| Getting Started | + |
| Lesson 1 |
Introduction |
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| Lesson 2 |
Age Considerations |
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| Tunnel | + |
| Lesson 1 |
Introducing Circular Objects |
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| Lesson 2 |
Tunnel Foundation (with Shaping) |
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| Lesson 3 |
Tunnel Foundation (with Cues) |
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| Lesson 4 |
Adding Angled Approaches |
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| Lesson 5 |
Generalizing the Tunnel |
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| Lesson 6 |
Transitioning from Straight to Curved Tunnels |
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| Lesson 7 |
Additional Tunnel Resources |
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| Tire | + |
| Lesson 1 |
Introducing Circular Objects |
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| Lesson 2 |
Introducing the Tire |
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| Table | + |
| Lesson 1 |
Table Foundation |
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| Lesson 2 |
Introducing the Table |
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| Lesson 3 |
Proofing the Table |
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| Jumps | + |
| Lesson 1 |
Introduction to Jumping |
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| Lesson 2 |
Circling a Cone |
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| Lesson 3 |
Circling a Wing/Jump |
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| Lesson 4 |
Offered Arc Jumping |
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| Lesson 5 |
Raising the Height |
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| Lesson 6 |
Lured Wraps |
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| Lesson 7 |
Set Point |
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| Lesson 8 |
Jump Grids |
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| Teeter | + |
| Lesson 1 |
Foundation: Buja Board |
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| Lesson 2 |
Foundation: Bang Game |
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| Lesson 3 |
Jungle Gym Teeter |
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| Lesson 4 |
TipAssist/TeachIt Overview |
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| Lesson 5 |
First Sessions with TipAssist |
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| Aframe | + |
| Lesson 1 |
Stopped or Running? |
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| Lesson 2 |
Box Method |
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| Lesson 3 |
Box Method - Where to Get Your Box |
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| Lesson 4 |
Box Method - Introducing the Box |
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| Lesson 5 |
Box Method - Introducing the Verbal Cue and Remote Treat |
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| Lesson 6 |
Introduction to the Aframe |
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| Lesson 7 |
Box Method - Adding the Box to the Aframe |
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| Lesson 8 |
Box Method - Flattening the Box on the Aframe |
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| Lesson 9 |
Box Method - Adding Speed |
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| Lesson 10 |
Contacts Proofing |
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| Weaves | - |
| Lesson 1 |
Weave Diaries |
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| Lesson 2 |
Weave Diaries Continued |
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| Lesson 3 |
Introducing Your Dog to Weave Pole Guides |
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| Lesson 4 |
Weave Proofing |
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| Lesson 5 |
Skittles Weave Diary (2025) |
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| Dogwalk | + |
| Lesson 1 |
Stopped or Running? |
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| Lesson 2 |
Introducing the 2o2o Position |
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| Lesson 3 |
Adding Proofing to the 2o2o Position |
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| Lesson 4 |
Adding Motion and Adding a Verbal |
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| Lesson 5 |
Introducing the Dogwalk |
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| Lesson 6 |
Contacts Proofing |
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| Start Line Stays | + |
| Lesson 1 |
Best BDA SLS Resources |
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Hi Jennifer. I have been following your videos but as I don’t have a yard so need to train in parks etc, I’ve only been doing on average a couple of sessions a day so it’s taken us a lot longer to get to Day 8/9. Before I progress to completely straightening I want to understand whether I focus more on speed? My dog likes the MM but I know from our RC training that she has a lot more drive with a toy. I have used a long chase tug which I’ve dragged along the ground for a couple of sessions but conscious that I want forward focus and don’t want to risk her looking up or back at me. I’d like to be able to leave the toy on the ground but suspect that I will lose the accuracy. What is your recommendation and do you think I start adding in the jumps now? I have done a couple of sessions getting her to wrap a cone (placed at different angles) before finding just the entry (two straight poles) and she did very well at that. Seems to have a good understanding of entering with her left shoulder. Here is our last session. I realise I am repeating the cue too much so will try to avoid this going forward. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m9hkZmn3-fQ
Your progress looks great in this video! I would definitely say now is an appropriate time to work on some speed and drive knowing you can always retune back to the entry work.
Feedback: https://link.getonform.com/view?id=uWaKMsWKhDtzSk5lhGDq
I trained my last 3 dogs (two shelties and an Irish setter) with this method, but when I added the other 2×2’s I put then in a straight line about 10′ apart to start with. They all have great weaves.
There are lots of adjustments that can be made with 2x2s which is a big part of why I like this teaching system; it can be adjusted to work for what is best with each dog. I admit that every dogs I’ve done progresses a bit different regarding the steps I take. I’m glad that 2x2s have worked so well for you dogs 🙂
I just wanted to say this 2 x 2 method is amazing! I have been taking agility classes with my Sheltie for 8 months and the weave poles have been a bit of a struggle.
I did this method and just 2 minutes at a time (5 times a day). Carly had 6 down in a week! I am truly amazed! Then it was easy to add the other 6. She truly gets it now! We will now work on speed!
Wonderful!!! It is my favorite method. But it takes a good trainer. So kudos to you!
