Chip - Teeter & Weaves Update

MUSICAL CREDIT: "GOT MY MIND SET ON YOU" BY GEORGE HARRISON.
I teach the teeter and weaves using a clicker and successive approximation. For the teeter, that means starting with a yellow touch pad, then motion to a yellow touch pad, then height and motion to a yellow touch pad (low A-frame, then low dogwalk, then on to full height), then tippy teeter board at a few inches, gradually raising criteria of the height of the teeter tip). It takes as long as the dog says it takes. For Chip, the dogwalk got scary as soon as we started the tippy plank, so we stayed in that stage for awhile until he understood they were different obstacles. I also addeed a "lie down" to his teeter criteria, to help him understand the difference. He had another dogwalk/teeter confusion recently, so we backed off of the teeter and went back to strenghen up the dogwalk again. This session is after that phase.
For the weaves, I teach running through open channels when they are 15 months of age. The reward is always thrown low, past the weaves, to encourage speed. I use the "Cool Runners" style channels, which combine 2-by-2s with channels in a consistent way. I don't push hard, but my goal is to be closing the poles in by 18 months. Once we get to the stage of "almost straight poles (where most dogs get stuck), I get clicker train the entrance to 3 poles, while facing the dog, to help the dog understand that deceleration is needed for the entry. I work my way up to 6 poles, using the deceleration cue of facing the dog. I use variable reinforcement in the poles to help them understand that they need to do all of the poles and to enjoy the training. Eventually, I begin to turn in the same direction as the dog is running. Thi is the phase we are at in our training in this video.