SUMMARY: Boost's weaves are a disaster, and it's USDAA time again.
Yesterday's weaving practice fell apart. Boost couldn't make the slightly harder entries again. I dropped the number of poles to 4 so she wouldn't have to be doing a lot of weaves just to practice the entries. I'd been throwing the toy as a reward, but not quickly enough, so she was essentially doing a u-turn at the end to come back towards me. I worked on throwing the toy earlier to get her to go straight out of the weaves, and she started popping out.
Frustrating-- even if she made the entry, she was popping. Or she wasn't making the entry. I caught myself saying "No!" on more than one occasion on the pop-outs and finally stopped to do some very simple weaves (straight on entry with me running alongside) to have 3 successes in a row and stopped for the day.
I have to rethink this. Thought I was going back to basics but apparently I'm going back to screwing up the basics.
And it's agility this weekend, too, curses--feeling so unready.
However: It's USDAA out in Turlock, always a pleasant group of people, and the weather should be absolutely perfect. They're predicting rain for Monday, but until then, parrrrtay!
Only thing is, hmm, I was planning on sleeping overnight in MUTT MVR on site, but I'm reconsidering, looking at those overnight lows. Even with down and two dogs...brrrr...
Here in NY it's 20. I havent seen grass in weeks just snow. Trade ya!!!!
ReplyDeleteAre you using 4 straight poles? I like to use 2X2's to train enteries. Start with just the first two poles unti the dog gets the idea and then I go to 4 poles but with the first two at the open angle. Work around the clock. Then slowly close the anle of the first two poles. (I hope that is making sense).
ReplyDelete@Anon: OK, you're right! I occasionally keep a gratitude journal, and that could be one thing!
ReplyDelete@Diana: Boost had no trouble making the entry with just 2 poles when I've tried it this week, any angle, any position. Move it to 4, it's either been perfect or a problem. (I started her with susan garrett's 2x2s 5 years ago, then something wasn't working for me--don't remember what--and continued without the 2x2s.) I'm not sure I see the benefit of having the first two at an angle to the others if I'm working around the clock anyway.