Trial Spectator, Class, & Weaves

There's a question in here! Scroll to the bottom if you don't want to read my ramblings, LOL.

This weekend was a local agility trial. Auggie and I both went as spectators/cheering section since it was outdoors, and had a good time. I didn't get to see his gramma or dad run, but his breeder did run his uncle (dad's brother), and I also saw both of his half-brothers. I learned a LOT just watching, and even surprised myself with some of the knowledge I had (I spotted a challenge on the open standard course sitting on the sidelines, whereas many of the handlers who got to actually walk the course didn't notice - sure enough, it was a real problem for several dogs because the handlers weren't ready for it.) I also got to see some things in action to solidify some ideas and brainstorm on a few more.
I decided a 2o2o behaviour was a must and started working on it ("touch!") Monday; Auggie got it almost right away. Super exciting! I don't have any contact obstacles built yet so we're just doing it on garden retaining walls, stairs, rocks, just about anything to provide a step down; I'm going to build a mini A-frame to start working on the rest of contact behaviour hopefully this weekend.

I took my last final yesterday, so tonight was Auggie's first agility class. I think everybody else has been in class twice (maybe three times?) by now so it was a tad strange coming in somewhat in the middle of things.
It's beginning agility, which Auggie may be a touch advanced for but it's great to get him just into the environment and used to working around other dogs. We tried the chute and weave poles tonight.

Chute = no problem. I was working Auggie and focused only on him, but my mom was sitting with the rest of the class... as I put Auggie into a sit-wait and led out, then released him to charge through the chute without hesitation, she told me everybody went "WOOOWWWW GOOD BOY!!!" like they'd never seen anything like it before, LOL. Well, I guess it helped that we went last, and everybody else was struggling and trying to push their dog into the chute and keep them there long enough to make it to the other end, so in comparison I guess it must be exciting.

I built myself a set of six weave poles, but I built them planning to use the guide wire method. In class we're doing the channel method (with the poles tilted out.) Auggie did not have problems with the channel method, and I have yet to make the guide wires so I haven't really been training the weaves yet... but (this is the question part of the post!) will it confuse him if we do one method at home and another in class? That's the last thing I want to do, especially on weaves that can be so challenging anyway... =P

Anyway, that's enough bragging on my puppy. => If I need to alter my weave poles I think I can manage it...

I have found it is easier and less confusing to the dog to stay with one method in the beginning that works. Now having said that, I have several different styles of weave poles and can use different methods if a dog doesn't seem to working well with one method. But my fav is channels.

One thing that made me wonder in your post was the statement of people pushing their dogs into the chute..........was the instructor there? were they allowing the dogs to be forced (yep that is what pushing is)?
First Rule on my agility field is we never push, pull or force a dog to do anything.
If your instructor is allowing this to happen, that would concern me. This is one of my pet peeves, especially considering I am always having dogs/handlers come to me AFTER they have been to another *trainer* in my area that trains by pushing, pulling and correcting. Of course this so called *trainer* has never competed in agility, never taken even one lesson, but they purchased some equipment and they are now training it. And with the predicted results. It then takes 2-3 times longer to train the dogs and their handlers the correct way.

Good luck
Lynn

Pushing is not the right word, sorry. => It was comedic attempts at getting dogs to go into a tunnel and NOT pop right back out to follow the trainer around to the end of the chute - not physical forcing.

Why would they do that with the chute? We had one person wait with the dog, and another at the end of the chute.. Open the chute call the dog through for a reward.. Do it again with it like half open.. If it's going well let it close and try again..

With weaves we were doing 2x2 in class, and trying to do it at home too. Trainers decided we weren't learning it fast enough so they started luring. Think for two weeks we lured in class and tried 2x2 at home and it then became a mess..

Cider was confused then.. So we lured in class and at home.. But she was fully watching me. So I took all but 2 poles away clicked for going through, built up to 3, then 4..

Did it on her own and we built up to doing 6 by herself. If we need 12 she sort of does 5 or 6 looks for guidance and I half lure now trying to get her to keep going. Still a work in progress here.

Because we don't do it that abruptly at all.
First she rolls up the chute and holds it so it's hardly a chute, more of a tunnel with a big soft chunk of fabric on the end. She slowly extends the chute fabric out until it's at full length. Then she starts holding the opening lower and lower so the dog becomes used to the feeling of the fabric against their back; then she begins dropping the chute at the very end so they gradually get used to the feeling of the "push" out of a chute.

Never saw your second post.. I was referring to your first one about pushing the dogs through the shoot. We posted at the same time.

You probably want to just use one method of training the weaves, especially since channels are generally preferable to guide wires as far as getting speed and motivation out of the dog. If you want to work on it at home you can use stick-in-the-ground poles and then start using the poles you made when he's doing straight poles in class.