How to Train Your Puppy to Weave

Weave poles are one of the most difficult agility obstacles for dogs to master. Constructed of a set of 12 poles arranged in a straight line, the dog must enter the poles with the first pole on the left side and wind his body back and forth between all 12 poles. A number of methods exist to train your puppy to weave. The "V," or weave-a-matic, method is the least stressful on the growing bodies of young puppies.

Things You'll Need

  • Collar
  • 6-foot leash
  • Dog toy
  • 12 36-inch long pieces of PVC pipe
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Instructions

    • 1

      Buckle a flat collar around your puppy's neck, and clip a six-foot leash to the ring on the collar. The leash keeps the puppy from running off and helps you guide it through the weave poles during training sessions. Keep the puppy's favorite toy in your pocket as a reward when the puppy responds to your commands.

    • 2

      Divide the weave poles into two groups of six, and lay the poles flat on the ground as shown in Resource 1. The poles need to be staggered so that as you raise them off the ground the dog has room to weave between them. There should be 18 inches between the left and right group of poles, and 12 inches between each pole in the group.

    • 3

      Hold the leash in one hand, and ask the puppy to walk down the channel created by the two groups of poles, with the first pole near the puppy's left shoulder. Tell the puppy "weave" at the beginning of the poles, and praise and encourage the puppy to run quickly through the channel. Give the puppy the toy as a reward when it reaches the end of the poles. Continue running with the puppy until you can drop the leash and the puppy runs down the middle of the poles without guidance.

    • 4

      Ask the puppy to sit and stay at the entrance to the channel, and toss the puppy's toy to the opposite end. Say "weave" in a cheerful voice and release the puppy to get the toy. Building speed through the weave poles is important to a quick run, and the more excited the puppy is for the toy, the faster it will run. Work the puppy in two or three 15-minute weave pole training sessions each day until it is speeding down the channel without stepping outside the poles.

    • 5

      Raise each pole approximately two inches off the ground, and push it into the soil to form a wide "V" shape. Leash the puppy and walk it down the raised channel, letting the puppy explore the poles and step over them as he moves down the channel. Run the puppy down the channel a few more times, increasing the puppy's speed with each pass through the raised poles until the puppy is running through the poles without tripping or stepping outside the channel.

    • 6

      Move the poles up another two inches during each consecutive training session, until the poles are vertical and the puppy is bending its body through the poles as it weaves. Gradually raising the poles teaches the puppy to negotiate them at his own pace, which reduces burnout and the likelihood of popping out of the poles early. If the puppy slows down or leaves the poles before completing the weaves, repeat steps 4 and 5 until the puppy is weaving consistently.