In this current season of life, my capacity to train new behaviors has been a bit limited. Between family and running the Animal Training Academy, there is always so much going on.
But recently, the stars aligned. I found myself with a beautifully clear calendar and a dog who needed her breakfast. Instead of jumping straight into my “to-do” list, I decided to lean into my curiosity and try something I’ve actually never trained before: leg weaving!
Instead of putting pressure on myself to get things perfect, I treated this as an exploratory session. My goal was simple: play, see what Fibi and I could figure out together, and enjoy the process.
It’s a great reminder that training doesn’t always have to be about a specific end goal; sometimes, it’s just about those little unexpected pockets of time where you get to have a play.
I jumped back in for a second session 2 weeks later. My next free time slot 😜
What worked well this time:
Environmental setup: I added two extra bowls to help guide the movement and I stood up (rather than crouching).
Fibi’s realisation: She potentially started recognising the pattern and actually moving through my legs rather than just running out in front of me.
The plan for next time:
Start fading out the bowls to see if she can follow the physical cue alone.
Since this is brand-new territory for me, I would love to learn from your experience!
Whether you’re a seasoned pro at leg weaves or you’re just starting a new “curiosity project” of your own, I want to hear about it. How do you approach this behavior? What does your process look like?
Drop your tips or even a video of your progress in the comments below!
Happy Training,
Ryan Cartlidge
Animal Training Academy