There are lots of different ways to teach a dog something new, but two of the most common are luring and shaping.
You may already be using luring without even realising it.
And shaping can sound a bit complicated at first, but it’s actually a really fun way to get your dog thinking and actively involved in the training process.
Both methods are useful, and neither one is automatically “better” than the other.
The key is understanding what each one is, how they work, and when you might choose one over the other.
What is luring?
Luring is when you use something your dog wants, usually food, to guide them into the position or movement you want.
A really common example is teaching a sit.
You hold a treat near your dog’s nose, move it slowly up and slightly back over their head, and as their nose follows the treat, their bottom usually drops to the ground.
That is luring.
You can also use a lure to teach things like:
- spin
- down
- going around an object
- moving into heel position
- weaving through your legs
- getting onto a bed or mat
Luring is often a really easy way to help a dog understand what you want.
For beginners, it can also feel very natural because you are actively guiding the dog rather than waiting for them to guess.
The downside of luring
The biggest thing to be careful of with luring is becoming too reliant on the treat being right in front of the dog’s nose.
You don’t want your dog to think:
“I only do this behaviour when I can see (or smell) the food.”
The goal is to use the lure to help teach the movement, then gradually fade it out.
For example, after a few repetitions you might make the same hand movement without food in your fingers, then reward from your other hand once the dog completes the behaviour.
Over time, the lure becomes a hand signal instead.
What is shaping?
Shaping is quite different.
Instead of guiding your dog all the way into the finished behaviour, you let them work things out and reward small steps towards what you want.
Think of it like building a behaviour piece by piece.
For example, imagine you put a cardboard box on the floor and you eventually want your dog to stand inside it.
You might reward:
- looking at the box
- moving towards it
- sniffing it
- touching it with a paw
- putting one paw inside
- putting two paws inside
- eventually standing completely inside the box
You are gradually “shaping” the finished behaviour.
Rather than telling the dog exactly what to do, you are rewarding the little choices that move them in the right direction.
Why I love shaping
Shaping is brilliant for getting dogs to think.
Instead of waiting to be guided, they start experimenting and offering behaviours.
You’ll often see dogs become much more engaged in the training because they’re trying to work out:
“What did I just do that earned that reward?”
It can also be really useful for dogs who are hesitant about new objects or movements, because you can reward very small steps and let them progress at their own pace.
It’s also a great way to build confidence.
But shaping can take patience
Shaping can sometimes feel slower at the beginning.
If you’re used to physically guiding or luring your dog, it can be tempting to jump in and help too quickly.
But the whole point is to give your dog time to think.
You also need to be quite clear about what you are rewarding.
If your timing is inconsistent, your dog may struggle to understand which behaviour earned the reward.
This is one reason a clicker can be so useful with shaping — it gives you a very precise way to mark the exact moment your dog does something you like.
I’ll talk more about clicker training in an upcoming Training Tip Tuesday.
So which should you use?
It depends on the behaviour, your dog, and what you are trying to achieve.
Sometimes luring is the quickest and easiest option.
If I want to teach a simple movement like following my hand around a cone, luring can make perfect sense.
But if I want my dog to think independently and work something out, like touching an object with their front feet, shaping can be a much better choice.
You also don’t have to choose one method forever.
You can use luring for some behaviours and shaping for others – that’s what I do!
You can even use both while teaching the same dog different skills.
An easy way to think about it
Luring = “Follow this.”
Shaping = “Show me what you can work out.”
Both are useful tools.
The important part is that your dog understands the game and enjoys learning with you.
What’s coming next?
Over the next few weeks I’m going to go into more detail about clicker training and how it can help make your timing clearer when teaching new behaviours.
Then we’re going to put all of this into practice with some simple Shine Training Challenges you can try at home.
We’ll start with some easy luring exercises, then move into shaping challenges where your dog gets to do a bit more thinking for themselves.
And yes — I want to see your dogs joining in too. 🐶
So keep an eye on our social pages, because there will be plenty of chances to share your photos and videos and show us how you’re getting on.
