Clean Run Magazine - February 2007 - 14

Warning : session_start : The session id contains invalid characters,
valid characters are only a-z, A-Z and 0-9 in
/mnt/data/www.nxtbook.com/fx/config_1.3/global.php on line 9 Warning :
session_start : Cannot send session cache limiter - headers already sent
output started at /mnt/data/www.nxtbook.com/fx/config_1.3/global.php:9 in
/mnt/data/www.nxtbook.com/fx/config_1.3/global.php on line 9 Warning :
Cannot modify header information - headers already sent by output started
at /mnt/data/www.nxtbook.com/fx/config_1.3/global.php:9 in
/mnt/data/www.nxtbook.com/fx/config_1.3/global.php on line 10 PHOTO
CREDITS: MIX AND AUSSIE © DOGHOUSE ARTS; LAB © JT PAWPRINTS; BOSTON
TERRIER © SABY ROCHON, SPORTPHOTOGRAPHY.CA; TRAINING PHOTOS COURTESY OF
ANN CROFT Several methods are available to agility trainers to teach dogs
to weave. I use a combination of the weave pole channel and slanted poles,
a.k.a Weave-A-Matic or WAM. Tracing the exact origins of either of these
methods is difficult, but I first heard of the channel method about 14
years ago through the writings of British agility pioneers, Peter Lewis
and John Gilbert. Around the same time I also learned of the WAM method
through Monica Percival’s writings. Monica coined this term because many
dogs easily and rapidly progress in learning to weave using this technique.
She designed a base and mechanism for slanting the poles after
experimenting with slanted poles stuck in the ground, an idea she
attributes to Ruth Hobday, another early agility enthusiast in Britain.
Monica called her slanted poles on a base a Weave-A-Matic and the name
caught on as a generic term to describe this training technique. In
addition to the ease and speed at which dogs learn to weave on a WAM,
there are other advantages to this training method. The dog learns from
the beginning to perform the weaves with a continuous style, changing
leads at each pole. He also learns to enter the poles on the left lead.
The weaving style can either be single-step the dog switches leads at each
pole and thrusts one front leg through each space or bounce style the dog
switches leads at each pole, but thrusts both legs through each space .
The size and length of the dog usually predict which style the dog will
prefer. Dogs smaller than about 16 at the shoulder tend to bounce, while
dogs over 16 with average or longer length of loin tend to single-step.
Medium-size dogs with shorter loin also tend to bounce. And, yes, smaller
dogs can bounce through the weaves; I have seen even a 5-lb. Yorkie bounce
through the WAM when the poles were set low and she was motivated. T h e
WAM technique is invaluable to developing a muscle memory to weave all the
way through the poles. Dogs that take additional steps on either side or
cross their forelimbs are much more likely to exit the poles before
completion and execute the weave poles slowly. Additionally, dogs learn to
find the entrances very well when trained to weave on the WAM. The dog must
extend and plant his left leg forward of the first pole to properly hit the
entrance and prepare for the turn Achieving Fast, Reliable, and Independent
Weaves By Ann Croft This weaving style is termed single stepping. This dog
is weaving with a bounce style. Dogs that cross their forelimbs will have
trouble weaving with speed or accuracy. This dog is taking extra steps on
the side of the poles. to carry on forward weaving. Since the dog must
always enter with his left front foot forward over the first pole of the
WAM, he learns to master this skill and begin weaving on this lead from
the very beginning. Disadvantages are that weave training must be put off
until a young dog is mature enough physically to repetitively flex his
spine, and the occasional dog has trouble transitioning from slightly
slanted poles to straight poles. Training with the weave pole channel can
be started at a much younger age since there is no bending of the spine in
the Clean Run | February 07 14 Warning : Unknown : The session id contains invalid characters, valid
characters are only a-z, A-Z and 0-9 in Unknown on line 0 Warning :
Unknown : Failed to write session data files . Please verify that the
current setting of session.save_path is correct /var/lib/php/session in
Unknown on line 0

Clean Run Magazine - February 2007

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Clean Run Magazine - February 2007