Wednesday, July 23, 2008

2X2 weaves, solving the mystery, LOL!

So started reteaching Liz the weaves because she had not been working them consistently and has just started drifting past them. We have done a lot of entry work and she does the first few poles well, ...but she is already a challenge to keep on task because her big brain is always just thinking about so many other things that are more important to her...so I really felt we had to have a solid foundation to keep her doing the weaves well. I am going to put all my steps to date here because I anticipate having to start all over with Breeze. She never had weaves as good as Liz did to start with and she hasnt done any agility in so long and had a short time where she was doing them before her agility training was put on hold. So want to remember how things go with Liz and have something to look back on. Well, so the first step I did was just having her drive straight through the poles, just a set of 2. Did not understand before that she should go straight across and have the treat thrown straight through. OK this was our first problem, first off that encourages her to spend a lot of time just looking for treats in the grass and she starts imaging there are treats, not sure what to do about that. That step went incredably fast even with the treat difficulties. So second step I stuck a second set of 2 weaves right next to the first step, and continued to have her drive through, still it is all just a snap and we were still in the first session, but she is a retrain and I had done some 2X2 work before just at that time I was not totally understanding the steps---not to say that I feel like I do now, I still feel like I am winging it and just trying to see what seems to work.... Soooo step 3 I started seperating the two sets of poles and continue to have Lizzie Lou drive straight across. Still we are looking textbook. Started arcing around and sending her from different places and ooooh yes the entire time I am rewarding for going both ways, toward me and away from me. So started rotating the first set to a more straight entry, then driving through the second set still slightly diagonally so it is easier for her to see that is where she needs to go. So then I finally was able to start rotating the second set, and wha laaa by the second or third session we had four weaves. This is where it got hard, my instructor said to just put two more weaves in and that was a disaster. I lost all my speed, and I lost my happiness, and so I went and looked through all the books and internet sites I could find and finally deceided to add the third set of 2 poles, but slightly offset and turned so it looked like the origional set that we started with, so she wasnt all the way wrapping around those poles but just driving through them. About that time I added in a jump to the front too, and so in the fourth session ? I was able to start moving the third set to a more into line with the others, but that is where we have stopped. BY adding in the third set at an angled approach I got my speed, drive and happiness back. I am going to post videos of some of my sessions on you tube http://www.youtube.com/user/bordergirlsmom. So now it seems we are back on track and the plan is to get the third set straight in line, vary approaches, use jumps, tunnels etc...and start adding in poles one or two at a time, or possibly adding in two at a time but with some distance inbetween and then move them closer, not sure on that one, going to see what seems to work for Lizzie Lou.

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