Thank you, Sarah. Carly was doing really well with the weaves in isolation however, in class as part of the course, it all falls apart. I am going to see if I can get a video so I can get some feedback.
Yes please! I will also say that I think people add proofing too late, so if it’s going well at home, make sure you add some distraction proofing. That will help solidify the behavior “under stress” so that it will hold up in other locations:
https://baddogagilityacademy.com/extreme-weave-challenges-with-6-poles/
https://baddogagilityacademy.com/weave-challenges/
I thought I’d submit this since I saw Nimbus hit his shoulder coming out of the last pole. Second time looked better, but he does like to “jump” out of the last pole. *I just added 12 poles last week for the first time since his accident, should I work up to 12 like when I first trained them or add guide wires if he is having issues? https://youtu.be/1fysdGGuGmw
In this video, the only reason he appears to be jumping out of the last pole and hitting his shoulder is because you are behind. I think had you been ahead and cueing the next obstacle a bit sooner, you’d be fine. Honestly, I wouldn’t have even noticed it has you not brought it to my attention.
As for going to 12, I see no reason to change up what you’ve done in the past. If he needs wires I’m not opposed, but that is not usually my go-to method. I would work up to 12 like you did before (2×2 progression) and only add wires on an as-needed basis.
Hi Jenn. So Blue has been doing great with 6 closed poles. We have started to work outside and have been doing around the clock entries (9-3) both sides and from 10-20ft all very good. But today I introduced a jump before the poles and it all fell apart. It took him 2-3 times to find the entry (the jump was off to the side). So I don’t want to continue with so many failures. Do you have any recommendations on adding a jump before the poles; i.e. when is dog ready for that or where to put the jump etc. Thank you very much: this video series was a great tool!
Chaining can be somewhat complicated and often hard so what you are experiencing isn’t uncommon. I might suggest that you add a different performance before the weaves and building the chain in an easier way. For example, have him on the table and then send into the six weaves. Or, send around a wing into the weaves without the complication of a jump. Also, if the jump is set up such that you were asking for extension then you were putting the dogs weight on the forehand making the weave entry harder. If you send around a wing or barrel the dog is going to be more collected and weight shift onto the rear which should make things easier. Maybe even try a tunnel to the weaves, although that is commonly more difficult.
It’s also important that you can do the weaves with that much distance and speed that the jump would present without the jump being there. A lot of times people dog train changing multiple variables and that is not good science. Meaning, they would both add a jump and put the distance further from the weave poles than dog has ever seen. Make sure he can run at the weave poles from 30 feet away before you put the jump 15 feet away. Then the 30 foot distance doesn’t change and the jump is the only variable. Does that makes sense?
I did not realize about the multiple variables. I will try the wing wrap and the 30′ distance with 15′ distant jump down the road. Great info and thanks!
Excellent! And feel free to post videos for us to take a look. I might see something different that I could give feedback on as well.
Hi Jenn, here are 3 videos from this week. I noticed today outside that he now stops to look at me. Maybe due to my motion or lack of (I should run alongside?). I am trying him just going through the uprights before adding the jump bar. Also, I don’t have quite enough space to go out 30′ but am out at least 20. Thanks for your advice!
https://youtu.be/peEMlltX53U
https://youtu.be/GXzBSi2P-fU
https://youtu.be/BuZNE3sUeI8
In videos one and two I do think your lack of natural motion towards the weave poles probably contributed to some of the decreased speed and head checking. At this point, I think you can handle however you would naturally handle the weave poles if you saw them in a sequence or course. By now you’re at six straight up and down pole so they kind of become a more polished obstacles than a training obstacle. One concern I have is about your lack of marker word to indicate the release to the treat at the end. Because you are giving a generic “yes” verbal, my concern is anytime you say that on a sequence or course your dog is going to expect reinforcement. When you then don’t follow up with reinforcement, you’re immediately going to build in stress. Do you think you can put the release to the training plate on command? Have you taken a look at the forward focus content in the foundation category? This might be a good tool for you to help build more forward focus.
Thank you! I will check out the forward focus content. I didn’t realize that the “yes” may be interpreted by him as a release. I will clean up that discrepancy. Maybe there is no need to say anything? I have used “get it” to send him to a target but I will check out that instruction before I decide on that.
That was it I think Jenn. Motivation! Here he is with a toy and he speeded up!
https://youtu.be/P0IJtUh_T0I
Speed here looks great! You might even have to adjust your distance so you can drive ahead/ throw the toy forward more. The boxes limit your exit distance and I don’t want him to start pulling up/ slowing down because he feel the pressure from the space.
Your spacing on the weaves looks great too! More reps like this with the toy! Well done!
Great tips. Thanks!
I notice that Vento really drives through the weaves but my dog just trots sort of. Not driving. So then I noticed that Jen is praising Vento as he is in the weaves and I thought that may make a difference but once I started that my dog now stops in the middle and looks at me? Why on earth is he doing that suddenly. ( I do not have any food on my body)
What are you using as a reinforcement at the end? Make sure you have something he REALLY likes. Vento loves the TNT. In general, I don’t advise a bunch of chatter/talking while the dog is weaving. I didn’t even know I was doing it 😉 So it is not a conscious thing to increase speed. Also, you might want to keep the weaves open a bit longer to promote speed. Do you have any video of your training sessions we could look at?
