# Weaves



## Laurelin (Nov 2, 2006)

How did you teach weaves and why that method?

Curious.


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## Canyx (Jul 1, 2011)

Only ever taught one dog weaves and it was the way the instructor taught it in class.... Bend all the poles out and have the dog go straight through them. Then slowly bring the poles back up toward upright position. Having never tried the other methods, I was fond of this one because I felt it taught two things: 1. The poles stay right/left/right... to the body, and 2. Go through it FAST. I am not sure if other methods can teach 'efficient maneuvering' through them but the way I see it, with this method the dog figures out the maneuvering itself. I think other methods like the side bars (the ones that create the weaving channel for the dog to go through) are great for teaching where you want the dog to go but the speed and maneuvering are already being affected by the setup of it. 

I'm also curious to hear of other people's methods and why it has or hasn't been advantageous. Also, is there a concise list of all the different popular methods anywhere? Obviously I don't know the formal names of anything


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## CptJack (Jun 3, 2012)

I've taught Kylie and Molly both to weave, and with Kylie I did basically a combo of 2X2 and a combo of shaping and luring. Molly, it's pretty much been a combo of 2X2 and channels. Both of them have pretty good weaves, but honestly it took me a year to get Kylie solid on both sides and in sequences (and then I broke them and we did a refresher but I didn't have to teach much, just build confidence) and about 6 weeks to have Molly doing the same (though Molly still only has 6). 

I didn't really settle down and use a 'method'/technique faithfully with either of them, though. Molly, once she got the entrances she needed to find a rhythm and figure out how to move her body (er, her rear end) and the channels helped with that. Kylie was just me going 'wtf, I don't know, you need to weave' and muddling through, but the 'lure' (it wasn't really - no food, so sort of 3/4-shaping 1/4 -luring?) helped me give her the feedback she needed when she was having confidence issues with them.

ETA: Basically as in almost everything else dog training I started with a method other people used and taught, and then watched what my dogs were doing and changed things for them.


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## ForTheLoveOfDogs (Jun 3, 2007)

I only had the weaves in class, which was the channel method. They supported the 2x2 method but we needed to join a weaves class (rarely happened) or work on it at home. Channel is just what they had and quicker/easier to teach to all levels of agility students. 

Kairi took to the channel quickly. She has a pretty good weaves and entrances were proofed using "around the clock" and distance. Sometimes she still misses entry, but I just now got a GOOD set of poles to work on with her. I've seen dogs in class that were taught more strictly 2x2 and their entries weren't much better, so really is comes down to practice no matter what. I WOULD, however, like to start Kairi over on 2x2 just to see what it is about. 

Ember doesn't do weaves yet, but I imagine she might be best with 2x2.


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## CptJack (Jun 3, 2012)

Oh and - I have never seen weave poles in a class we've taken, unfortunately. They aren't taught in the regular classes at any level and the stand-alone weaves class happens very, very rarely and almost never when I needed them. The class teaches them 2x2, though.

I will say Molly's more independent with weaves (I can't get ahead of Kylie while she weaves at all, behind is okay but not ahead) but frankly speaking Molly's more independent in the performance of everything.


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## kadylady (Sep 23, 2010)

With Zoey I did 2x2. Why? Because it's what my instructor recommended. Our club doesn't teach weaves in the regular classes. There is occasionally a weave class that comes around and the method depends on who is teaching it. My instructor teaches it with 2x2, another instructor does a more broad introduction to different methods, including channel and using guide wires. At the time I was ready to teach weaves with Zoey there was no class in the near future, so I looked up some 2x2 videos on youtube and away we went! I've been really happy with our weaves for the most part. She completely understands them, we've never really had any problems with entries and minimal issues with popping out. Our weave issues have been directly related to the stress/distraction of the environment which was a whole different issue to tackle. I plan to use the 2x2 method with Skye when it's her turn as well. I did end up buying Susan's DVD so I will definitely follow that with Skye.


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## trainingjunkie (Feb 10, 2010)

I've taught 4 dogs to weave. I shaped them.


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## MrsBoats (May 20, 2010)

Channels with Lars and a mix of channels and shaping them with O. 

Channels with Lars because that's what our classes had. Channels again with O because of class. Shaping started because he got hung up in the weave pole training guidewires and the poles almost fell over on him in class when he was about 8 months. That sort of freaked him out. So I went on a shaping mission with him...and you know what, he figured them out way faster than Lars did with shaping. He loves his weave poles now...so that was a good method for him.


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## pawsaddict (Apr 17, 2013)

After lots of confusion with the original 2x2 method. I used a modified 2x2 with Nova. We got to two sets of 6 poles spaced 6 ft. apart and then we took a weave hiatus. Brought them back last week and she is now weaving all 12 poles! We still have to proof it more, but I'm really proud of her 

I chose the instructions that I did because there was a free pdf online  The classes I've been to thus far have only taught weaves via luring. I wanted Nova's weaves to be more independent than that, so we went another way.


Edit: and I just want to add that I didn't mean to knock luring as a form of training weaves. It just wasn't working for us. Nova didn't understand where the entry was and she had to be *heavily* guided through the poles. I'm sure it works better for others, though.


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## BostonBullMama (Apr 20, 2013)

I used Toby's love of food to my advantage and lured him through the poles. When he began to 'get it' I started simply pointing to the poles. 

We don't do weaves very often but once, I pointed to the poles and Toby did all of them based on my 1 cue rather than being required to be cued repeatedly. I was SO proud!
He has not done it since. LOL. I think if I stuck with it this summer he'd know to do them all based on 1 cue, but I'm not sure what my plans are with us this summer. I've been pretty lazy about training sessions.


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## Laurelin (Nov 2, 2006)

I lured Summer's because they just weren't working any other way. 

With Hank I did 2x2s combined with channels sort of. I started with 2 poles then added in another offset 2 then made that to a 4 pole channel then 6 poles then closed them. Then added in 2 more closed poles until we had 12. Still need entry proofing and working on crossing and moung away while he's in the poles.


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