JulesP Posted July 16, 2008 Share Posted July 16, 2008 Brock is going nicely when I have a open channel. A reasonable speed (for him!), looks happy. Channel would be slightly less than shoulder width as he has a bit of a wiggle happening. Can send him through, call him through or run next to him. Once the channel closes to say 5 inches he gets very unhappy. Pace slows to a walk. Ears go down, tail down. Starts skipping poles. I think he understands the exercise. Was doing straight poles at school but in a very unhappy fashion. Any ideas? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kavik Posted July 16, 2008 Share Posted July 16, 2008 I have the same problem with Zoe, I think from rushing the weaving and using the lure through straight weaves with guides that we did at first. I don't do much weaving with her now due to an injury. Not really sure how to fix it, she would be fine to a point and then really slow. I'm really hoping that with the foundation weaving I've done with Kaos he doesn't develop the same problem. I started a thread about possibly combining weaving methods, trying to decide if using a few methods to target different aspects would be good or confusing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leopuppy04 Posted July 16, 2008 Share Posted July 16, 2008 You'll be surprised how much a wee bit of difference in distance between the poles make as the dogs get closer and closer to a straight line... you may remember me warning you of this fact... but then... I do talk a lot so maybe not Try and work in *really* tiny increments. I found that when I was really close to getting a straight line and I jumped too far to soon, my dogs would just run straight past the weaves ie: "weaves, we don't see no weaves"... You have to move really slowly - move them in at teeny tiny distances... almost to the point where you are questioning whether or not you have moved them at all. I found that really helped us get to the final picture of the straight line weaves Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JulesP Posted July 16, 2008 Author Share Posted July 16, 2008 Thanks Leopuppy! I was looking for you on Monday night as I was having a breakdown, lol. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reddii Posted July 16, 2008 Share Posted July 16, 2008 The other thing is MAKE IT FUN. My boy CK sounds a bit like Brock - very soft and hates to do the wrong thing. I don't pull him up when I make a mistake any more - we just keep giong full steam ahead and live with it. When I pull him up too many times he just shuts down and walks = BAD. To help develop drive we now practice weavers before meals instead of having to sit and wait for his meal. It's only once or twice through the weavers and it's only 3 or 5 weavers, but he is starting to get the idea that they are FUN. If he gets it wrong once we go back to an easier exercise for a couple of tries so he gets rewards and then build it back up. For me it's all about keeping his confidence high and not being too demanding on him at his young age. I've already made that mistake and am now fixing the problems it caused - he came along really quickly so I started to treat him like bomb proof Xena the nut bag (if I make 30 mistakes I can pull her up 30 times and her drive is only heightened and the telling off I get is worse) and he went backwards even quicker. I'm not at all sure this is what your problem is, but maybe this will stike a chord - hope it helps. Tony Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ness Posted July 17, 2008 Share Posted July 17, 2008 (edited) I was going to ask how many poles are you asking. When I wanted to build speed with the weaving I went back to I think 4 poles and added them 2 at a time only when she was weaving with the desired enthusiasm (and nailing her entries from every angle). Worked for us as she is has good speed through the weavers. Oh and why I am on it are you using base plated weavers or stick in the ground weavers. I know the first few times we encountered based plated weavers in ages (at a trial over in WA) she got herself seriously caught up in them and wouldn't weave as fast as she would usually. Don't think she was happy with the base plates. Edited July 17, 2008 by ness Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JulesP Posted July 17, 2008 Author Share Posted July 17, 2008 Yes Tony, I think Brock is very similar to your boy. Even a non-reward upsets the little petal! He is quite a challenging dog to train! I don't think people realise how hard it is to train a sook, they just see him being quiet and think he is good. My new girl is so much easier as you can make small adjustments to position etc without her crying about it. Funny you said that about the plate Ness. I have the individual weavers but at school they have the plate and I was wondering if that was an issue for him. He doesn't like mine when they get straighter though either. He is worried about something. He is being very careful not to touch the poles, which means he is having to bend a lot to get through them. I wonder if that is it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reddii Posted July 17, 2008 Share Posted July 17, 2008 Yes Tony, I think Brock is very similar to your boy. Even a non-reward upsets the little petal! He is quite a challenging dog to train! I don't think people realise how hard it is to train a sook, they just see him being quiet and think he is good. Agree with you 100%. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tassie Posted July 17, 2008 Share Posted July 17, 2008 The other thing I would try is closing the poles up (channel or V) from the far end first (and as Leopuppy says, in small increments.) The idea of closing from the far end first was mentioned to me by a trainer in Queensland, and it makes so much sense. The dog remains confident and gets the entry right, and then has the weaving motion going, and in his mind, by the time he encounters the narrower channel/straighter poles. And big games at the end, so that the weavers become a really fun thing to do, instead of an issue. Mind you, be careful what you wish for - or you'll end up with a weave suck like my Kirra. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JulesP Posted July 17, 2008 Author Share Posted July 17, 2008 Brock actually starts off ok and then fades off. I have the first and last poles further apart (width wise) to define the entry and exits. I've moved to 12 poles as he was ducking out of the poles at school whe he got to the sixth pole. He is still wanting to go out to train so that is a good thing. Didn't even want to wait his turn this morning! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leopuppy04 Posted July 17, 2008 Share Posted July 17, 2008 Yes Tony, I think Brock is very similar to your boy. Even a non-reward upsets the little petal! He is quite a challenging dog to train! I don't think people realise how hard it is to train a sook, they just see him being quiet and think he is good. Agree with you 100%. Me three!!! ;) :p Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JulesP Posted July 20, 2008 Author Share Posted July 20, 2008 I got a jump today and put it at the end of the weavers and had a much happier dog . He loves jumping! It was his obvious love of this that made me do agility with him in the frst place. He is still not fast like a 'normal' border but at least he was looking happier. I am sure one of the problems is that he doesn't want to touch the poles. He is quite long, so is really having to bend to get around the poles without touching them. Any ideas with that?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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