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

Start standing still: a big step forward, guide a treat from the outside of your leg towards the inside, your dog crosses, you mark it with a "yes!" and reward on the exit side. Do the same on the other side, then string the crossings together 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 floor is gentle, so a puppy can have a go, but in very short sets, slowly and low-key while they're still growing. For a healthy adult there's no age limit: even a senior dog can weave, at their own pace and on a non-slip floor.

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

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

Weaving between your legs

Teaching your dog tricksPart of · Teaching your dog tricks

Weaving between your legs

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

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

Q: Is weaving bad for my dog's back?

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

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Weaving is good for nothing, and that is on purpose

Weaving serves no useful purpose, and so much the better: nobody needs your dog to weave, so nobody gets annoyed if he doesn't manage it first time. The two of you are left in peace, and that is exactly when he learns to read your body (which leg moves forward, and when) while you learn to read his. You move together, watching each other with every step. As with everything else he learns, you build it by rewarding, never by forcing his body into position: the treat guides, your hand never pushes.

Check you're ready, and set the scene

You're both ready

Your dog already walks confidently under your legs on cue (the standing pass).
He follows a treat just as readily in your left hand as in your right, without hesitating.
Your sizes work well together: he goes through without having to crouch or twist.

Better to wait or adapt

The standing pass isn't clean yet: start there, and this trick will follow.
You're small with a very big dog, or the other way round: a big dog weaving fast can knock you off balance, so keep the paths very wide, or pick another trick.
He's a puppy still growing: keep the sets very short, on the ground, in slow motion and without excitement.

Four things to have ready before you start.

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Building the movement, one step at a time

One thing at a time, and the hard side before the easy one.

The first crossing, standing still

Your dog is standing beside your left leg, facing the same way as you. Take a big step forward with your right leg: your legs open out into a tunnel, and your dog stays behind, alongside your left leg. Pass your right hand between your legs, reach for his nose behind you, close to the floor, and draw the treat forward: his nose follows the movement, he crosses the tunnel from left to right and comes out in front of you, on your right. Mark with a clear "yes!" the moment his shoulders clear your legs, and reward him on the exit side, on your right. Do it several times: between crossings, call your dog back or lure him with the treat to his starting spot, alongside your left leg.

Both sides at the same level before you go further.

The left side, as a brand-new movement

This time place your dog beside your right leg, facing the same way as you: it's the mirror image of the previous start. Take a big step forward with your left leg: the tunnel opens on the other side. Pass your left hand between your legs, reach for his nose behind you and draw the treat forward and to the left: he crosses 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. Between crossings, lure him back to his spot, alongside your right leg.

Link two crossings together

A right step and a crossing, a left step and a crossing: mark with a "yes!" each time, but only hand over the treat after the second one. That's what binds the two crossings into a single movement, and that's where the figure of eight around your legs appears. From here on, you no longer reset your dog into position between crossings: you walk continuously, changing leg and hand with every step, and each crossing already places him for the next one. The two previous steps, standing still, were only there to teach each direction separately.

One step, one crossing, in slow motion

Once several double crossings go smoothly in a row, lengthen the sequence (3, then 4, then 6 steps), at a very slow pace: wait until your dog has finished crossing before you take the next step. Keep a treat ready in each hand, or in a pouch that the passing hand dips into: at first, reload your hand at every step, then reward less and less often once the movement is solid. Hand over the reward without stopping, alternating sides in time with the crossings.

Empty your hands, then name the trick

Make the same hand movement, with no treat in it: your dog carries on following the gesture out of habit. Once he follows the empty hand without hesitating over several crossings in a row, move on: hands by your sides, the movement of your legs is enough to send him through. Now add the word "weave", your cue for this trick, said once just before your first step.

Look for flow

Speed up very gradually towards an almost natural walk. At the slightest brush or hesitation, drop back a level: go back to the step just before, with a slower pace and a shorter sequence, before trying to lengthen it again.

He goes round your legs instead of through them

The tunnel is probably too narrow for him, or the treat isn't passing close enough to his nose: widen your step, and keep the treat right against his nose before you draw it into the tunnel.
Go back to the standing-still step, one single crossing at a time, until he chooses to go through rather than round.
A big dog in a tight tunnel will often prefer to go round: make your stance bigger rather than forcing the way through.

