Your dog might be very energetic, or you might be looking for something exciting to do. Teaching your dog to weave through poles is a very enjoyable activity to do. For this command you will need some patience as it is one of the hardest obstacles on the agility course to teach.
In Preparation:
- Choose a verbal command that you will use such as ‘weave’
- Set up some weaving poles (around 6); We recommend starting with them far apart so that they are sort of zig-zagged and as you advance through training move them closer together until they are in a straight line.
- Prepare some treats that your dog enjoys and put them in a treat pouch so you have free hands
Training Method:
- Say your command and lead your dog through the poles with treats. The poles should be far apart in a zig-zag sort of shape which will make starting off easier for your dog. You should be saying weave at least two to three times when your dog does the command.
- Reward your dog after they have successfully weaved through the poles with your guidance and give lots of praise.
- Once you have done the weave poles spread out a lot of times, start moving them closer together and reduce the amount of hand guidance you give (always using the verbal command). Slowly your dog will learn to weave in and out of the poles.
This command might take a while to teach and you shouldn’t rush it all into one training session. Remember to keep your training sessions short and not exhaust your dog.