Weave Poles

You will find everyone gives a different answer lol. Personally I have tried all three methods and I will now be sticking to channel weaves cos that is what I have found easiest (and got the most consistency with).

V weaves are good as your dog can be independant but I found that both my shepherds just got used to barging through and knocking the poles out of the way rather than learning to weave!

With channels I set them quite wide apart (just close enough for the dog to slightly feel them brush each side) and then get the dog to run through them to a toy / treat. Make sure you build up to doing this from you running with them (both sides), you sending them and staying still, and you going ahead and calling them. Once they are 100% then start sending them from different angles and do it all over again. Once there entries are 100% then start narrowing the channel once again doing all the different entries. I will try and find an article about it to give better details!

I'm with everyone else that there's all these different methods and fans of each (how about the 2x2?).

Personally, I've used the v-set (weave a matics?) and channel and MUCH prfer the channel. Just seemed to make more sense to my dogs, ALWAYS had speed in the equation, and my dogs trained with it do great. Understand the poles as one continuous piece of equipment, not 12 separate torturous 'obstacles' that need to be lured/coaxed/prodded and pushed thru.

Here's a good sites with some methods:

http://www.corgirescue.org/Perf_weavepoles.html

http://users.tpg.com.au/users/rloftus/weaving.htm

http://www.beardieagilitydiehards.org/BADagility/gyesweav.html

AND, have to say, I recommend starting to save up to get some 'real' metal based weave poles. Cause if you are training properly and your dog IS driving thru those poles fast and crazy, anything less than a metal base will have those vertical poles flying all over the yard everytime. So for a 1 second weave performance, you then spend 3 minutes setting everything back up.

This first photo is when Bretta was about 18 months old, in our training place, and these are the chute type weaves about 6" apart at the base (look at the metal laying on the ground). Look at how the poles are 'bent'.



Here she is a few month later on regular closed weaves, same thing:





The other thing I want to add about all three photos, is LOOK AT WHERE BRETTA IS LOOKING AND FOCUSED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Because it's not on me. It's not on my hand luring with food. It's not on my face. Or my leg pushing her in and around each pole. Her only concern about me, isn't about the poles, it's that I'm somewhere in the area cause, at the end, as she exits, when she's done with ALL the poles...................that's where THE TOY gets rolled out ahead of her on the ground for the real reward.

I use the V or weave a matics everyboy at our training facility uses them there are channel weaves there but they are rarely used.

We use toys thrown on the ground also and with some dogs food in a target at the end or their handler thows a throw tube with food in it , it all depends on what the dogs motivator is, at first they are slanted and you have an open channel, you gradually make them upright and rigid as the dog progresses, we preload and use opposition reflex and every dog there independently drives hard and fast through the weaves when their done with beginner class or they have to retake beginner, independent weave poles is a prerequisite to move to the intermediate class.

We actually replace a lot of broken poles. The training poles are slightly shorter to allow for opposition reflex with the leash not getting tangled. I discovered this after hubby built and fabbed me weave o matics to AKC regulations for home and my leash was getting tangled.

Nobody prods, or drags, steps in we don't use props such as wires or gates either, total drive and motivation. Okay there is this one girl...................

Now some of us have rhythym moves, I have had several comments lately on how I run at the weave poles. Video evidene proves I have started to stutter step in rythym with her at the poles a lot, LOL. It looks like I am running an obstacle course with tires in it!

I have been working on getting away from this and leaving her in the poles so I guess I did have a crutch I didn't even notice I had.

Originally Posted By: MaggieRoseLeeFast GSD, Welcome to this GSD forum and glad to see your first post EVER is in AGILITY!!!!!

You know we need photos!!!

Click to expand...

Here are the links to some of my favorite trial photos of him. I am a very proud mommie 8) We still are struggling with weave pole perfomance but we are getting there. I have a trial this weekend so I will keep my fingers crossed that the weave poles gods will be kind to us

http://www.nolanddogart.com/paoh207satstpairs/paoh207_8996.htm

http://www.nolanddogart.com/brag607satstp1/brag07_6803.htm

http://www.nolanddogart.com/brag607satstp1/brag07_6807.htm

http://www.nolanddogart.com/brag607satstp1/brag07_6806.htm

http://www.nolanddogart.com/brag607satgamp1/brag07_6424.htm

http://www.nolanddogart.com/brag607satsteeplchs/brag07_6982.htm

http://www.nolanddogart.com/yngtwn807satnovj/yngtwn807_4061.htm

http://www.nolanddogart.com/yngtwn807sunnovj/yngtwn807_4332.htm

http://www.nolanddogart.com/yngtwn807sunnovst/yngtwn807_4475.htm