My first of many to come how tos. Complete with pictures! ;)
How to Train Dog to Weave Through Legs
There are probably many other ways of training this however this is just my version!
Make sure you have lots of treats and a good *food lure down.
If you have a small dog you can use a wooden spoon with peanut butter on it, switching it between your hands as you go allowing a lick from it for every "treat" I mention in the following. Using this instead of treats makes it easier for you to do a food lure! (and less back aches)
1. Start with your dog in the "side" position. I start with my dog on my right side.
1. Start with your dog in the "side" position. I start with my dog on my right side.
2. Lure your dog through your left leg and mark with a "good" and give him a treat!
3. Lure your dog around that leg and under your right leg. Mark with a "good" and treat!
4. I did this lure through four steps then walked back to my starting point and began again from the beginning. It is good to smart small so your dog has a better understanding of what you are asking of him. This takes a lot of practice so do the food lure a few time so your dog understand what he is getting a treat for!
* dont forget to take breaks in your training so after you do the lure a couple times let your dog rest his mind for a little bit *
5. Once you have that down, start with a treat in your hand, this time exaggerating your hand signals. Swing your arms in the direction you want your dog to go through your leg and mark with a "good" (without giving the treat) every time he walks under your leg. Make sure you do this through four consecutive steps.
6. When you get through those four successful walkthroughs mark with a "good" and *jackpot of treats!
* If your dog has problems going through four consecutive steps, start with just two successful walkthroughs then move on to four when you feel more confident, always go a step back in your training if your dog isnt understanding what you are asking of him (and take plenty of breaks) *
* If your dog has problems going through four consecutive steps, start with just two successful walkthroughs then move on to four when you feel more confident, always go a step back in your training if your dog isnt understanding what you are asking of him (and take plenty of breaks) *
7. After this has been completed a few times, start again without a treat in your hand and give treats at the end of the successfully completed cue!
8. After you practice that a few times, practice standing more upright swinging your arms a little less but still directing your dog which leg to walk through. The cue for your dog to start the weave becomes a lifted leg and the little arm swings become your dogs cue to continue doing the weave through your legs. Your dog will learn to read your body language in these trick trainings so you can have fun with it by putting a little hop in your step or whatever else you decide to come up with!
9. Practice daily gradually increasing steps and decreasing hand signals as you go!
Important to remember & Trouble shooting:
- If your dog Doesnt understand what you are asking of him go back a step in your teachings and refresh!
- Dont expect your dog to understand what you are asking of him in one session of training!
- Make sure you take breaks and keep your training sessions short when learning any new cue!
*Food lure - using treats to guide your dog to a certain place or into a certain position
*Jackpot - giving a lot of treats as a reward for a successfully completed cue, which also means a job well done.
