Trick - Figure of 8

[Wooferhound]

1) With your dog on your left, lure him around the front of your left leg using a treat in your left hand. Switch him over to follow the treat in your right hand, positioned behind your right knee, to encourage him through your legs


2) Lure him with your right hand around your right leg. Swap your dog back to following your left hand, positioned behind your left knee, and lead him back through your legs. Praise as he passes under this time. Bring him back around your left leg and with your left hand to the starting point and treat. Practise so the move flows. Vary where and how soon you praise and treat to encourage continuity, and add in the command ‘weave’.


3) As your dog gets the idea, you can reduce the use of the food and just give the hand signals. When he is working well from the verbal command, you can stand up and cut down the hand signals.


4) Keep practising and your dog will get faster and be able to weave around your legs from just the verbal command.


* To help your dog weave through you legs, flex the knee that you want him to go behind forwards. This makes the gap a little bit clearer and more inviting to him.

*Initially, aim to praise as your dog passes under your legs for the second time, to complete the ‘figure of 8’.

*When you first teach the weave, make sure you don’t move too fast, as your dog will try to cut corners to ‘get’ it.