Middle or Centre
Middle — also known as center or peekaboo — is a positioning skill where your dog moves into place between your legs, facing forward, either standing or sitting.
It’s a simple pattern with a lot of practical value. Middle creates a clear, predictable place for your dog to orient to you, making it useful in busy environments, during greetings, or as a foundation for more complex movement skills like leg weaves, figure 8s, and rally-style transitions.
This skill works well as a confidence-building exercise, a focus reset, or a way to add clarity and connection to everyday training.
Training Methods Used
Luring
What You’ll Need
Small treats your dog loves
Enough space for your dog to move around comfortably
Your clicker or “yes!” marker
Your cue word ready to pair later (“Touch”)
How to Teach It
With a few treats in each hand and your dog standing in front of you, drop your hand behind your leg so they move behind you to follow the lure.
As your dog reaches the back position, switch hands and lure them forward between your legs.
Release the treat when your dog is fully in position between your legs, facing forward.
Toss a treat away or lure your dog back behind your leg to reset and start another repetition.
Once the movement is smooth, begin alternating reset directions so your dog learns the pattern from both sides.
Troubleshooting
Keep your lure low and slow to help your dog stay oriented and comfortable.
Don’t worry about duration early on — focus on clean movement into position first.
Build this skill over multiple short sessions rather than trying to rush fluency in one go.