He hesitates at the tunnel and won't commit

Lower your hand and slow down further: a treat held too high or a gesture that's too quick make it feel like an obstacle.
Go back to a single crossing standing still, with nothing linked together, until he feels confident about the gap again.
If he's still hesitant after several sessions, widen your step to make the tunnel bigger: some dogs simply need more room.

Common pitfalls

Walking too fast: you knock your dog off balance, or you tread on a paw.
Keeping your hands full for ever: he knows how to follow a treat in a zigzag, not how to weave on cue. Empty the hand as soon as each side flows.
Overloading the easy side: the weave starts to "limp", and your dog only knows how to cross one way. Both sides come along together.
Pushing on when your sizes don't work together: a dog who has to twist to get through remembers only the discomfort, not the trick. Adapt your steps, or pick another trick.
Pushing or pulling your dog through: his paws find their own place, guided by the treat, never by your hands.
Sighing or telling him off when he gets it wrong: a miss simply says you went too fast for him, not that he did badly. Drop back a level, and never correct your dog.

Weaving means repeated sideways bending: with a long-backed dog (dachshund, basset), an older dog, or one whose joints are worn by arthritis, keep the sets short and the paths wide. A new refusal on a side that used to be fine, or unusual stiffness: stop, and talk to your vet before going back to it.

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

guideBetween your legs: teach the "middle" positionMaster the standing pass between your legs first: it's the foundation, before you link it into the weave.Read the guide guideChaining tricks together: back-chainingOnce the weave is solid, learn to chain it with other tricks to build a proper little routine.Read the guide guide“Touch”: teaching your dog to boop your handResting his nose on your hand is a gentle way to guide your dog through your legs.Read the guide guideThe foundations: teaching a trick with rewardsThe foundations of reward-based training with no equipment at all, valid for every trick, the weave included.Read the guide guideDirections on a walk: right, left and about-turnWeaving is already a way of directing your dog: this trick goes further, working left and right out on a walk.Read the guide guidePositions and sending your dog at a distanceOnce the weave flows close to you, this one helps you send him further away, little by little.Read the guide

Frequently asked questions

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

Start standing still: take a big step forward, your leg forms a tunnel, you guide the treat through it to bring him across from one side to the other, you mark with a "yes!" and you reward on the exit side. Do the same on the other side, then link the crossings together very slowly before speeding up. Empty your hands as soon as each side flows, and add the word "weave" last.

At what age can my dog learn to weave?

This movement stays on the ground, with no jumping and no impact: a puppy can have a go, in very short sets, in slow motion and without excitement, while he's still growing. For a healthy adult, there's no upper age limit: even a senior dog can weave, at his own pace, on a floor that doesn't slip, with wide paths and short sets.

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

It's very common: one side almost always costs more than the other. Work the harder side as a brand-new movement, and do it first in every session. Only move up a level once both sides are at the same standard, 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 crisp "yes!" said the moment his shoulders clear your legs, does the same job and keeps your voice in the exchange. The word marks the right instant, and the treat arrives right after.

Is weaving bad for my dog's back?

For a healthy dog, short sets in slow motion are absolutely fine and even work as a little warm-up. With a long-backed dog (dachshund, basset), an older dog, or one whose joints are worn by arthritis, 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 work through, and a 2011 study on dogs measured that spaced-out sessions beat several sessions run back to back on the same day. What matters isn't speed, but having both sides really solid before you go looking for flow.

My dog goes round my legs instead of through them, what should I do?

The tunnel is probably too narrow for him, or the treat isn't passing close enough to his nose: widen your step, and keep the treat right against his nose before you draw it into the tunnel. Go back to standing still, one single crossing at a time, until he chooses to go through rather than round.

My dog hesitates and won't commit to going between my legs, why?

Lower your hand and slow down further: a treat held too high or a gesture that's too quick make it feel like an obstacle. Go back to a single crossing standing still, with nothing linked together, until he feels confident again. Some dogs simply need a wider tunnel: widen your step.

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