The first training technique I learned was luring your dog into position. I’ve been very successful over the years in using luring for training.
Positive Training Techniques
While I will be the first to admit that I’ve had to use the occasional correction with more than one of my dogs, I always try positive training techniques first.
Your dog doesn’t really deserve a correction if he doesn’t understand what you’re asking. I personally don’t think a correction is necessary if you aren’t adequately motivating your dog.
In my experience with both dogs and horses, they learn more quickly with positive training techniques.
Luring Your Dog
Luring is exactly what it sounds like. You hold a treat in front of your dogs nose and guide your dog into position, The dogs gets the treat when he’s in the correct position.
This works very well to teach commands like sit, down, stand, spins, pivots, sit pretty, and other positions. It can also work well with healing.
The issue most people run into arises when you remove the treats. Usually this happens when the lure hasn’t been properly faded out.
Fading the Lure
Fading the lure is a process that shouldn’t be rushed.
AKC recommends the following steps:
- Lure your dog with a treat, and then when he does as you’ve asked, give him the lure as his reward.
- Lure your dog with a treat but reward him with a treat from your other hand when he does what you’ve asked.
- Lure your dog with an empty hand, then reward him with a treat from the other hand when he does what you’ve asked. (Read more here.)
For competition or an AKC Canine Good Citizen evaluation, you need to completely remove the treats, which is also a process of fading the reward to a jackpot after working.
There are more ways to teach your dog a new command, but luring is a common to help your dog quickly understand what you want.
Found this useful? Subscribe to my email list (sidebar) to get more helpful tips, articles, and updates!
