Over the years I have come across multiple ways to train the weave poles, each one working in its own way. At our club, the beginners class is introduced to channel weaves with guide wires. This method, while effective for some, did not work for my Papillon, Brego. He was just too small and could easily slip under the guide wires. After some research and asking around I came across the Weave-A-Matic training method. For Weave-A-Matics the weave poles are angled in a V shape so the dog learns to either single step or bounce around each pole. I used this method to train Brego's weaves.
After we realized that Brego would be our first actively competing agility dog, we invested in some weave poles from www.weave-poles.com. They are based in Houston, TX so the shipping time to Austin was very short (a couple of days). I love weavepoles.com because there are so many different styles to choose from! I chose a set of 12 indoor/outdoor weave poles that included two six pole ground placers. With the stick-in-the-ground attachments, these poles can go anywhere. They are great for training with distractions at the dog park. There isn't enough room inside the house to set up the full set of 12 weaves, but a set of six in the hallway is good mental stimulation for a rainy day.
Recently Emma and I were introduced to Susan Garrett's 2x2 Weaves training method (a subject for a later post). I watched the DVD and was instantly hooked. Here was a way to train the weaves using the same concept as clicker training! After a trial where Brego had some trouble with the weaves (not usual for him), I knew that I wanted to retrain using Susan Garrett's method. I went to dust off the neglected set of indoor weave poles and I realized that I could break them down into 2x2's! I set them up in the living room and got to work that night.After a week of training (as per the 2x2 DVD) Brego was back to being a weaving maniac. Now Brego receives complements on his beautiful weaves!
--Olivia
