AM Training

I set up a double box and worked with Gel on that for about ten minutes. I had Fern tied out like she was yesterday morning. She whined a bit, but didn't carry on like she did yesterday. After I worked Gel, I put him in a down stay and started shaping the 2x2 weave poles with Fern. After three times through the poles to get a click and treat, she started offering the behavior. Smart girl!

I like much of Susan Garrett's method of training. She breaks the behavior down into very small segments, all highly rewarded. When training Gel to weave, I used a combination of 2x2's and weave-o-matics. I won't use weave-o-matics again (I can't really because I no longer have them), but I felt that they taught Gel to plow through the weaves. Because it was impossible to lock the weave poles in position tight enough so that they would not move when the dog went through them, Gel discovered that he could push the poles out of his way when going through them rather than bend around them. The 2x2 method is similar to channel weaves, but it breaks the behavior down such that the dog has a better understanding of what being asked of him. In addition do not think channel weaves teach entries as well as 2x2 does.

Once Fern is reliably offering to go through the set of poles, I'll switch from a clicker and treats and go to a toy being through through the poles. This will teach her to drive through the poles with her attention focused ahead rather than up at me. I want her driving forward through the weaves with her head down, not turned back looking at me. I am to the point with Gel that I can send him to straight to the weaves from at least 20 feet away. I still need to work on sending him from different angles to proof his entries.