MASTERING INDEPENDANT WEAVES! A CHALLENGE!

I have to admit I stole this idea, and the instructions from Amber Abbott who is from Arizona and is a FANTASTIC trainer who has great training ideas-her students are very lucky ;-). You can email me and I can hook you up with her if you want to sign up to do the challenge with her. Otherwise seems like we could informally do a challenge amongst ourselves with anyone who is interested. I am signing up with her ;-), so that makes me feel a little better about stealing the idea. The training is based on an article by Rachel Sanders from Clean Run.

I would like to do the challenge with some others, so anyone who wants to join it, just let me know. I would love if people your videos to inspire everyone else. If you don't want to post on your own blog, or don't have a blog send a link of your video to me and I can post it to my blog so everyone can take part. If you can not take video or can't video, have no friends who can video or what ever.. then just email me when you pass a level so you can get credit, see how easy it is? Everyone can play! My email is mochos@charter.net if anyone needs to ask questions, would like any help or needs to send me something. Knowing how everyone else is doing will help the rest of us keep going and make it easier for all of us to keep going. Perhaps anyone who wants to do the challenge can even post a little gift they promise themselves or their dogs if they complete the entire challenge by the end of September. If no one else wants to do it, then that is OK too, LOL, Cricket and I will be working on our awesome weaves, LOL.


I think this is something that people should work at their own pace, I like having structure so that is why a challenge is good for me to make sure I finish all the weave pole training I would like to do, it is so easy to get the weaves "good enough" and then stop, always with good intentions of coming back and finishing up the training, ya all know how that goes! So seems like a good guideline to suggest you try to do a challenge a week. That is seven handling maneuvers from a jump to the weaves with the jump staying into one place, then when your dog has got that position down, you move to the next jump position.

The Goal:
the goal is to teach our dog how to enter and finish the weaves, TOTALLY in dependant of you.

How many Weaves to use:
because you are having your dog attempt the poles many times you want to limit the poles to six poles. When your dog really understands this training then you can try the long set of poles. Also I would not do the weaves more then six times each session.

HELPFUL HINTS:
1. use toys or a target so you can reward your dog in front of you and to keep your dogs focus forward, esp on the send exercises. It is always good to run to the toy when your dog gets it and tug and play.
2. Weaves can be tough on dogs physically. Don't do too many reps and do not do this work everyday.
3. End on a positive note, in your next session repeat the last thing you ended on. You do not need to do all seven positions in one session.
4. Do not go move the jump into a next position until the dog has mastered the one they are at!
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HOW IT WORKS:
For the first week place one jump about 16 feet in front of your set of weaves
these are the maneuvers you will do:
1 RECALL-stand behind the poles, and call your dog over the jump. If your dog has trouble doing all six poles, just stand between the 3rd and 4rth pole and try again, rewarding when they get to you. Set the dog up again and go one pole further back, repeat until they can do all the poles.

2. RUN PAST, DOG ON LEFT-your goal is to keep a brisk pace and be ahead of your dog. You want to start with your dog at the jump then race past them while they are performing the poles.

3. RUN PAST DOG ON RIGHT-done the same as #2 just with the dog on your right.

4. REAR CROSS FROM LEFT TO RIGHT-without leading out, send your dog forward to the poles, move behind him from one side to the other with a rear cross before the weaves. KEEP YOUR SHOULDERS FACING FORWARD AS YOU MOVE.

5. REAR CROSS, DOG FROM LEFT TO RIGHT -same as #4 just cross in the opposite way.

6. SEND DOG ON LEFT
WITHOUT LEADING OUT OR MOVING FORWARD send the dog to the poles. Throw your toy as a reward, timing it so that it reaches your dog as they complete the poles, then run and play with them. If your dog is having problems, lead out to the poles (or further if needed) and release him to the poles, stand still as he passes you to complete the rest. Reward, then try again,without leading out as far.

7. SEND DOG ON RIGHT
Just the same as #6, you just start with the dog on your other side.


After your dog can EASILY do all seven maneuvers with a jump straight onto the poles you can move to jump position #2 with all seven maneuvers. Continue like the picture shows.

click on the picture to make it bigger or to print


HERE IS CRICKET/MY WEEK ONE TEST: