Monday, 20 September 2021 11:00
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With agility events cancelled, Agility Secretary, Alison True has decided to focus on training that you can do at home. This is a detailed article about learning to weave.
Learning to weave is by far the most difficult exercise we ask of our agility dogs. We are in effect asking them to move their body in several different directions simultaneously to ‘slalom’ through a straight line of up to 12 poles whilst moving at speed. There are numerous methods you can use to train your dog to negotiate the weave poles, more examples of which can be found on the Internet. It is a minefield, but my advice is to find one you like and stick with it but, if at all possible, do so under the guidance of a professional trainer.
The information given in this feature is not aimed at those already attending training classes or as a ‘use alone guide’ for those hoping to compete. My aim is to provide a ‘game’ for those who have a dog and a set of weave poles at home and don’t know how to get the two together, especially those of you whom I know are chomping at the bit to start agility classes but can’t find a training school with vacancies. If you don’t have weave poles but still want to give this a try you could use pieces of plastic tubing or broom handles stuck in the ground with enough ‘movement’ at the base for a dog to safely move it aside without injuring themselves.
Dogs under 12 months MUST NOT be asked to weave as it puts so much strain on their immature bodies. If you follow the increments suggested it is a safe activity for dogs over the age of 12 months. When you do start weave training please keep the sessions short, 5 minutes a couple of times a day is enough for young dogs and those new to it. It is human nature to want to make progress and be impatient to see them complete a full set of weave poles but your reward will come if you allow them to learn for themselves at their own pace.
Two by two method
The technique I have chosen for this feature is one I have used most recently and one also favoured by Debbie Allery who kindly agreed to provide the series of illustration photographs.
It is known as two by two (2x2) because you start with 2 poles, add another 2 poles and so on. It is a method that starts off very simply and builds over time allowing your dog to become more flexible before they are challenged with a full set of poles to negotiate. It is a method that takes a lot of self control from you, the trainer, as the idea is that the dog figures it all out for themselves!
Your job is to encourage them by making it fun to learn and reinforce the behaviour when they get it right by letting them know in no uncertain terms that they have been a fabulously clever dog. You also need to be pretty accurate with your timing and throwing ability as you need to offer a reward at the right place at the exact time that your dog passes through the poles.
One way around this issue if you struggle is to use a word to signal ‘success’ such as “yes” or to use a clicker with the toy or treat reward following immediately. Before moving on to the ‘how to’ visual guide it is important that you understand when and how to reward your dog during all stages of weave training using this method. As I said your timing is crucial for the dog to understand exactly what it is that gets them the reward.
The reward, whether it is a toy or a tasty treat, must land infront of the dog as they reach your chosen spot and arrive on that spot immediately before or just as they get there. You are trying to convey to them that a reward appears ahead of them for passing through the poles. If you are too slow with the reward they will tend to look back to you rather than focussing ahead. If the reward is thrown or placed ahead of them before they complete the behaviour there is a chance that they can get rewarded without completing the task eg sneaking round a pole rather than going between them.
False rewards will confuse the dog and slow down learning. To ensure accuracy timing and placing of the reward both Debbie and I use a Treat and Train machine, a remote trainer, which we activate as the dog completes the behaviour we want of them whether this is just passing between 2, 4 or 6 poles or completing a full set of 12. These are expensive and by no way to be considered as essential (see bottom of photo 5+6). The really important thing with training the weaves is to take it slowly and progress at your dogs pace always making sure that they understand what you want them to do and never being afraid to go back a stage if they seem to struggle.
We all like to succeed and learn better when things are enjoyable, dogs are just the same. Making it too hard too soon will see them fail and become disinterested. Please note, this is a step by step guide i.e. you take it a step at a time! It is likely that if you try to read through all the stages now it will make no sense at all and sound incredibly complicated. Weave training is a complex skill, a bit like driving a car, but if you break it down and work on one stage at a time it all falls into place. Once you master it you no longer consciously consider every little detail as it becomes one fluid action. Work on one stage at a time then, after a few days working at that level, try moving on. Please read these notes before following the visual guide. Do NOT rush your dog, work strictly through each stage.
Stage 1: Start without your dog as this is about training you.
Place two poles in the ground approximately 2 feet apart and stand 1-2 feet away from them.Practice throwing various toys and types of treat to a spot you mark on the ground approx. 2 feet the other side of the poles. It will give you a feel for how hard you need to throw to get them to the right spot at the right time, improve your aim and your timing. Remove your ‘target marker’ before starting to train with your dog, this was purely for your benefit not a prompt for them.
