Respect? Also weaving tips.

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gerbilgirl

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I'm just in from trying to convince Lola to do weaves. She is nearly three now and knows exactly what she has to do, and chooses exactly not to do it.

The first few times today it was perfect (we're still working with 3/4 poles as I started her again from the very start with weaves a week ago, although she has done 12 poles plenty of times before), then she lost all interest and decided she wasn't going to do it any more. I had the clicker and her favourite treats (a cheap cat food which is obviously so full of rubbish that she loves it), yet she refused to be coaxed through the first pole, she ran towards them as though she was going to do them, then stopped about 4 feet before them. If I literally dragged her through the first pole she finished the rest herself. When dragged her to just before the first pole she stood there staring blankly at me. Yet the second I suggest a jump she is fit to run 20 foot without any direction from me, and jump the line I had set up for Charlie earlier... So it's definitely not a physical problem, it's about respect because she can do it perfectly. Any advice on how to gain her respect so that she does what I ask, and not what she wants?

It isn't a general alpha dog thing, she knows I'm in charge, she waits patiently as I prepare her food before her and is as polite as dogs tend to go, its about doing what suits her when it comes to weaves.

I probably sound mad but I could take a video of her tomorrow if nobody believes what a little b*tch she was being
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And if anyone has any tips on how to make her WANT to weave, I'm ready to try anything, as this is going to seriously hold her back when competing.
 
Try training weaves. They are like a track of weaves just to teach them to go through. She should be happier to do these.

Here is a picture of some:

http://www.agilitywarehouse.com/prodimages/PAETW_300.jpg

Basically, you put them closer and closer together until they are virtually weaving. Then you can use proper weaves.

Once she is happy at doing these maybe move onto trying a clicker? Also, have her a lead so you have more control. Just go really slowly. Persuade her so she is in the right direction, maybe has a paw into the first pole, and then click, reward. Click every other weave (every time she comes towards you) (You may have to teach her what the clicker means first)

Another good exercise for weaves:

Do one weave, weave back, two weaves, weave back, three weaves, weave back to start etc. Work up slowly until she completes a whole set.

The training weaves should give her a little more confidence at just running through the weaves and once you can get her to acctually start to go through them without dragging you can try these exercises.
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Good luck!
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£217 for a set of weaves
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. I don't think my mum will pay that
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. I'll ask my dad if he could sort of make those guides.

She does them perfectly on a very loose lead, which makes it all the more frustrating lol.

And she knows what a clicker is
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I'm very interested in that exercise but confused, could you explain a little more?

And has anyone used the 2 x 2 method, try Youtube if you don't know what this is. I thought it was interesting and may try it with another dog (Charlie) I'm bringing on at the minute!
 
Sorry, I think my best suggestion is the same as petethepainter's and I've had my sisters three children here over the weekend, we've been out sledding for several hours every day and I have discovered muscles I did not knew I had and they're all on my backside (besides the fact that though I'm used to walking up a hill or more on the dog walks, I'm not used to go up them over and over and over etc, again), so I'm basically to knackered to try and translate any of my agility advice, I'm sticking to subjects I'm used to talking about even in English.
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I basically looked because I wondered what weaving meant when dogs was involved, I like to think that I normally would have been able to understand that but as said, tonight I'm knackered.

Hope someone else can offer you any more help.
 
I'd be working out the differences between why she likes it in one situation and dislikes it in another and try to find the most comfortable way for her, I don't think it is a case of basic respect or disrespect towards you personally.

I have a very willing dog and a very evasive bitch. She gets stressed by things that would be imperceptible to a human being. She finds jumping and going through gates and fences a huge ordeal, she bolts them or runs away,
So with weaving, I would take it very slowly with her. Just take her back to basics. One or two poles, praise, then quit, do something else, then return, two, three poles, praise, then quit and so on. Never end on an evasion or she will learn that evasion gets her out of it.

She seems to respect the lead, could it trail along the ground and then eventually you remove it altogether?

I am sure your dad could set you up a system like that - I use brush shafts, cut up, he could so something similar on a frame?

Do you go to formal training? Sometimes a fresh pair of eyes can make all the difference.
 
Okay, I will try letting her trail the lead and only very short exercises at weaving at a time. To be honest I never thought of trying short bursts, I was trying to enforce it over and over again (I made the poor dog do weaves for over an hour today
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).

We do go to training, its just that its a good 15 miles down the road so we can't be popping off every time they need trained. We won't be going back much until the start of the summer though (after my GCSEs) and I have a show on the 25th April so it would be useful to have this sorted. It's not a serious show and I'm only going so I can navigate my way round entries and schedules when I start seriously competing in the summer, but it would be nice to have this sorted by then so we don't look like eegits
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Ah, keep it short and sweet then - I totally overtrained my dog in an obedience pattern and if I could turn back the clock, I would, he was bored and unhappy , now I do ten minutes, then a free period, then ten minutes, then free - he 'works' for the moment I say 'free!'.
I love these quotes from the man who founded the GSD breed and try to keep it in mind -

"Nothing tires and paralyses the mental powers as much as constant reiteration of the same exercise - it's as weary as when uncle sings the only song he knows"

''Let the trainer examine himself when the dog makes a mistake, or does not understand the exercise, or fails in obedience and let him ask "Where am I at fault?''

''Drill never produces the same result as training, which penetrates the soul of the dog.''

Think of it from her point of view, you know why you are doing the same thing over and over and over again, another human would as well, for a dog it can be tiring and confusing and it will sour her enjoyment of it.

I travel 45 mins to our training and another girl does two hours every Sunday, good training is worth it
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I agree that good training is worth it and would happily be down at my trainer's every evening, in fact I would happily live under the A-frame down there just to be spending time playing with and training the dogs. Too bad that mother thinks I should be studying
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