yes H you are useing competition weaves...not training weaves

I agree with tupac and think channels are the only way to go. The dogs barely notice when they are brought in slowly and are generally quick and accurate. I also think they encourage the dog to weave with a more natural body position ie head neither up nor down which keeps their spines more even. Looks like a great venue I'm quite jealous!

Sounds like you had great fun
It takes a while to get the hang of things and weaves do take the longest - Ben took about 8 months and Mia still needs a little help after 18 months (but thats due to me not being able to practise in the garden cos of my neighbour)
Channel weaves can be good, but we didnt have the time in once a week class - and I like cos I lured then I still have to opion to direct if things go wrong in a show

anyway, glad you are having fun I never had to jump the jumps - just chucked the ball over, then pretended to chuck the ball and v soon they figured out to run beside me but jumping the jumps
I love watching people jump them my trainer when she is judging at shows always anounces that only the dog is to do the jumps

Thanks for those links Tupac, most interesting, BUT, I cannot for the life of me fathom out how the bladdy dog gets through that 2nd one, with the pole laying half down like that then????? Do they jump them then?? Or do they walk inbetween them so they go inbetween at a much wider shape?? OMG, I never knew anything like that existed, just goes to show how much I know about this agility equipment!!!

I like the ones in the first link and the fact that there are two side by side, would make it easier for the dog? Oh I'm gonna have to ask about all of this now when I go next week, I hate not knowing about something and I tried Googling after you posted about it!

Either way, when I take Zena through I'm standing just like that woman the side I let her go through, then I'm just holding the lead BEHIND her as she goes through each one following my hand with that other vital piece of equipment (that cheese! lol!) So I'm never pushing and pulling, and as the trainer said from the start "let the dog do the work, not you" when I held the cheese too low. I was just curious as to why I had to have her onlead really, coz it only gets in the way, it's always dangling behind her, I'm all of a muddle coz I'm using a training lead (thought that was best to start off with coz of those jumps etc.) it's too long, and she'd be quite better off without it, but we'll wait and see on that one coz I think next week we'll be doing all offlead.

If I threw a toy to the end, she'd just come straight out of the weave I do know that, coz she's already going UNDER the jump when I stupidly crouched down after the 2nd jump to call her to me from the 1st one!

Thanks for your input jfk I'm definitely going to have to ask about this channel weaving, coz I thought that's what mine were Anything that makes life easier for my dog is going to be my wtg, plus me of course, I'm cream crackered now after this morning's lesson!

Thanks BenMc It's the best fun since sliced bread I can tell you that!!!

Those jumps. I get her to sit in front of the first, and wait, and I go to the middle, and then say Zena, over, and over she goes and heads straight for me, even though I'm running onto the 2nd one, bashing into the wing, moving my hand to guide her, and I'm not allowed to throw that ball (although that's what we did in the end!). She actually did them both FOR my trainer coz I kept upfront She said the trouble with Zena is, she's totally focussed on MY body language and although that will be a good thing eventually, it's not a good thing at the moment! Do you know what has amazed me the most so far, and what I've got the most out of with my 3 lessons?? The fact that in all her excitement, she sits so beautifully in front of that 1st jump, she waits so patiently staring at me, whilst I have a quick word with the trainer, I'm standing well away from her inbetween both jumps and she doesn't move a muscle until I say her name and over!!! I could never in a million years have got such a result in dog training with all those other dogs lungeing at her, and if I get nothing else out of this, at least I'll be able to enter an obedience class in a local show! Lol! What about her twirls on the bain of my life then, that bladdy A-frame then!!!! Looking back, I think I actually shoved her up the backside when she got "stuck" digging her claws in 2/3rd of the way up when she starting twirling lol! Apparently, all of that was again MY fault, because when she first started veering off for that ball, the trainer said I gave her nothing, NO instructions to go on, but then of course, I was frozen!!!! Thank God my brain kicked into gear as I sent her up hey!!!!

Oh Lordy this is going to get, hmmmm, interesting!!!! I've gotta get somebody to come with me with my camera haven't I, if only to give us all a good laugh!!!

I started with V weaves (see pic)

Flipping heck H you've exhausted me just reading all this

Sounds like Zena is a 'natural' for this agility thing and it must be good for her (mental and physical stimulation)

Thanks for the update, hope you don't do yourself an injury running up and down those A frames (I thought only the dog went on them I didn't realise the trainner has to do them as well

Anyway, I don't think I could do that (Even if we had some courses here, which we don't) especially after doing my leg in last year.

Oh thanks a million for posting me up a pic of how they actually work, coz it really baffled me (but that doesn't take much does it!). Oh, I much prefer those, it looks so much easier for the dog, I'm going to have to ask her about those ones next time!

Lol H, you think I've worn YOU out, imagine how I'm feeling!!!! Have you read all 3 of these now then??? Blooming 'eck H, of course I don't go up that A-frame I'm just standing close at the side whilst Zena zooms up and down it!!! I had to do those jumps though, coz the only way she will do both, is when she's sitting and waiting at the 1st jump and I'm actually standing behind the 2nd one, so she see's me, waits for my command and then comes zooming over both of them, BUT, when I stand in the middle she will only do the first jump and head straight towards me, no matter what I do, but of course, I'm mostly to blame, coz instead of actually looking at that 2nd jump myself, I'm more looking at her, so I bump into the wing of the 2nd jump and it's all downhill from there, but then of course, you know me so well!!!

I don't think you could ever have a hope in hell of doing this agility stuff if you didn't have an obedient dog to start off with, so if it teaches us nothing else, it helps with our training and gives Zena a great laugh, some mental stimulation like you say (which is supposed to wear her out I thought?????? ). It's such great fun, but I could never have done it before she was fully grown, I just couldn't have done that to her,but I think we'll be ok now I hope! I bet that put a tremendous strain on her when she lost her footing going up after that twirling about, she dug those nails in to get a grip and I had to shove her up the backside to give her a helping hand! lol!

Hi helena54

I'd be a bit careful with v weaves as you have a large dog,the smaller dogs do them no probs but I know a few people with big dogs who tend to just barge them out of the way with their shoulders causing knocking problems. Obviously this is just the opinion of some people on the circuit but if you look at these dogs closely when they weave quickly on ordinary weaves you can see their shoulders banging every pole. Just some food for thought.

OOh I'm gonna go back and look at clips of Len weaving now and see if he does that.

poles are and should made of plastic and with a little 'give' .....even if they knock slightly there should be no issue...my dogs do far worse out on walks..eta i have a big dog too....

... anyway can always go for channel to get the same finishing result