How to Teach a Dog to Start at the Beginning of Weave Poles

Agility is a fun canine sport that promotes teamwork and builds a bond between owner and dog. The objective of dog agility is to get your dog to successfully run an obstacle course in the correct order and without veering off-course. One of the most difficult obstacles for many dogs, the weave poles can pose a problem to both dog and owner. Weave poles are a set of vertical poles set out in a line that the dog must weave through in order to compete in agility. This is an unnatural behavior for a dog, and teaching this takes patience and time.

Things You'll Need

  • Treats
  • Leash
  • Weave poles
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Instructions

    • 1

      Place a treat next to the second or third pole. With your dog on-leash, move towards the first weave pole and allow it to sniff the treat. Using the leash as a guide, start your dog on the right of the first pole and weave your dog through the first couple of poles until it reaches the one with the treat. If the dog does not weave but tries to run directly to the treat, do not allow the dog to have the treat.

    • 2

      Repeat the behavior until the dog realizes that it must weave through the poles to get the treat. Introduce a command such as "weave" by saying it at the beginning so the dog associates it with the action.

    • 3

      Leave the dog on-leash until you're confident that it knows what to do. Remove the leash once you trust your dog to weave through the poles on command. Put the dog back on its leash and take a step back with your training if it tries to start in the middle of the weave pole set or refuses to weave altogether.

    • 4

      Practice the obstacle at every chance to get to perfect the behavior. Gradually remove the treat from the end of the obstacle and hold it in your hand instead. Stand at the end of the weave pole set with the treat and call your dog to you, treating it for weaving correctly. Try again if the dog does not weave, and go back a step if necessary.

    • 5

      Practice running alongside your dog the obstacle course with a treat in your hand. Place the weave pole set somewhere in the middle of the course to get your dog used to having the obstacle alongside others. Stop running the course if your dog does not start the weave poles at the beginning, and practice some more before attempting it as part of the course again. Eventually you should be able to get rid of treats as motivation altogether and trust that praise and accomplishment are enough for your dog.