World Record Weavers

The current confirmed Guinness world record is held by a Border Collie named Mayhem, owned by Chris Parker of New Jersey who achieved a time of 9.54 seconds (60 poles) on August 20, 2000 at an event held by the Jersey Agility Association of Central New Jersey. Mayhem was 19 months old at the time.
NOTE: Before Mayhem ran, Chris's 4-year-old Golden Retriever, Cajun, stopped the clock at 11.04 seconds (60 poles) to break the then existing world record.
The previous confirmed world record was held by a Border Collie named Jazz, owned by Lita Jansen of Cape Province Dog Club, who achieved a time of 12.98 seconds (60 poles) on December 4, 1999 in George, South Africa.

Since writing my original weave training article in Clean Run Magazine in 2000, I have modified my program greatly. I have found that using a combination of Weave-A-Matic, channel set, 2x2, 3x3, 4x4, free shaping and wire guides produces the best independent weaving performances. My program now includes all of these methods combined together to produce a smooth, effortless weaving style that is safe on the dog’s body.

8 Weeks of age: I introduce 2x2’s to teach entries. But I do not tighten the poles up until the dog’s growth plates are closed.
5-8 Months: I free shape 4 standard competition poles (upright) from a recall position. I don’t ask for speed or drive into the poles, I just shape the dog to move in-between them and I don’t train it very often, just enough to get the idea to the dog of going in-between the poles.
5-8 Months: I introduce Weave-A-Matic s to teach the dog footwork. The poles are left open so as to not tax young dogs bodies. I am only concerned with teaching the dog how to use his body. The most I tighten the poles is up to approximately 2 inches off center and only after the dog is over 10-12 months of age.
5-8 Months: I introduce channel weaves (no wires) to teach the dogs to bend at the rib. I am only concerned with teaching the dog how to use his body. The most I tighten the poles is up to approximately 2 inches off center and only after the dog is over 10-12 months of age.
Once the dogs’ growth plates are closed I can teach the final pole performance. I mark my calendar and set a goal to have the dog weaving straight up poles, with entries from 45 degrees, to and from an obstacle, within 4 weeks at most. I focus only on poles for those weeks, and make them my top training priority. I practice 3-5 times a day 5-7 days a week for 2-5 minute sessions, using toys and/or food as a reward (mix it up). I train in different locations around and in the house, on different sets of poles.
I make sure I am always setting the dog up in different locations, close and far from the poles and off center.
I gradually close the offset on my Weave-A-Matic and channel set poles and continue to work angled entries.
Once dog can weave 12 poles straight up I introduce 3x3 and 4x4 to train and develop the dogs ability to safely “wrap” pole 2 to 3. I conteinue to work angled entries.
I will add wire guides to straight up poles only if there is a continued issue with the dog not rocking his weight back on entries and missing the entries and/or 2nd to 3rd pole “wrap”.

I have to date successfully trained my own dogs to weave (after the foundation training is done) in as little as 7 days using this program. Many of my students have had similar success finishing their dogs weave training in 14-21 days. The secret is in the foundation training the dogs received starting at 6 months of age, learning how to use their feet and bodies to weave the poles with the most efficient style possible.

Both of my dogs that broke the world record were trained from the ground up with the WAM method. Some of my dogs in the past were trained with the channel/chute method, but for me, using the channel method alone created "hoppers" -- dogs that put two feet on each side of the poles and hop back and forth through them, in effect weaving around the poles.

Not that there is anything wrong with dogs hopping through the poles; it's just not the way I want my dogs to weave. I am sure there are plenty of people who have trained dogs to single track (one foot on each side of each pole) with channels/chutes, I just haven't had any success in achieving single tracking with channels/chutes with my own dogs or my students dogs.

NOTE: Short backed and some small dogs tend to hop no matter what method is used for weave pole training.

My overall goal in teaching weave poles is for dogs to weave through the poles, not around them. I want the dog to keep a very tight, fast, and efficient line through the poles, and to find and keep a rhythm with his footwork all the way through without breaking stride.

I introduce the dog to the poles completely open. I work the dogs from a recall position. I will walk beside the dog and build up to a run but most of the work I do is from a recall. I use a helper to hold the dog in front of the poles if I don't have a reliable wait or stay. I stand in the line of poles, straddling the base. I start by standing between poles 1 and 2 and calling the dog. Once the dog is entering the poles successfully, he gets a food treat for coming to me. I prefer to use food over a toy because the food is self-extinguishing once the dog eats the food it is gone. Toy rewards tend to linger too long for my liking in this situation.

