Regular Agility Compettitors?

**GreyhoundGirl** · 07-15-2006, 10:05 PM

Good question. I'll check.... 1 sec...were's that stupid measuring tape.....

About 64 inches... I think. When my mom gets home I'll get her to tell me.

**GreyhoundGirl** · 07-16-2006, 04:28 PM

WOO HOO !!!

Jennifer and I won 2nd today !!!!( Borderlines got 1st

) Yes! Oh yea, oh yea...( does happy-party dance )

It wasn't in standard, though... it was in snookers. We didn't get to finish, though... Because we got called off for doing the tire only once. Like that matters.

I had to re-try the course because the first time the judge called me off for no reason. So he let me re-try. ( he's a nice person

)

In standard I didn't actually do that well....

Jen took too long trying to get into a lie-down on the table. ( it was really hot !!! )( I also lost 5 points for touching the table to try and get her to lie down.

)

I jumpers she did really well, too. Unfortunatly, so did the competition. So, she didn't place.

Oh well.

I will post some pics of today later.

I also need some advice, though... Does anyone know a different way to train weaves? My girl isn't too good at them. ( she lost 20 points today for skipping the 12 weaves

) She will do off-set, no problem. But she won't do straight weaves, the one's that they use in competition.

I've got to train the weaves before the next competition. Please help !!

**binka_nugget** · 07-16-2006, 05:11 PM

We don't compete yet.. but I'm hoping we will very soon! We started taking agility classes not too long ago and he's already doing such a good job. All we really need to work on is the aframe.

Originally Posted by GreyhoundGirl

I also need some advice, though... Does anyone know a different way to train weaves? My girl isn't too good at them. ( she lost 20 points today for skipping the 12 weaves

) She will do off-set, no problem. But she won't do straight weaves, the one's that they use in competition.

I've got to train the weaves before the next competition. Please help !!

Do you clicker train? I trained Kai to do weaves by clicking for just entering on the correct side. Then I started clicking for entering the correct side and taking a step towards the next pole, then clicking for entering the next pole, etc. His weaves are pretty solid now and it didn't take very long for him to get it.

**GreyhoundGirl** · 07-16-2006, 06:33 PM

Jenny is a timid dog.

She's scared of the noise the clicker makes.

Plus, my trainer doesn't do clicker training, so we don't really get a chance.

**binka_nugget** · 07-16-2006, 06:36 PM

You could still use the same method but say "Yes!" instead.

**GreyhoundGirl** · 07-16-2006, 06:40 PM

I say good girl everytime she gets one right. Does that count? ( which doesn't happen often on straight weaves

)

**wolfsoul** · 07-16-2006, 06:45 PM

Saying yes would be better.

For some reason, dogs react better to the word "yes" than any other random word for praise.

**binka_nugget** · 07-16-2006, 06:47 PM

Well, the idea behind the "click" is that the sound is always the same. The click lets the dog know that it did something good at that very moment and will be rewarded for it. That's why I think it's better to use "yes!" if you choose not to click.

Clicker training is training step by step. So instead of having the dog weave all the way, then rewarding, you click (or say "yes!") when it enters the correct side. After the dog starts getting it, you only click when the dog takes a step out, then click when it goes further and further. The idea is that the dog will start offering things (another step) to you in exchange for the click.

It's a bit of a hassle to introduce the dog to the clicker/method but I've found that Kai's weaves were 100% more solid after I started clicker training.