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The Right Way to Do Lure Reward Dog Training

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Using a Food Lure During Dog Training

Lure Reward Training
There is a right way to use a lure! pakornkrit/iStock

Using food lures during dog training can jump-start a behavior. However, it’s important to understand how to use a lure effectively. Check out these steps and video on using food lures while training your dog. Lure is not a four letter word–it’s a valuable tool in dog training!

A Bit About Food Lures

Somehow, using food lures and food rewards during dog training is considered cheating. I’m still scratching my head on this concept. Surely, you can capture (click and reward a dog when he’s doing a specific behavior) or shape (reward small steps toward a behavior) a new dog behavior, but sometimes a lure gets you started faster.

Now, some folks feel lures are bribery. Again, I’m scratching my head. I’m not bribing dogs. I’m luring them into a behavior and giving them the treat (lure) when they do the behavior. Treats are your dog’s currency so use properly and reward often. OK, I’m off my soapbox!

How to Use Food Lures Properly

There is a technique to using food lures properly. Follow these steps:

  • When choosing food lures, I use a large piece of treat about ½ inch or so.
  • Tuck the food lure behind your fingers with a tiny bit poking out.
  • Place the food lure on your dog’s nose. Think of it like a magnet.
  • Slowly move your food-lure hand in the direction you want to move your dog.
  • If a dog falls off a lure, meaning he stops following the lure, stop and place back on his nose. Most dogs fall off a lure if you’re moving your hand too fast or the dog doesn’t really like the treat being used.

RELATED: Healthy Dog Treats

Fading Food Lures

I think the confusion about food lures is due to people who never fade a lure so their dogs become dependent on its presence or they won’t do the behavior. Well that’s our fault and not the dogs’. We never taught them otherwise. 🙂

Once you jump-start a behavior, you can fade a food lure. Follow these steps to fade food lures.

Step 1

Once your dog can be lured into a behavior 4 out of 5 times, it’s time to add a cue.

Step 2

Say cue and lure into behavior. Now, you’re pairing a cue with a behavior. Once you’ve practiced for several days, move to step 3.

Step 3

Say cue and wait for dog to perform the desired behavior. Once he does, click and treat.

Usually, when adding a cue to a behavior, your dog may become confused and won’t respond to the new cue. Don’t repeat the cue. Wait a few seconds. If your dog still doesn’t do it, use the food lure. If this happens, this means your dog does not know the cue so go back to step 2.

Step 4

Once your dog responds to a cue 4 out of 5 times during a training session, reward your dog after the behavior is finished. Reward with a food treat, game of tug, toss of the ball or whatever game your dog loves.

VIDEO: Using a Food Lure During Dog Training

READ ALSO: Teaching Your Dog to Wait for His Food Bowl

How to Teach Your Dog to Spin

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Train Your Dog to Spin

Dog TricksTeaching your dog tricks is fun, but there’s more to it! Spending time to teach your dog new behaviors builds a strong bond of trust between you and your pet. Plus, you’re providing mental stimulation, meaning you’re keeping your dog’s brain sharp and engaged. You’re creating a thinking dog, which is fabulous!

How to Teach Your Dog to Spin

You’ll need several medium to large yummy treats to begin the process. Usually, I use string cheese and break each stick into thirds. You can use hot dogs or chunks of chicken–use whatever your dog loves.

RELATED: Dog Training Treats

Half Moon (Nose to Rear)

  1. Start with your dog facing you.
  2. Place treat on your dog’s nose. Allow him to sniff and taste it, but not grab and chew the treat.
  3. Hold the lure still until your dog reaches for it.
  4. Lure your dog’s nose toward his rear end. Your dog’s body is creating a half circle.
  5. Practice “half moon” a few times. This is a good stretch for dogs too!

Full Spin

  1. Lure your dog into “half moon.”
  2. Now, lure his nose behind his rear end in a sweeping motion.
  3. Lure his nose back toward you.
  4. Voila! A full circle.

Add a Cue

For 2-3 days, practice luring your dog into a spin. After a week of practice, say “spin” before you begin luring. Continue practicing for another week. Now say “spin” and wait for your dog to turn around. If, after 3 seconds, your dog does not spin, it means he’s confused and doesn’t know the cue. Continue pairing “cue” with luring a spin for another week.

VIDEO: How to Teach Your Dog to Spin

You may also like: Teaching Your Dog Focus

Teaching a Dog “Look at Me:” Capture It

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Teaching a Dog to Focus

Dog Training
Click and treat for eye contact. Good boy!

If your dog is a “Looky Lou,” meaning he gawks at everyone but you, take a couple of minutes and teach your dog “look at me” instead. Yes, it will make your life easier. 🙂

Training Your Dog to Look at You

Grab super yummy treats, a clicker and your leashed dog of course. When teaching your dog a new behavior, it’s usually easier to keep him leashed so he’ll stay with you instead of becoming distracted by something else. Over time, you don’t have to leash your dog any longer as he’ll learn the presence of a clicker means training time!

Practice each section a few times a day for one minute. After three days, move onto the next section.

Capture Good Behavior

  • Holding a treat in your left hand and your clicker and leash in your right hand, slowly move your left hand away from you.
  • Your dog will likely watch your treat hand so wait for your dog to look back at you instead.
  • The moment your dog’s eyes look back at you, even for an instant, click and give her the treat in your left hand.

Tip: Refrain from staring at your dog’s face. Instead, focus on his chin, as direct eye contact is creepy for dogs and humans alike. 🙂

After a few sessions, you may notice your dog ignoring your “treat moving hand” and focusing on you instead, in which case click and treat. This means you’re doing an excellent job!

VIDEO: Teaching a Dog “Look at Me” Step One

READ ALSO: Teaching a Dog “Look at Me:” Adding a Cue

How to Teach Your Dog to Focus

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Teaching Your Dog to Focus Around Distractions

How to Teach Your Dog to Focus
You’ll need lots of yummy treats to get started.

Once your dog reliably looks at you when she hears her name, it’s time to add distractions. This is the hard part because teaching a behavior is not easy. Now, it’s time to take it to the real world!

Introduce Distractions

You’ll need a clicker and lots of super yummy treats.

  • Practice indoors. Say your dog’s name when she’s looking at something random, such as a toy or the window. Click when she looks at you and toss the treat by your feet so she comes over to get it.
  • Outside, while on leash, practice for a few days.
  • After one to two weeks, bring yummy treats and your clicker in the backyard and practice. Squirrels and other dogs romping around are hard to resist so use yummy treats and attach her to a leash, if needed.

RELATED: Dog Training Treats

Problem Solving

When adding distractions, move slowly. If you’re a singer, just starting out, it would be tough to sing in front of a stadium full of people, right? Start slowly by singing in front of family, friends, small gatherings and such. This builds confidence and ensures you have a full understanding of expectations.

  • If your dog ignores the cue, recall her to you and reward profusely! Clip a leash to her collar and try again.
  • Distance is your friend: Practice 20 feet from other dogs and playing children, and slowly move toward the distractions over time.

Focusing at Dog Parks

This is a tough one and may take months to perfect, as dog parks are the mecca of distractions! 🙂 Again, this is equivalent to singing at Madison Square Garden. You must hone your craft before practicing it in front of the world. Personally, I’m not a fan of dog parks–too many rude dogs there. Anyhow, try:

  • Practicing outside about 20 feet from dog parks for a few sessions.
  • Slowly moving closer to the park. If your dog becomes distracted, back up and try again.

VIDEO: Teaching Your Dog Focus: Introducing Distractions

You may also like: Teaching a Dog “Look at Me”

Teaching a Dog “Look at Me:” Adding a Cue

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Train Your Dog to Look at You

Teaching a Dog to Look at Me
It’s time to add a cue!

Once your dog will look at you, instead of holding treats in your left hand, it’s time to move forward by adding a cue.

How to Add a Cue

It’s best and much quicker to add a cue to behavior after your dog understands what to do. Choose a cue meaning “look at me instead of everything else.” I suggest saying your dog’s name. The cue doesn’t really matter, as long as you use the same one each time.

  • Holding a treat in your left hand while the leash and clicker are in your right hand, move both hands away from your face. Basically, you’re increasing the distraction level.
  • As you move both hands away from you, say your dog’s name once. The moment she looks at you, click and give her the treat.
  • Keep practicing. Try moving your hands above your head, waist level and so on. Say your dog’s name once and wait for her to choose looking at you instead. It’s worth the wait. 🙂

RELATED: How to Train Your Dog Around Distractions

Problem Solving

If your dog ignores her name, wait for her to look at you. If she doesn’t look at you after three seconds, then she’s probably confused or really distracted.

  • Use super yummy treats. Remember, treats are your dog’s paycheck so the higher you pay, the faster your dog will learn.
  • Take a step back from distractions. You may have moved too quickly too soon. This is normal. Think about learning how to drive. It’s not fair expecting you to merge on a 16 lane highway packed with traffic during your second week of driver’s ed. 🙂
  • At times, your dog will sit and look around instead. Remember “sit” is usually your dog’s default behavior when confused. She’s thinking, “I don’t know what she wants so I’ll sit. That usually gets me treats.” Instead, wait her out. See if she will over something else, which is usually “look at me.” If, at anytime, your dog becomes confused, take a step back to “capturing look at me.”

VIDEO: Teaching a Dog “Look at Me:” Adding a Cue

You may also like: Teaching Your Dog Focus

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