting that issue of CR - which has numerous articles on weaving!

 

OK, now time for true confessions: my pup learned on 12 poles. He has ALWAYS done 12 poles, and now he is very very good (though not perfect 100% of the time) on them - we finally got to where he could deal with me doing a front cross at the end (for whatever weird reason, that was hardest for him!); we've got distance, we've got both side entries as well as a lot of weird angled entries, we've got very good speed. However, at a recent NADAC trial, he could NOT do six poles! I think he was just confused by the smaller number. I'm going to un-rust my channel weaves, to get two sets of six for practice! :-)))

 

diane

[Root Beer]

I love that there are so many different ways to teach weaves.

 

It took me 2 years to get Maddie to weave independently. She is one who takes her sweet time learning. We learned in class on weave wires and she did learn that way, but it fell apart.

 

Then we used 2 by 2's - which is very fun - and she learned much more solidly.

 

I'm teaching Dean with 2 by 2's but in class he practices on weave wires. He's done channels, too.

 

I don't know how I would deal with a dog who is not food motivated. I would probably try everything from boiled chicken to seasoned chicken to beef (really, really, really rare). I've used tiny pieces of stewing cubes, cut very tiny, and then quickly seared, so the inside is still pretty raw as a really motivating treat for very special occasions. You could also try some sausage. Dogs usually love sausage.

 

I've found that the more I train with food, the more food motivated my dogs get. I used to need high value treats at all times, but these days they will eat almost anything as a reward - the whole process of receiving the reward has become part of the whole ritual for them. I think the clicker helps with this, too.

[echoskybound]

I've heard of 2 by 2's, but I haven't actually seen them for myself. I hope to start my dog off on channels with wires. I haven't started training yet because I'm not not completely sure how to start, lol. He'll be very confused during the first training session, I'm sure. Also, do you know how dogs are supposed to approach poles during competitions? I mean, do they go to the left or right of the first pole - I know my dog would get confused if I wasn't consistent. I accidentally taught him to heel on both sides, so now he literally follows at my heels behind me, lol.

 

I guess your dogs were always into food? My dog is strange.. sometimes he'll do a trick for fun, then take the treat from my hand and drop it. So maybe motivation isn't a problem for my dog, he just likes to play, lol.

[Root Beer]

The dog always enters with the first pole on his or her left.

 

So, when you set up your channels, have them set so he passes the pole on his left first.

 

One thing you might try with the channels with wires is to work with a second person. Line him up so he is facing the channel (very close to it at first) and have the person you are working with call him through. When he gets there, that person should do something very rewarding - petting, play, whatever works for Rio.

 

After that, call him around (off to the side of the channel), line him up and start again. What will happen after a few sessions of this is that he will start to offer running through the channels and when that starts to happen, you can start to work alone and run along side of the channels as he goes through and reward him yourself on the other side.

 

This process should not confuse the dog at all. I would only start to close the channel - very gradually - once he is very solidly and confidently running through. Be sure to do this with you on both sides of the channel.

 

If you close the channel gradually enough, the weaving motion will start to happen as the poles get closer. After they are closed all the way and he is weaving with the wires, you can start to fade the wires. There are a couple of ways of doing this - whatever you do, though, make sure you are taking it slow.

[pammyd]

I started Ben on a kinda weave dance thing - where I step into every 2nd pole and lure/guide him round and then when we started classes we have the channel and coller leadinng for straight weaves

For the channel it was so easy, 1st couple of times taking the lead and just walking him down

then down stay at one end and calling him through building up to sending him through and when I am at the side

 

If you say he is ball motivated will he follow a ball? sounds like he is work motivated so make sure you give him plenty of praise

 

My Ben can be like that, sometimes when I am doing clicker work with him I click, he takes the treat spits it out and looks for the next thing to learn

and he is not v toy motivated either, I chuck the ball over the jumps and he follows the ball over then ignores it and comes back to me for praise

so I have a special toy that he ONLY gets for agility and he is learning to love it, its just a ball on a rope but we play a bit of tug with it and he grabs the end and hits himself with it

 

Even as a pup he wasnt into toys, people in my street thought I was bonkers as I was in the park play bowing, chucking and chasing a toy while my pup was sitting with a bemused expression

[echoskybound]

I started Ben on a kinda weave dance thing - where I step into every 2nd pole and lure/guide him round and then when we started classes we have the channel and coller leadinng for straight weaves

For the channel it was so easy, 1st couple of times taking the lead and just walking him down

then down stay at one end and calling him through building up to sending him through and when I am at the side

 

If you say he is ball motivated will he follow a ball? sounds like he is work motivated so make sure you give him plenty of praise

 

My Ben can be like that, sometimes when I am doing clicker work with him I click, he takes the treat spits it out and looks for the next thing to learn

and he is not v toy motivated either, I chuck the ball over the jumps and he follows the ball over then ignores it and comes back to me for praise

so I have a special toy that he ONLY gets for agility and he is learning to love it, its just a ball on a rope but we play a bit of tug with it and he grabs the end and hits himself with it

 

Even as a pup he wasn't into toys, people in my street thought I was bonkers as I was in the park play bowing, chucking and chasing a toy while my pup was sitting with a bemused expression

 

Right now I'm using the ball as reward. I have him stay at one end of the channel (but not directly in front of it, so that he knows that he actually has to go through the channel to get to me instead of taking the most direct path) and I go throguh it to the other end and call him over, then when he comes through correctly, I throw the ball for him. However, I've tried it without a ball, and he didn't really even listen to me. He isn't clicker trained, and I honestly wouldn't know how to start by this point, but I think he is ball/praise driven enough. He won't follow the ball closely though.. he just stares at it intensely, and moves a couple inches closer once in a while. He's so difficult, lol.

 

However, I haven't moved my channel any closer together. I've just been working on trying to get him to go through the channel and understand that he has to do it even if it's not the quickest way to get to me. Do you think I should just keep leading him through and moving it closer until he gets the point, or is it important to make sure he understands that he has to go through the channel first? (I mean, he does.. maybe 45% of the time.)

[pammyd]

I wouldnt start closing it till he gets used to running through it

Sounds like you are doing the right things - its difficult but fun when a dog does not work like the books say

I dont know what everyone else thinks but my trainer also has us leading them through it closed at times too so they get used to it closed

she says she finds the dogs find the transition from channel slightly open to totaly closed difficult for the dog - anyone found that??

Dunno Ben has 75% got the idea of weaving I am just using the channel to help with speed

 

Clicker training is fun and with a work motivated dog he should love it when he gets the hang of it

I guess you could use the ball being chucked as the treat but it might be a bit difficult for some things

I find I have to have so tiny tiny soft treats (like v small chopped up chicken) so that he does not have to think about chewing else he has to take the treat off and kill it for a good 10 min! but he is far far more excited when I pick up the clicker than he is when I pick up the treat bag

 

BTW love your siggy - he is one hndsome devil