Some questions to the NOVICEA mailing list:

I started by "leading/bribing" my dog through the weave poles. My dog is very food motivated, so this works, and the dog goes through the poles nicely following the treat.

How should I wean the dog away from needing to be lead/bribed?

What is the difference between luring and rewarding?

Can you describe what you mean by the dog "offering" the behavior?

Reply from Bud Houston:

A reward is produced and given to the dog after the performance.

A lure is when you hold the treat in front of the dog's nose, making him follow your hand because of the treat in it.

A performance can be shaped by luring, but the dog doesn't really learn anything until you switch to a reward. You need to get the dog in learning/thinking mode.

Start with two poles. Get the dog to offer to go in between them (ideally at an angle, entering from right to left, and wrapping the second pole. Give a treat. Tell the dog weave as you work. Every time the dog offers the behavior, give a reward.

You must give a reward. When your dog has apparently mastered two poles, start work with four poles.

If your dog isn't getting it, you can do a bit (only a bit) of luring. Work very hard to get the dog to offer the behavior.
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Don't point or push or lure the dog into the entry, give just the slightest movement of your body towards the poles as a motion cue. If the dog makes the entry... he is offering a behavior, hoping that's what you want in hopes of earning the reward. You see... the dog is "thinking" in order to obtain the reward. That is how "learning" occurs.


Dogs are very clever about what gets them the reward.

Until you get the dog *thinking* about what gets the reward, he won't be learning much.


Continue to increase the number of poles until your dog is doing 12 or more.

Btw, I'm a big advocate of training with wires. I can teach a dog to weave in about two weeks with wires. It can take as long as six months with the push-me/pull-me method.

Regards,
Bud