diff --git a/crates/bevy_animation/src/lib.rs b/crates/bevy_animation/src/lib.rs
index 836182a53e4df..d3dbed8406193 100644
--- a/crates/bevy_animation/src/lib.rs
+++ b/crates/bevy_animation/src/lib.rs
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ use bevy_time::Time;
 use bevy_transform::{prelude::Transform, TransformSystem};
 use bevy_utils::hashbrown::HashMap;
 use bevy_utils::{
-    tracing::{error, warn},
+    tracing::{error, trace},
     NoOpHash,
 };
 use fixedbitset::FixedBitSet;
@@ -755,9 +755,12 @@ pub fn animate_targets(
         .par_iter_mut()
         .for_each(|(id, target, name, (transform, morph_weights))| {
             let Ok((animation_player, animation_graph_handle)) = players.get(target.player) else {
-                warn!(
-                    "Couldn't find the animation player {:?} for the target entity {:?} ({:?})",
-                    target.player, id, name,
+                trace!(
+                    "Either an animation player {:?} or a graph was missing for the target \
+                     entity {:?} ({:?}); no animations will play this frame",
+                    target.player,
+                    id,
+                    name,
                 );
                 return;
             };
diff --git a/examples/animation/animated_fox.rs b/examples/animation/animated_fox.rs
index 0cd99028a800a..5483df3d503e4 100644
--- a/examples/animation/animated_fox.rs
+++ b/examples/animation/animated_fox.rs
@@ -3,7 +3,11 @@
 use std::f32::consts::PI;
 use std::time::Duration;
 
-use bevy::{animation::RepeatAnimation, pbr::CascadeShadowConfigBuilder, prelude::*};
+use bevy::{
+    animation::{animate_targets, RepeatAnimation},
+    pbr::CascadeShadowConfigBuilder,
+    prelude::*,
+};
 
 fn main() {
     App::new()
@@ -13,10 +17,8 @@ fn main() {
         })
         .add_plugins(DefaultPlugins)
         .add_systems(Startup, setup)
-        .add_systems(
-            Update,
-            (setup_scene_once_loaded, keyboard_animation_control),
-        )
+        .add_systems(Update, setup_scene_once_loaded.before(animate_targets))
+        .add_systems(Update, keyboard_animation_control)
         .run();
 }
 
diff --git a/examples/animation/animation_graph.rs b/examples/animation/animation_graph.rs
index 259a91e7ad717..c81a7911e5806 100644
--- a/examples/animation/animation_graph.rs
+++ b/examples/animation/animation_graph.rs
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@
 use std::{fs::File, path::Path};
 
 use bevy::{
+    animation::animate_targets,
     color::palettes::{
         basic::WHITE,
         css::{ANTIQUE_WHITE, DARK_GREEN},
@@ -84,7 +85,7 @@ fn main() {
             ..default()
         }))
         .add_systems(Startup, (setup_assets, setup_scene, setup_ui))
-        .add_systems(PreUpdate, init_animations)
+        .add_systems(Update, init_animations.before(animate_targets))
         .add_systems(
             Update,
             (handle_weight_drag, update_ui, sync_weights).chain(),