Clean Run Magazine - September 2009 - 19

Trainer’s Forum By Brenna Fender I’ve been trialing with my second dog for over a year. He was always good in the weave poles, but lately he’s been popping out at pole 10. It happens in every class. Why is he suddenly having a problem? Should I change what I’m doing in training? Sassie Joiris Rest assured, you are not alone in having this problem. Dogs popping out at pole #10 is so common it is often called the “10th pole syndrome.” That said, I don’t think anyone has actually found a single factor contributing to dogs popping out at pole #10. In my experience, two things most commonly cause the problem in relatively green dogs. One is as the dog starts to gain confidence, his speed in the weave poles increases, causing changes in footwork and/or stride length. For example, picture a dog weaving poles that are spaced 22" apart. The dog has steady footwork, each stride landing exactly at the midpoint between poles. If that dog tries to increase his speed through the poles by increasing his stride length by half an inch, at first everything will be fine; instead of landing at the midpoint between the poles, the dog is landing 11.5" from pole #1 and 10.5" from pole #2. But if the dog continues this striding, by the time the dog is between poles #9 and #10 the stride comes 15.5" after one pole, leaving only 7.5" before the next. The dog finds himself unable to continue weaving because the pole is too close and pops out. This oversimplifies what the dog does; the dog often notices that his striding is leaving him cramped and tries to fix this by shortening his stride abruptly, or crossing his feet in an attempt to get himself back in sync. Finding ways to ramp up the dog’s excitement level in practice so he’s as excited as he is at a trial should help to replicate Sassie trains animal actors for television and film as well as teaching agility. Her Norfolk Terrier, Ch. MACH Stamp RN JE, OAC, NJC, TN-N, a.k.a. Stamp, is the first Ch/MACH in his breed. Her Whippet, Boing! NA NAJ, is just starting to make her mark. Sassie teaches private students, classes, and the occasional seminar when she can get away from home. Contact her at joiris@ix.netcom.com. the problem so you can work on it. While the dog is in a super-excited state, going back a couple of steps in whatever method you used initially to teach the weave poles can help the dog to learn how to manage the increased speed without popping out. For medium-to-large dogs that single stride through the poles, I’ve also found that using Weave-A-Matics can help to organize the dog’s footwork and make the striding more even and consistent without sacrificing speed. Another reason dogs pop out at pole #10 is there’s not a huge visual difference between what the dog sees coming between poles #9 and #10 and what he sees coming between poles #11 and #12. As the dog gains trial experience and moves from relatively easy courses to more complex ones, he often begins to rush to respond and head off to the next obstacle. The handler also is probably crossing, turning, moving laterally, or otherwise indicating the next obstacle sooner because the more complex courses require more handling. The dog pops out as soon as he doesn’t see the long line of poles in front of him, thinking he’s at the end and wanting to get on to the next obstacle. In practice, vary your position in relation to the dog while he weaves to make sure he truly understands he’s to finish the entire set of 12 poles independently no matter where you are. A toy, treat, or Manners Minder at the end of the poles can help encourage the dog to drive forward regardless of your position. September 09 © Pete Greer | Clean Run 19

http://www.helpingudders.com http://www.hurontoursandtravel.com http://www.helpingudders.com http://www.hurontoursandtravel.com

Clean Run Magazine - September 2009

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Clean Run Magazine - September 2009