So two weeks ago I started Brit on the 2x2 method of weaving. I've never taught a dog this way, but had watched the video a few times, and watched a few friends train their dogs. It looks simple enough right? The dog goes through, throw the toy. Easy.
Not so much. lol. I admit it is faster than any other method I've ever used- she is almost weaving. In two and a bit weeks of on and off training. I have not been religious with it, although this past week I've been doing it twice a day. Anyway I have the two sets of poles almost in a line. Like three inches off. And she is rocking it. Kind of. Sort of.
First off she needs a warm up, and not just a warm up as in limber up the muscles and get the brain going. I mean a two pole review. I don't think I saw that in the DVD.
Second I can't move the poles any closer than where they are or she completely loses her marbles. Like her brain explodes and I am left with an excited border collie who runs around the poles, through the second poles, backwards around the poles, etc. Its three inches. Seriously, I measured. How can three inches have such an affect.
Because I am a problem solver I thought about this a while tonite and have decided that because I am using stick in the ground poles (which SG says not to) I think the poles are kinda crooked, and that three inches changes the crookedness a lot. Maybe when I move it the three inches now it's straight (or even more crooked) so she doesn't get it. I dunno. In any case I am going to beg, borrow, or perhaps purchase a set of my own real, stand up straight ones. Which is probably a good thing as the ground is getting awfully hard.
It's probably a good thing that I am going to a 2x2 Seminar next Sunday with Lynda Orton Hill. She'll set me straight (or tell me to straighten my poles). In the mean time I am going to go back and work on two poles around the clock. I am pretty confident I can't screw that up. That's the easy peasy part.
PS. I am of course open to suggestion from those that have trained this before or maybe have some sort of insight, or from someone who would like to lend a poor girl some real poles. :)
manymuddypaws; a blog about dogs, training, dog sports, life, and pretty pictures too...
2 comments:
I used the 2x2 method with Jimmy and it worked great for him. He was weaving a full 12 pole set in 2 weeks. But I did buy 6 well-made, metal 2x2 sections, so no issues with getting crooked.
Not sure why it would bug Brit so much. Maybe being the super-smart BC that she is, she is over-thinking the process :-)
How lucky you are to have a seminar with Lynda!
I've taught 2 X 2's to both my dogs (over longer than 12 days) and they both (especially Rylie) get comments on their weaving. I haven't tried any other way to compare but when I go to local trials I notice that my trainer's dogs generally have better weaves than most and we are some of the few that would choose to weave in a gamble or snooker course.
I found my dogs didn't do very well with the stick in the ground poles even after they could stick any 2 x 2 entry (something to do with me not placing them well no doubt) so I totally gave them up.
Post a Comment