Maya is getting very good at the weaves. The teacher in class decided a few classes ago that her, and Cody a golden retriever in class, are ready for the weaves to be straight up, instead of at angles (the weaveamatic style of training) like she's been doing for quite awhile now.
The problem is we usually do the weaves most of the time with the dog on my left side, me on the right side of the weaves on the side they enter the weaves from. Maya does fine on this side and usually aces the weaves, but the class last week the course had us work on the left side of the weaves and the dog has to enter on the right side. Well, Maya and the golden retriever were totally lost on the other side and really didn't get it. I told the teacher that we don't usually work from the left side of the weaves, so the dogs haven't really practiced it. I finally broke down and bought a set of 12 weaveamatic style pvc made weaves from our instructor who makes and sells agility equipment and has her own website. I got them pretty cheap compared to what I seen on the web. Now I can finally work on the weaves on both sides with Maya and hopefully get her use to running them with me on the left side of them. Do any of your labs have problems running the weaves with you on the left side of the poles or opposite of what you usually run them?

We have changed our philosophy on weaves and now always have them straight up - with guide bars for the beginners. They seem to learn much faster that way. Wellie still has some trouble with them, but not, I think, because he doesn't know how to do them - he just gets really excited and I sometimes can't get him to focus on the entrance. He does sometimes have a problem witht he tunnel curving away to the left instead of to the right.

Great to be practicing at home!

When Jill first started weaves we learned with the poles straight up, without guide bars or wires. I basically lured her through the weaves. We've been working both sides of the weaves since the beginning, so Jill is comfortable with me on either side. She still blows entries sometimes but it's usually because she's too excited, or sometimes I think she just doesn't see them. If the weaves are white and are set up with a white ring gate or wall, she tends to miss the entry.

Practice at home is GREAT!! Jill's weaves got much better when we practiced a few times a week at home, instead of just once a week in class. Have fun!

We tried the guide wires with the poles straight up last summer in the beginning of Maya's agility training. Most of the large dogs got confused by them and tried to jump over the wires. So that really didn't work for them. When we put them at angles they caught on much quicker.

Practicing at home will make a BIG difference! I try to go out 3 or 4 times a week for 5-10 minutes and just work on weave pole entry. It's really paying off. I think you will find after a week or two of practicing Maya will get the hang of it.

Tanner and Duncan were both confused and tried to jump the guide wires as well. Our trainer started us on "channeling them." It starts out with the poles apart from each other so that there is a channel down the middle. (It's hard to explain, but they are straight up, not at an angle.) This teaches drive and speed. Each time you practice you slowly move the poles closer together. I've done this from the start with Duncan and he is amazing with the weave poles.

Gail,
Yeah, we also tried the channeling method in class, but Maya totally didn't get that method either. She didn't quite get the walking the straight line down the middle of the poles. The only one that seemed to work for her was the weavamatic style with the poles at angles.
I've been working with her once a day since Tuesday and she has already started to get working with me on both sides of the weaves. She now doesn't have any problems running them with me on the left side of the weaves. I'm so glad I bought the set for at home, it's really helped tremendously. Today she did both sides many times with the poles straight up and she's making her entry great with me on the left side.

Zeke started on the channel method, but it just doesn't work for him. I was given a normal straight set of weave poles and now I just motion with my hands and pretend to weave my hand through and Zeke follows right along perfectly. Idealy I suppose he would be able to weave by himself, but we aren't there yet.

I work both sides - alternating during class as the outdoors ones are usually set up to almost have to go from either side with regards to the previous or next obsticle.

But Keno is slower in getting the hang of them. One of these days she will just go thru them without me being right by her every step. I still have to use the treat to coax her.

Practicing at home will make a BIG difference! I try to go out 3 or 4 times a week for 5-10 minutes and just work on weave pole entry. It's really paying off. I think you will find after a week or two of practicing Maya will get the hang of it.

Tanner and Duncan were both confused and tried to jump the guide wires as well. Our trainer started us on "channeling them." It starts out with the poles apart from each other so that there is a channel down the middle. (It's hard to explain, but they are straight up, not at an angle.) This teaches drive and speed. Each time you practice you slowly move the poles closer together. I've done this from the start with Duncan and he is amazing with the weave poles.

I tried this with my Cocoa and she STILL tries to plow down the channel--I think she just don't like weaves. We've cut them out for her--we don't compete. It's only a training exercise to teach the dogs to focus on the handler and not on everything going on around them.

I raise & train service animals for the disabled so the animal really needs to focus on the handler.