Clean Run Magazine - November 2008 - 62

Weaves Focus on By Deborah Jones, PhD What two words strike fear in the hearts of agility competitors? Weave poles! Ask 100 agility exhibitors which obstacle causes the most stress for them and their dogs, and I bet at least 90 of them will answer “weave poles.” Why are they seemingly so difficult? If you watch Novice, Open, Advanced, and Excellent A classes, you will see faults called in the weave poles over and over and over. Not that these problems magically disappear in Excellent B or Masters, but they seem to get better by that time. Missed entries are just one problem. Dogs skip poles, have trouble with footwork and rhythm, avoid the poles altogether, and pop out before the end. Nobody is exempt from weave pole problems. Even World Team handlers have weave problems! This article is not about how to train weaves or how to troubleshoot the problems that develop. It is about the ways in which we as trainers and handlers cause some of the stress that becomes associated with the poles. Also it’s about how we can relieve some of that stress and start to make positive changes based on our approach to the problem and our attitude. The weave poles are unique in both the physical and the mental demands required for correct performance. There are very precise criteria. The dog must enter correctly with the first pole to his left and must execute the weaving motion throughout the entire line of poles. Once he enters, we want him to continue to the end, regardless of our motion or position. Weaving requires physical flexibility. Not only must the dog move from side to side, but he must also establish a comfortable rhythm of footwork to allow him to quickly and smoothly negotiate the poles. Weaving also requires concentration. The dog must remain focused throughout the task or he is likely to make errors. I have observed thousands of agility runs and I have consistently seen that people make weaving (in trials especially) even more difficult than it needs to be. Distracting the dog while he is attempting to perform the poles makes his task much tougher. Handlers clap, stomp, chant, cheer, and point through each and every pole. This “help” may have become part of the weave pole picture for the dog, but that doesn’t make it any less distracting. Imagine taking a very difficult algebra test in high school. Your well-meaning teacher stands over your shoulder encouraging you with loud clapping and cheering while you work. Would that help your performance? Most likely it would break your concentration, make you nervous and irritated, and lead to frustration. If you came to expect this behavior from your teacher consistently you might start to dread those tests even more. So why do handlers feel the need to do this? As I said earlier, it has become an ingrained part of the dog’s weave pole picture. Throughout training, the handler has consistently added this noise in an effort to encourage speed and rhythm. But is it helpful or necessary? Why not simply train the dog to do his job in the poles and leave him alone while he’s doing it? Wouldn’t that be the better choice? Why insert the handler smack-dab into the middle of weave performance? The handler is now taking on something that should be the dog’s responsibility: correctly executing the obstacle. 62 Rather than training the dog to fluency on the poles in all situations, many handlers resort to micromanaging. We’ve all seen people attempt to help with a difficult entry and then actually get in the dog’s way and push him off the correct entry. Most of us have done it! If left alone, the dog had a better shot at success. But the handler felt the need to get right into the dog’s path to show him the way. Then, to add insult to injury, some handlers will bring the dog back around and try to stuff him into the entry again. But now, the handler is in the area known as the “Bermuda triangle, where the ” correct entry has mysteriously disappeared. The handler is positioned too far beyond the plane of the first pole and the dog seems magnetically drawn to the opening between poles #2 and #3. Some handlers will repeatedly attempt to get a correct entry from this position, which only leads to stress and frustration for both dog and handler. Another favorite for micromanagers is the weave pole dance. This involves a lot of hip action while the handler uses her body to simulate the dog’s movements though the line of poles. The hip goes left as the dog enters, right as the dog comes toward the handler, left again Typically, the dancing handler is also very close to the dog to block the possibility of the dog’s popping out (at least on one side). If the dog depends on the handler’s hip action for each movement he makes in the poles, then he truly doesn’t know how to weave on his own. And if the handler isn’t perfect, the dog won’t be either. How can these problems be avoided? Simply put, more training, less managing. Back off and let the dog do his job. Putting so much pressure and attention on the weaves in a trial only leads to stress for the dog. Less micromanaging allows the dog to show you what he has learned. At first, he might have problems, but that’s okay. Once the pressure is off, he is more likely to make the effort to perform the weaves properly. Continuing to train using positive methods, while systematically increasing challenges, will pay off. We want our dogs to have a confident attitude about the obstacles, and confidence comes with feeling comfortable and successful. Clean Run | November 08

Clean Run Magazine - November 2008

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Clean Run Magazine - November 2008