It is a truth universally acknowledged that teaching dogs how to use weave poles is almost as challenging as quantum physics. Ok, that’s probably an exaggeration, but weaves are tough pieces of dog agility equipment to master. Though we’ve written about weaves before, we constantly are asked for weave tips, so this info bears repeating.
Be Patient
This is something we cannot stress enough. Using dog weave poles correctly takes time. If you find you are getting frustrated, you dog probably will sense that frustration and all the fun will end. The goal of agility is to have fun, repeat that to yourself over and over again. That’s your mantra – agility is fun.
The most effective training tool for every piece of dog agility equipment is a patient handler. If the handler is having fun, the dog will have fun and be happy. Happy dogs want to please and will try as hard as they can to follow your instructions.
Use An Incentive
While your dog might love to leap over a jump or scamper through a tunnel, dog weave poles can be confusing. Fortunately, dogs respond well to a variety of incentives. You might use a toy or a treat to help guide your pooch through the poles. Treats can be a huge motivator, and the weaves are definitely a great time for treats. Just keep them tiny so the dog isn’t too full to concentrate on your training.
Start With Just Two Weaves
Initially, you might set up weaves and have your dog walk through them on a leash, with you gently guiding them. But you also can just start out slowly and teach two weave poles, then add two more and add more until your dog really grasps the concept.
Consider Guide Wires
Guide wires are just one of the handy dog agility training tools we sell here at Carlson Agility. These can make it much easier for dogs to understand where to exit and enter the weaves and keep them on track. Once your dog has mastered the concept, you can remove the guide wires and see how it goes.
Celebrate Your Successes
Once your dog has grasped the general idea and can manage to get through the weaves successfully, it’s time to stop rewarding them unless they really make a clean run. When they do complete a fast, clean run through the weaves, lavish the praise on them and celebrate like this is the greatest moment in the world. When they do a so-so job, you don’t have to be harsh with criticism; just don’t break out the champagne. Just try it again and reward heavily when weaves are completed successfully.
Don’t Think Too Far Ahead
If you find that your dog has been doing a great job with weaves, but suddenly seems to kind of foul up with the last few poles, it might not be a weave issue, it might be a handler issue. One common mistake handlers make is signaling the next step or the next command a bit too soon and the dog kind of gets off track. So, just hold back for a second, let your dog finish the weaves and then give the next command.
Weaves can be tricky during competition, and handlers can be distracting. It’s wise to guide them into the weaves and then get out of the way so that their eyes aren’t drawn away from the task at hand. If your dog was doing weaves well, but seems to be regressing, it can be smart to have someone take a video of your course runs and see if you can identify the problems, especially if they are handler-related.
You can search the internet and find tons of tips for dog weave poles, and it quickly will become apparent that there is no one-size-fits-all solution to weaves or dog agility equipment in general. While there are definitely some tried-and-true techniques, whatever works for you and your dog, is the route you should take.
If you need dog weave poles, guide wires or any other type of dog agility equipment, take a look at our selection. We should have just about anything you could possibly need to help build your agility course. If you have any questions about our weaves or other equipment, don’t hesitate to send us an email at any time.
