Teaching your dog tricksPart of · Teaching your dog tricks

Weaving through your legs

Q: Do you need a clicker to teach a dog to weave?

No, not at all. A simple marker word , a clear "yes!" said at the exact moment your dog finishes his crossing, does the same job and keeps your voice and your emotions in the exchange. The word marks the right instant, the treat arrives just after.

6 min read

Why this trick brings the two of you closer

The leg weave has no practical use, and that is exactly its value: nobody needs your dog to weave, so nobody gets annoyed if he doesn't manage it first time. You work in a relaxed atmosphere where he learns to read your body (which leg moves, and when) while you learn to read his. Few exercises create so much connection in movement. And like everything else in training, it is built by rewarding, never by placing his body by force (AVSAB, 2021).

Before you start

You're both ready

Your dog already walks confidently between your legs on cue (the static pass).
He follows a treat just as happily from your left hand as your right, without hesitating.
Your sizes work together: he passes through without having to crouch or twist.

Better to wait or adapt

The static pass isn't clean yet: start with that, and this trick will follow.
You're small with a very large dog, or the other way round: use wide, sweeping steps, or pick a different trick.
He's a puppy still growing: keep the sets very short, on the ground, slow and without excitement.

Setting the scene before you begin changes everything.

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The method, step by step

One criterion at a time, and the harder side before the easy one.

The first crossing, standing still

Take a big step forward with your right leg, upper body straight. Guide the treat from the outside of your leg towards the inside: your dog crosses from left to right. Mark it with a "yes!" and reward on the exit side.

Les deux côtés au même niveau avant de continuer.

The left side, like a brand-new movement

An exaggerated step with the left leg, treat in your left hand, crossing from right to left. One side almost always costs more than the other: that's normal, and it's the one that needs the repetitions.

Link two crossings

A right step and a crossing, a left step and a crossing, a single reward after the second. This is where the figure-eight appears.

One step = one crossing, in slow motion

Lengthen the chain (3, 4, then 6 steps) at a processional pace: each step waits for your dog to finish crossing. The reward is given in movement, on one side then the other.

Empty your hands, then name the trick

Hands by your sides or a discreet gesture: the movement of your legs becomes the signal. Add "weave", said just once, right before the first step.

Look for fluidity

Speed up very gradually towards an almost natural walk. At the slightest brushed crossing, drop back a notch: slower pace, shorter chain.

The weave links repeated sideways bends: in a long-backed dog (dachshund, basset) or an older dog, keep the sets short and the paths wide. A new refusal on a side that used to work, or unusual stiffness: stop, and talk to your vet before carrying on.

AVSAB — Position statement on humane dog training (2021)
Demant et al. — The effect of frequency and duration of training sessions on acquisition and long-term memory in dogs (2011)

Going further

guidePassing between your legsThe static pass, the direct prerequisite for the weave.Read the guide guideLinking several tricks togetherA fluent weave becomes a building block for routines.Read the guide

Frequently asked questions

How do you teach a dog to weave through your legs?

Start standing still: a big step forward, you guide a treat from the outside of your leg towards the inside, your dog crosses, you mark it with a "yes!" and you reward on the exit side. You do the same on the other side, then you link the crossings very slowly before speeding up. Empty your hands as soon as each side is fluent.

From what age can my dog learn to weave?

The movement on the ground is gentle, so a puppy can have a go, but in very short sets, in slow motion and without excitement until his growth is finished. In a healthy adult there's no age limit: even a senior dog can weave, at his own pace and on a floor that doesn't slip.

My dog only weaves on one side, what can I do?

That's very common: one side almost always costs more than the other. Work the harder side like a brand-new movement, and do it first in every session. You only move up a notch once both sides are at the same level, otherwise the weave starts to "limp".

Do you need a clicker to teach a dog to weave?

No, not at all. A simple marker word, a clear "yes!" said at the exact moment your dog finishes his crossing, does the same job and keeps your voice and your emotions in the exchange. The word marks the right instant, the treat arrives just after.

Is weaving bad for my dog's back?

For a healthy dog, short sets in slow motion are no trouble and even work as a little warm-up. In a long-backed dog (dachshund, basset) or an older dog, stay careful: wide paths, brief sets. At the slightest new refusal or sign of stiffness, stop and talk to your vet.

How long does it take for a dog to learn to weave?

Count in weeks rather than days: the slow pace takes a long time to build, and short but spaced-out sessions are worth more than cramming (Demant et al., 2011). What matters isn't speed, but having both sides really solid before you look for fluidity.

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