the class with only tunnels and jumps is called "up and under" and is held at Aylesbury. For Sol's third run I had a choice of power and speed or up and under and although he can get weaves perfectly in training I wasn't sure how he would be in the ring so I thought that a class without weaves would be better for him! As it happens I made the right choice as weaves are the "issue" at the moment and are very hit and miss in the ring although he is getting a lot better. At the moment he hasn't realised that weaves are fun although it is coming and he is much keener to do them than a few weeks ago. So far he hasn't missed a single contact in the ring and he has done exactly what I asked resulting in several E's that were entirely down to me. Some of his best runs have been E's, he was E'd at Dordale due to going on and doing an extra couple of jumps when he should have turned right, is that a bad thing? After watching a lot of young dogs that don't do more than 2 jumps without coming back and barking, the fact that Sol can do 5 in a row without me no problem is definitely not a bad thing!

I have never been able to do Aylesbury but I will have to try sooner or later cos my Silk would love that class - she wouldnt necessarily do them in the right order but she`d have a whale of a time

Heh, I know the feeling - I know many other handlers too who breath a sigh of relief walking a course and seeing no weaves out

As far as I`m concerned, and what I drum into students is, there are no real errors, only learning opportunities :smt003
[ Thats my excuse and I`m sticking to it ! ]

There ya go :smt005

Well I don't think that I will need to worry for long, Deef is obsessed with weaves, he thinks they are the best thing ever and all the signs are that sol is heading the same way. I know so many dogs that are not that keen because the handlers got cross with them for getting them wrong so I have always been really careful to make them fun. Deef went through a variety of methods with weaves, he missed entries, he skipped last poles and he got the entry, did two poles and then ran alongside them wiggling his bum until 2 from the end and then he would do those and he thought that was ok The funniest one to watch (so I am told) was the "get the entry flat out and hit second pole so hard that you bounce out and fall in heap on the floor and then just get up and go back in at the first pole you see" method. He never went back in at the right pole and I never took him back cos I always thought that as he was trying so hard to get it right there was no point. He has cracking weaves now, runs on his hind legs and just paddles with his front feet, sometimes he is weaving two legged! I think Sol will probably do most of the same things, not bothered, as long as he is enjoying them. Weaves are the silliest thing from the dogs point of view, why go through when you can go past much quicker? A lot of people seem to forget they have to give them a good reason to do them

errm, well, actually, he has already had several E's for going on and doing extra jumps when he should be turning right/left but at least he goes! The result I believe of lots of straight lines when he first started training, this and his weave training was all I did in the paddock away from my proper lessons. Dead boring but it does pay off in the end!

Great pics of your dogs enjoying themselves.

Hopefully more people will post their action shots as well, at shows and at training, the more the merrier