Ok, I’ll stop the chatter. Using random boiled chicken and roast beef pieces and he had not eaten today prior to this training. In the clip he slows and looks at me. Prior to that he stopped completely. We are in a tight space due to 2 ft. of snow on Sat. Thanks!
https://youtu.be/_oDPLKCMCv4
He is definitely better with the toy than the food even when he is hungry. I also think there is a big problem with the “yes” that is being said as he weaves. Based on on how he looks at you when you say it expecting food, I bet this has become an unintentional marker. Do you typically use “yes” to mark behaviors? I would stoping saying it as he weaves. Also, do you have access to a TNT? If not, I might consider teaching him a target/dish behavior to keep him looking and driving forward.
Thanks for the feedback on Nimbus’s 6 poles straight. The end of your feedback was cut off, not sure what you wanted me to do. He did 12 for the first time yesterday. https://youtu.be/OG4KsyQF2M8
Hmmm, odd the feedback cut off. I’ll look into that.
Since Nimbus has the general idea of weaving now, when transitioning to 12 poles I would open them up to channels to promote speed and allow him to work on this rhythm. In this video you can see he knows what to do but is thinking REALLY hard about it. Open up all 12 and work on the entries and speed/drive though the poles. Don’t be in a rush to straighten them up.
Thank you for clarifying the “yes” and using different marker words, very helpful. I am going to have to retrain myself!!! Here are our weaves, yesterday was Nimbus’s first time with all six poles straight. https://youtu.be/Dw_4Bz7IfJ0
Fantastic progress!! As I mentioned on FB, time to focus a bit of footwork.
Feedback: https://youtu.be/U6q1Ov5_c58
Day 6, just added poles 5&6. https://youtu.be/1rx8MIJX1Hg
Weave poles are looking good! Soon I would switch them over to grass so that you can get a bit more digging in and speed without worrying about his pads on the driveway. I don’t want him to go slow because of surface.
I would absolutely be thinking about what you’re doing with regard to your marker at the end of the poles marking his success. You are consistently saying “yes” or “yay” and throwing a treat which is fine if that is your tossed food marker but it’s going to be very important that you absolutely do not use that word at the completion of the weave poles when he begins trialing. That could be a hard habit and I want you to be aware of it now so that we have time to make the adjustment if necessary.
About saying “yes” at the end, what am I supposed to do? I hear you saying yes?
You should be saying whatever your food on floor marker is. You hear me saying “yes” but only after the beep from the TNT. The beep is the marker. “Yes” means absolutely nothing to my dogs. I just caution you to using a word that might accidentally be said in the ring in a way that makes him think he is getting paid. Maybe check out the markers podcast and demo video for more marker info.
https://baddogagilityacademy.com/markers-demo/
I have Bolo on 4 poles of weaves. When I tried to add 5 and 6 he started to have a high failure rate on Pole 3. So anyway I have backed down to 4 poles again and his success rate is pretty good. Should I continue with 4 poles to build understanding or try something a little different. I brought 5&6 initially in at perhaps 6 feet away, but the closer they got to 1 through 4, the worse his performance became.
https://youtu.be/g86JxjoKdGo
Hi Marty! This here looks good. Without seeing the failures you were describing, I would go to three sets (6 poles) but all three sets open to 1 and 7. Basically, create a small channel. Don’t have the middle set straight so you can minimize the risk of him have difficulty there.
Ok. Here is our work with 6 poles in the 1 and 7 positions. I think he is a little sensitive to my motion. If I run with him I think he hurries and make mistakes. On the bright side a neighbor driving by and honking didn’t bother him a bit.
https://youtu.be/BTDdmN06Gxc
Good work!
https://youtu.be/2s5uphcEjdE
After pretty good success with 6 poles we have moved to 12, but in this particular sequence I think we had all the failures! Missed entry, popped early, failure to collect. Would you suggest going back to 6 with more proofing work? It looks to me like on his successful attempt his speed was pretty good.
https://youtu.be/YYaLB8pX44M
This is where you need a bit of “debugging”. I would try taking away the second half of the weaves so it’s just 6 and trying to same sequence to see if he gets the entry.
In terms of working 12 poles in general (if you’re struggling to make the leap from 6 to 12), I like to set up 6 – gap – 6: https://baddogagility.com/the-last-inch-closing-the-weave-poles/
In this article, I do the first 6 offset and the second 6 inline, but you could do both inline if it’s not the closing that is hard but the number of poles.
I second everything that Sarah said. For this sequence/video, once he missed the entry I would have pulled the second set of weaves away and just worked on the entry. You were dealing with a couple variables and always best to separate them. Once you got a few good entries that you were able to reward, then I’d go back to 12.
Jenn, how does this spacing look for Myles as far as the width of the channel?
https://youtu.be/63mz8lEQzdE
They might be a bit too wide.
https://youtu.be/xrS3fQpxSuA