Teach Your Dog to Weave Through Your Legs in 3 Steps

Your dog zigzags between your legs as you walk forward. It looks impressive and is fun for both of you. In the Hundeo app, you'll find this trick under "Slalom Forward". It's easier than it looks when you build it in three steps.

The leg weave is one of the tricks that impresses onlookers the most. Your dog threads rhythmically through your legs, step by step, like a skier through gates. The prerequisite is that your dog can follow a treat in your hand without snatching it. He should know Sit because you'll want to place him in the starting position before the exercise.

The 3 Steps

Step 1: Lure through while standing. Stand with your feet at least shoulder-width apart. Take a treat in your right hand and lure your dog from behind through your legs to the front. As soon as he comes through: mark and reward. Then switch the treat to your left hand and lure him through from the other side. 10-15 repetitions per side. He learns the arc: right through, left through, right through.

Step 2: Add single steps. When the weaving arc works while standing, take one step forward. Your dog waits behind you. The step creates a triangle between your legs. Lure him through immediately. Mark, reward. Then the next step on the other side. One step per pass is enough. When that works 9 out of 10 times, try two steps in a row.

Step 3: Fluid walking. Walk slowly forward and lure your dog through alternating sides with each step. Your steps need to be big enough for him to pass through comfortably. Don't rush. Only when 3-4 steps work smoothly in a row do you introduce the verbal cue "Weave": say the word, start walking, lure. You can increase the speed later, but only once he has understood the rhythm.

Which Dogs Are Suited?

Medium-sized dogs with a shoulder height of 35-55 cm are the best fit for this trick. They pass comfortably between your legs without forcing you into awkward positions. Small dogs can learn it too, but you'll need particularly large steps. For very large breeds like Great Danes, Saint Bernards, or Irish Wolfhounds, the space between the legs is too tight. If your dog is healthy and has no joint problems, he can learn the leg weave.

Common Mistakes

Steps too narrow. If your dog gets stuck or gives up while weaving, your steps are too small. Take deliberately wide steps so he has enough room. Better too wide than too narrow.

Progressed too quickly. The transition from standing to walking is the hardest point. Just because your dog weaves smoothly while standing doesn't mean he can do it while walking. One step at a time.

Lure not faded out. At some point, your hand needs to lure without a treat. Just like with Sit or Down: use an empty hand and reward from the other hand. This way, your dog responds to the gesture rather than visible food.

Dog exits sideways instead of forward. He hasn't understood the arc. Go back to standing, use a light hand target on the outside of your leg to lure him so he makes the full arc forward.

You'll find more tricks and exercises in our dog tricks overview with 25 popular tricks for every difficulty level.

The exercise in this article is an excerpt from the Hundeo course "Tricks". With Hundeo Pro, you'll find the Slalom Forward as a video tutorial at multiple difficulty levels, plus training tracking and personal help from real trainers if you run into problems.