Stage 2: This is the only time during the training process that you are allowed to use a toy or treats to lure/lead your dog through the gap between the poles.
Stage 4: This is the single most important stage of weave training so worth taking time over.
At the minute it is just a couple of poles but eventually it becomes what we often refer to as ‘the entry gate’ which a dog is expected to find independently. In competition a dog must always enter Stages of weave training using 2x2 method the line of weave poles at the first ‘gate’ regardless of their angle of approach i.e. go through the first gap with the very first pole against their left shoulder. We now want to add a ‘cue word’ to the action of going between the poles, a word that they come to understand so well that they will do the action on command from increasing distance and from any angle without any assistance from you in just the same way as they would ‘sit’ on command. Having progressed from stage 3 with a dog who confidently chooses to pass through the gate to gain reward stand a couple of feet away from the poles. Hold your dog’s collar and wind them up a little bit to make them keen to go – in photo 8 Debbie has just released Reeva’s collar.
I usually use “are you ready” or something similar. As you release your dog, in an excited tone, use a word you will always use for training this exercise for example I use “poles” or “where’s poles?”. [Personally I do not use the command “weave” until I am 100% sure that the dog can complete the entire set of weave poles consistently. In my mind they are two different exercises with two different commands. To me it is important that my dog understand that the command weave means “once you’re in there you don’t bob out till you’ve finished the full set!” so using it while the dog is still learning and making mistakes would be unfair.] If your dog struggles move a little closer and set it up again. Never be afraid to go back a stage. Stage 5: Once your dog is consistently running through the straight poles you need to increase the distance, set them up 2 feet away but directly infront of the poles, increase to 3 feet away then 4 feet. You can obviously now start moving forward with them to ensure that you can place the treat/ toy correctly. There is little value at this stage asking for a weave entry more than 5-6 feet away at this early stage. Before moving to stage 6 have something in mind that will help you understand how to progress. Imagine that the start point for the exercise (directly infront of the poles) is the number 6 on a clock face and 12 is the spot where your dog gets its reward for passing through the poles correctly.
Stage 6: You are increasing the difficulty so reduce the distance, start just 1-2 feet away from the poles but take a step to the right so that your dog is starting towards the poles at a slight angle.
Using the clock face idea move from 6 to 5 and send your dog releasing with the cue word (eg “poles”). When they go confidently from 5 o’clock, move to 4, then 3. Super-duper party if they achieve it, no fuss, no drama just go back a pace if they don’t. If your dog is happy and confident repeat the process but from the left, go back to 6 o’clock then 7 o’clock, 8 and 9. After a few days you can challenge them with a game of ‘round the clock’ (or more precisely half a clock! Moving them from 3-9 o’clock rewarding each progression. Look how Reeva is driving to the entry gate in photo 12 with her gaze totally focussed. Move to stage 7.
In this article from our quartly newsletter, Alison True describes one of the foundation exercises that Debbie Allery has been using with her youngster Reeva.
This simple exercise teaches the dog to move away from you to go around an object. Once the dog ‘knows the game’ a cue word (command) is added so that, over time and with lots of practise, you have a dog who will run to, and go around, an object independently when asked to do so. To the dog this is just a fun game for which they get your praise and a treat or toy as a reward but it is the basis of the manoeuvres which, in future, will get your dog around an agility course. You can use any object initially, a traffic cone, a bucket, a broom handle in the ground or anything similar. Training will progress to using a jump wing alone then eventually putting the pole in place too so that your dog will move away from you, go over the jump and return to you. Sounds easy enough but it gets more tricky when you want your dog to turn in a particular direction. For example my 2-year-old who is now competing has 5 different jump ‘turn’ commands all of which evolved from this exercise.
Working around a pole/wing/cone
The exercise develops by moving further away, then adding a “cue” word. Make it rewarding with a treat or game/toy as shown in the following pictures. Step 1 Directing Reeva from one hand to the other around the object. Starting with treat as a reward and standing close to the pole.
Step 2 Moving very slightly further back and using more of a hand motion. Add in a cue word as soon as they start to move towards the object.
Step 3 Take another step back. Use the same hand motion and cue word and reward for completing the exercise.
Step 4/5 Continue to increase the distance between yourself and the obstacle to create independence and use the same cue word and hand/arm motion to ensure consistency. As your dogs confidence increases use the cue word immediately before the hand motion so that they anticipate the action. This helps your dog work with verbal commands only if, on a course, you aren’t able to be alongside them to give the physical clues. Step 6 When they have mastered the ‘game’ of turning over jumps in one direction responding to one cue you can start the process all over again for a different turn and using a completely different command (cue word).
You can download the article, with pictures, here:
