Train Your Dog Like a Pro With This Info

 In dog training, "luring" is a technique where you use a treat or toy to guide a dog into a desired position or movement. This method helps the dog understand what you want them to do by following the reward. This will eventually turn into a hand signal. 

For example, if you’ve been luring a sit by moving a treat from their nose up over their head, that same upward motion of your empty hand can become the hand signal for "sit."

Shaping in dog training is a step-by-step teaching method that uses positive reinforcement to build complex behaviors from simple ones. It’s based on the idea of rewarding small, incremental actions—called successive approximations—that move the dog closer to the final desired behavior.

Shaping is an effective and humane way to teach dogs because it encourages problem-solving, confidence, and engagement. It helps dogs learn at their own pace and strengthens the communication and trust between dog and owner.

Here’s a more detailed breakdown of how shaping works:

1. Identify a starting behavior: Begin with something your dog already does naturally that’s related to the behavior you want to teach. This helps set a clear and achievable starting point.
2. Reinforce progress toward the goal: Use rewards (like treats, praise, or toys) each time your dog performs a behavior that’s a small step closer to what you ultimately want. At first, even minimal progress is rewarded to keep your dog motivated and engaged.
3. Gradually raise the criteria: Once your dog consistently offers the current step, stop rewarding that level and wait for a slightly closer approximation to the goal behavior. Continue rewarding these improved responses, slowly shaping the full behavior over time.
4. Refine and name the behavior: As your dog reliably performs the complete action, start pairing it with a verbal cue (like “roll over”, "place",  or “touch”). Eventually, your dog will respond to the cue alone without needing constant rewards.
    

Here’s an example of how shaping can be used to teach a dog the “place” command:

1. Start small: Put a mat or bed on the floor. At first, reward your dog for simply looking at or stepping toward it.
2. Build progress: Next, only reward when your dog touches the mat with a paw, then when all four paws are on it.
3. Add duration: Once your dog consistently goes to the mat, start rewarding them for staying on it for longer periods.
4. Add the cue: When your dog understands the behavior, say “place” just before they step onto the mat.
    

Over time, your dog learns that “place” means go to the mat and stay there calmly until released.

In dog training, "capturing" refers to a positive reinforcement technique where you wait for your dog to naturally perform a desired behavior and then mark, and reward it. 

Instead of luring or prompting the behavior, you simply observe and "capture" it by marking (with the verbal cue "yes!") and rewarding it with treats, praise, or play.

For example, if you want to teach your dog to sit using capturing, you would wait for the dog to sit on its own, then immediately mark and reward the behavior. Over time, your dog will associate sitting with receiving a reward and will be more likely to do it intentionally.

Is a proactive and positive way of teaching your dog what you do want them to do, rather than focusing solely on what you don’t want. It helps shape good habits and fosters a strong, trusting relationship with your dog.This method helps prevent the dog from continuing a behavior that you want to discourage while also giving them an alternative action to perform. It’s particularly useful in situations where the dog is engaging in problematic behaviors like excessive barking, jumping, or chewing on inappropriate items. 

• How it Works:

1. Interrupt the Undesirable Behavior: The first step is to interrupt the dog's current behavior. This could be done using a verbal cue, a noise, or a sound that grabs their attention. Common interrupters are sounds like "Ah-uh!" or "Oops!" or even a sharp clap. Sometimes the interrupt can be as simple as calling the dogs name. The key here is to get the dog's attention without frightening them or causing stress. The interruption should happen immediately as the undesired behavior begins, and the redirection should follow swiftly. Delayed responses can confuse the dog!

         2. Redirect to a Positive Alternative: Once you've interrupted the undesirable behavior, the next step is to quickly offer a positive and acceptable alternative. This could be asking the dog to sit, lie down, or perform any other behavior that you want to reinforce. You want to redirect them to a behavior that you can reward and that aligns with your training goals.

• Example: After interrupting the jumping behavior, you can immediately ask the dog to sit and reward them for sitting calmly. This teaches the dog that sitting (a calm behavior) gets rewarded, while jumping (an undesirable behavior) does not.

Examples of Interrupt and Redirect:

• Barking at the Door: If your dog is barking excessively when someone comes to the door, you would interrupt the barking with a cue (e.g., "Quiet!"), then immediately ask the dog to "sit" or "go to your bed." Once they comply, reward them with praise or a treat.
• Chewing on Furniture: If your dog is chewing on furniture or something they shouldn’t have, interrupt the behavior with a quick "Leave it" or “drop it”, then offer them an appropriate chew toy. When they start chewing the toy, mark “yes!” and reward them with praise.
• Pulling on the Leash: If your dog is pulling while walking, you should stop walking (interrupt the behavior), wait for them to release the tension on the leash, and then redirect them by starting to walk again, marking “yes!” and rewarding them with praise when they walk nicely.

The "take away" method in dog training, also known as negative punishment, involves removing something the dog values as a consequence of undesirable behavior.

Common Example: You ask your dog to sit. When the dog sits, you mark “yes!”, but when you bring the treat towards the dog, they stand up. If that happens, the moment the dog stands up simply “take away” your hand with the treat and ask the dog to sit again  Dogs learn through consequences. If you take away the reward every time they break the sit, they realize that staying in the sit gets them what they want.

Example Scenarios using Take Take-Away Method:

• Jumping Up: If a dog jumps up on you to get attention, you can "take away" the attention. Instead of rewarding the dog with pets or talking, you turn away and stop interacting. Once the dog stops jumping, you can reward the calm behavior with attention.
• Barking for Attention: If a dog barks to get your attention, you can "take away" your attention by ignoring the dog. Stop talking to or acknowledging the dog until they stop barking, then reward them with attention when they’re quiet.
• Excessive Tugging on Leash: If the dog pulls on the leash while walking, you can "take away" the opportunity to walk by stopping and standing still whenever the dog pulls. Once they stop pulling and walk calmly, you can resume walking.

Is a technique used to discourage unwanted behaviors by removing attention and reinforcement. Many behaviors, especially attention-seeking ones, are reinforced when the dog gets a reaction from their owner. By ignoring the behavior completely, the dog learns that it does not result in any reward and will eventually stop doing it…….easier said than done!

***Ignoring the Dog Means to COMPLETELY Withdraw All Attention!***

• No eye contact!
• No talking or verbal reprimands!
• No touching or pushing the dog away!
• Remain neutral and act as if the behavior(dog) does not exist!

When to Use the "Ignore It" Method

✔ Jumping up for attention

✔ Barking or whining for attention

✔ Pawing or nudging for petting

✔ Begging at the table

✔ Mild demand behaviors (e.g., pushing toys into your lap)

When NOT to Use It

✘ Dangerous behaviors (biting, aggression, destructive chewing)

✘ Self-rewarding behaviors (digging, chasing, counter-surfing)

✘ Anxiety-related behaviors (fear barking, separation anxiety)

Is a positive reinforcement technique where you replace an unwanted behavior with a desirable one. Instead of simply punishing or discouraging a bad habit, you redirect your dog to perform a different, acceptable action that fulfills the same need. This eventually teaches them to make good choices on their own.

Examples in Action:

• Barking at the Door → Teach "Go to Mat"
      Instead of barking, the dog learns to go to a designated spot and wait.
• Chewing on Furniture → Provide a Chew Toy
      Redirect chewing to an appropriate toy instead of punishing.
• Pulling on Leash → Teach Loose-Leash Walking
      Reward the dog when they walk calmly instead of pulling.

 Dog sits on cue 

Dog lies down on cue

Teaches your dog to remove themselves from something, such as furniture, people, countertops, or even another dog. It’s different from “down”, which means to lie down, whereas "off" means to get off from something/someone.  

Think about it: If you're using the word 'down' to mean both 'lie down' and 'get off' when the dog jumps up, it now has two meanings—which can be confusing for your dog! 

Example: Suppose you don't allow your dog on the bed. If your dog jumps up and you say 'down,' but instead of getting off, the dog just lies down on the bed—did the dog do something wrong?"

 Dog is given permission or told to take an  item (treat, toy, food, etc.)  

Dog will release any object from their mouth on cue, whether it’s their toy or something they shouldn’t have, like a sock or paper. No matter what they’re holding, the moment they drop it, immediately mark with "Yes!" to reinforce that releasing the item is the desired behavior. 

Teaches your dog to ignore or move away from something permanently —whether it's food, a dropped object, another dog/animal, or other distractions.If the dog is told to leave  Leave it is only used for things your dog can NEVER have! If you tell the dog to leave it, they never get that item and must always be given a different reward. We want leave it to become permanent!

Leave It Examples: think of shoes, paper, chocolate, kids toys, prescription pills, and poisonous toads.  Would you ever tell your dog to leave a dropped piece of chocolate and then take it? No! You would reward them with something else -  treat, toy, or praise!  

 A temporary pause; your dog can move or take-it after being released. The dog pauses momentarily but expects to move again soon. This is used when going through doorways, getting out of the kennel, getting out of the car, waiting for food/treats/toys. 

Is used when you need your dog to remain in a specific position for a longer duration, until you give the release word. When asking the dog to stay while you walk away, walk back and return to the dog before giving the release word. NEVER call a dog to "come" out of a stay! Always return to the dog and then release them.   

"Wait" is helpful when going on a walk; you ask your dog to "wait" before exiting a door, allowing you to go first. Once you give the release word, then the dog can follow you out the door. 

In contrast, "Stay" is used when you need your dog to remain in a specific position/place for a longer duration until you return to them—for example, asking your dog to sit and stay on the welcome mat while you leave the door open, walk to the mailbox, and return. In both cases, the dog should only move once given the release cue.