Legs

Objective:

Teach your dog to walk under your legs while keeping their eyes on you.

Method:

1. Lure your dog under your legs: Start by standing with your legs slightly apart. Hold a treat in your hand and guide your dog under your legs by moving the treat toward the space beneath you. As soon as they walk under your legs, immediately say the command "legs", then mark the behavior (using a clicker or verbal cue like "Yes!") and reward them with the treat.

2. Add steps to the movement: Once your dog is consistently walking under your legs, begin adding 1-2 steps forward while luring them with the treat. As they follow, mark and reward them at the last step of the movement. This helps your dog begin to associate walking under your legs with moving forward.

3. Increase the distance: Gradually increase the number of steps you take while guiding your dog under your legs. Continue to mark and reward each successful attempt to reinforce the behavior as you add more distance.

4. Encourage eye contact: Begin holding the treat higher up toward your chest to encourage your dog to look up at you while they walk under your legs. This helps them stay engaged and focused on you. Continue to mark and reward when they keep their eyes on you and successfully walk under your legs.

5. Reduce the treat lure: As your dog gets more confident, start phasing out the treat as a lure. Begin using just your hand to guide them, and keep increasing the distance they walk. Mark and reward them for walking under your legs and maintaining eye contact without needing the treat to guide them.

Tips & Troubleshooting:

• If your dog isn’t moving under your legs: Make sure your stance is wide enough to give them space. You can also use a more visible lure, such as bringing the treat closer to their nose to guide them through the space.

• If your dog isn’t looking up at you: Use a higher-value treat to encourage them to focus on you, and reward them specifically when they maintain eye contact as they walk under your legs.

• If your dog struggles to take more steps: Start with just a couple of steps and gradually build up to longer sequences. If needed, go back to adding just one step at a time until they are comfortable.

• If your dog stops following the treat: Go back to using the treat at a lower position to help them stay engaged, then gradually raise the treat again as they build confidence.

Questions?

Email me at kevin@pawsitivetraining.org your questions and I will help in any way that I can!

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