NOTE: I do not move backward through the poles while the dog is weaving. I have the dog weave to me, and then I give him his motivator directly in front of me. I then replace him in a sit in front of the poles. I go back and straddle the poles at a point one pole farther back and recall him to me again. I continue to move back one pole at a time until the dog can do 12-15 poles successfully.

I hold a motivator so that it's exactly level with the dog's head and centered in the poles. With the motivator at this height, I am encouraging the dog to hold his top line flat with his head, neck, and shoulders level. This will help the dog to use his head and shoulders to push the poles aside. Dogs don't tend to hop when they are leading with their noses, so it's more likely that you'll end up with a single-tracking dog that drives forward and pushes through the poles.

Sometimes I have to hold the motivator in front of where I am standing to get the dog to weave through the poles and not just come straight to me without weaving. Usually, I can reach out three poles toward the dog. I hold the motivator between the angled poles so that as the dog weaves toward me, I can pull it straight back through the poles in the same direction I want the dog to weave. As I pull the motivator toward me, I keep it just a bit ahead of the dog. I do not weave the motivator back and forth between the poles in big, arcing, side-to-side moves; I pull it to me in a straight line.

When the dog gets to the motivator (and me), he is released. I do not step out of the poles at any time to deliver is motivator.

NOTE: You need to keep your body very still (no side-to-side movement) when you teach from a recall position; otherwise, the dog loses his focus on the poles and starts to look at you. Obviously, if you are holding the motivator out toward the dog, you will be leaning forward and then straightening to an upright position; this is okay -- it's the side-to-side "weave dance" that you need to avoid. If you train alone, videotape yourself.

Another thing that works at this point to encourage single tracking is to attach a leash and buckle collar to the dog. Have someone hold the leash from behind the dog, keeping a little bit of pressure on the leash -- in effect making the dog pull a bit. I haven't had to do this with my dogs, but I have seen it done. It works well for dogs that are structurally capable of single tracking but are finding it hard to get the rhythm.

And yes, at first, some dogs focus on the motivator and not the poles. But they'll quickly get the idea to keep their focus on the poles. If a dog misses a pole, I just start over with a "Nice try, let go try it again". When the dog succeeds a few times and gets his motivator, he catches on quickly.

Once the dog gains confidence and understanding and is doing a recall through the entire set of poles, I slowly start to move the poles to an upright position (starting at the center of the poles and working out toward the entry and exit poles). When gauging confidence and understanding in the dog, I am looking for the dog to move through the poles with rhythm and/or start trying to jump through the poles to get to me. Usually I get the poles to about 6 inches off center (centered meaning straight up) within the first few training sessions.

Every time I raise the poles a quarter of an inch toward straight, I go back to how I introduced the dog to the poles -- I stand between poles 1 and 2, holding the motivator in front of me, and call the dog. Once the dog is entering the poles successfully, I work my way backward through the poles again, moving back one pole at a time.

When I get to the point where the poles are 1-2 inches off center, I leave them here for about four weeks. This is the point in training where I want to build muscle and rhythm memory. I also work all of my angled entries at this time so that when the poles reach full, upright position the dog is already experienced with angled entries.

Once the poles are straight up and my dog is weaving successfully from angled entries, I start working send-aways through the poles. I put the motivator on a chair (or something that will put it at the head height of the dog), and send the dog through the poles to it. I like to use a toy or food in a container at this point so that if the dog pulls out of the poles he can't be rewarded until I open the container.

In the final polishing stage, I start moving beside the dog while he is in the poles. I work to find a lateral distance from the dog within his comfort zone. Each dog has a different comfort zone where he wants his handler to be while he is weaving, and I work hard to find that zone. Usually, I find that keeping my body even with the dog's shoulder or hip and focusing on the pole ahead of him works best (though one of my dogs likes me to run to the end, face him, and wait from him to weave to me). I add jumps before and after the weave poles, and do other types of sequencing with the poles at this time.

When entry problems, exit problems, or other weaving problems that arise (and they will), I just bend out an appropriate pole here or there and work out the problem.

Please note that I did not train my dogs to "just weave;" I trained them to weave FAST and, of course, to weave accurately. This is what is important to me. So my method of teaching the poles is not for everyone, but it's worked for me with multiple dogs, and it has worked for most of my students' dogs. Both of my dogs that broke the world record, learned to weave in about five weeks. The Golden started training weaves at about 12 months, and the BC started training at about 6 months.

I use this method with all of my student’s dogs, whether or not they are built to single track (short backed, small, etc.) I find that it produces fast weavers. Whatever rhythm the dogs find comfortable, they weave with speed, accuracy, and happy attitudes, which is the most important aspect of any method I use.