Luring vs Shaping Behaviour - Dog Training Explained
- TJ Gibbons
- Jul 28
- 8 min read
Let’s be honest, dog training can feel a bit like talking to a brick wall. You are asking for a sit, and your dog just stands there staring at you blankly, or even worse, they start shouting at you!
If you’ve ever waved a treat in front of your dog’s nose to encourage them into a position, you’ve used luring, and hey, it can work! But if you’ve ever watched your dog figure something out on their own, piece by piece, with that spark of “aha!” in their eyes, that’s shaping, and it’s where the real magic happens.
While luring might feel faster at first, shaping builds deeper understanding, better focus, and more reliable behaviours in the long run. It turns your dog from a follower into a thinker and makes training way more fun for both of you.
In this post, we’ll break down what luring and shaping are, the pros and cons of each, and why shaping might just become your new favourite training tool. Let’s dig in.
In this post, you will find:
Here's a chart outlining the main differences between Luring and Shaping.
Feature | Luring | Shaping |
|---|---|---|
Speed of Initial Learning | Fast | Slower |
Trainer Skill Required | Low | Moderate to High |
Dog Engagement | Passive | Active |
Risk of Dependency | High | Low |
Best For | Basic behaviours | Complex or precise behaviours |
Dog Training: What is Luring?
Luring is simply using food, a toy, or even your hand to guide your dog into the desired position.
For example, one of the most common ways to teach the "heel" command is by holding a treat in front of your dog’s nose and using it to lead them into the correct spot beside you. They follow the lure like a magnet, and voilà, they're in position! It’s a quick, visual way to show them what you want.
All you need to do then is to mark the behaviour (saying yes, using a clicker etc. More about markers later on in the post), and release the reward!
Another common example of luring is teaching a dog to lie down. You start with your dog in a sit, then slowly move a treat from their nose down to the floor and slightly out in front of them, almost like you’re drawing a path with the treat. As they follow it, their front legs stretch out, and boom, they’re in a down position. Reward the behaviour with the treat in your hand and repeat until the dog is lying down on command.
Additionally, you can also use luring to teach a dog to spin. Simply hold a treat close to their nose and slowly move your hand in a circle. Most dogs will naturally follow the treat, turning their body as they go. Once they complete the spin, mark and reward. It’s a fun trick that’s easy to teach with a lure and a great way to get your dog moving and engaged!
Teaching your dog to roll over can be fairly easy, too, as well as using luring to teach your dog to go to their bed.
This concept can be used to teach a wide range of behaviours and tricks.
Benefits of Luring
Sounds simple, right? That's because it is fairly easy! Luring is quick and highly effective,
Luring is a great way to kickstart new behaviours; simple, effective, and rewarding for both of you.
Gives your dog a clear visual guide, reducing confusion and increasing success right from the start.
Dogs often follow hand signals better than verbal cues alone.
Perfect for beginner trainers, most dog owners, and puppies with short attention spans.
Builds momentum by rewarding the dog immediately for following the treat and performing the action.
Keeps training sessions positive and fun, helping maintain your dog’s focus.
Great for food-motivated dogs, especially in distracting environments.
Helps you stay actively involved in the learning process.
Builds a stronger bond between you and your dog.
While not the most advanced method, it works, and the important thing is that you’re training and spending quality time together. It doesn't matter if it's perfect or not, you are already beating most dog owners.
If your dog isn’t food motivated, using their favourite toy or even just moving your hand without a treat can work just as well.
What are the issues with Luring?
What could possibly be wrong with luring, you might be thinking! After all, I just sang its praises as a training method.
But luring has its drawbacks, and these are exactly why shaping is often the preferred approach.
Luring adds an extra step to your training. When you lure, your dog can become dependent on following the treat or toy to perform the behaviour. It's an integrated part of the cue.
Take the "heel" command as an example: using a lure to guide your dog into position is great at first, but then you need to transition from the lure to just the verbal cue and/or hand signal. This transition can sometimes be just as tricky, if not trickier, than teaching the behaviour itself.
Phasing out the lure is essential to ensure your dog responds without needing the treat right in front of their nose. Start by introducing a cue for the behaviour, then gradually make the lure less obvious. You can move your hand more subtly or switch to an empty hand gesture, while still rewarding the behaviour. Over time, replace the lure completely with your verbal cue and/or hand signal, and begin rewarding intermittently. This way, your dog learns to respond to your commands, not just the lure. Eventually, you can remove the lure altogether.
Using hand signals alongside verbal cues is fine, it’s even recommended by many trainers. Most of the commands I use with my dog, Anayah, come with a gesture to make communication even clearer. It also means that if we are in a noisy place or she isn't right next to me, she can still understand what it is I am asking her.
Other Drawbacks of Luring
Can limit creativity and problem-solving: Since your dog is simply following the lure, they aren’t encouraged to think or figure things out on their own.
Risk of confusion if not phased out properly: If the lure isn’t faded carefully, your dog might only perform the behaviour when they see the treat, making it hard to get reliable responses without it.
May encourage chasing behaviour: Some dogs get so fixated on the treat that they start chasing your hand or toy rather than focusing on the actual behaviour or command. They might not learn anything at all other than to follow the food for a reward.
Less effective for some dogs: Dogs who aren’t motivated by food or toys can find luring frustrating or ineffective, making it harder to train with this method alone.
Can be slower to generalise behaviours: Because the dog’s attention is so focused on the lure, it might take longer for them to perform the behaviour in different environments or with distractions.
What is Shaping?
Shaping in dog training is a powerful technique where you teach a new behaviour by rewarding your dog for getting progressively closer to what you want. Unlike luring, shaping lets your dog figure things out on their own, step by step. This method encourages your dog to think, experiment, and learn actively, which usually means the behaviours stick better and are easier to repeat.
It is much harder to get right as the trainer, but it’s definitely worth perfecting.
Trainers who use shaping always accompany each success with a marker.
Markers are crucial, and getting your marker consistent and timely will determine how successful your training is.
Common markers include clickers, the word “Yes,” or a unique sound. Markers should be completely different from anything you use or say at other times of the day. A marker needs to be delivered within 1 second of the correct behaviour being displayed, or the window for rewarding closes. Anything delivered after that 1-second mark won’t build towards the desired behaviour.
This marker lets your dog know they did something amazing and that a reward is coming—whether that’s a treat, praise, fuss, or a favourite toy. It “marks” the exact moment they performed the right behaviour, giving you time to deliver the reward clearly and effectively. (For more on rewards, check out this post on Positive Reinforcement Training.)
Here are two examples of shaping behaviour at work:
Example 1: Teaching your dog to touch a target
Instead of guiding your dog’s nose to a target with a treat like you would with luring, shaping means you wait for your dog to naturally show interest in the target—maybe they look at it or sniff it. The moment they do, you mark and reward that behaviour. Once they start making that connection, you only reward when they get closer, such as actually touching the target with their nose. You keep rewarding each tiny step closer until your dog reliably touches the target on cue. The key is to be patient and celebrate every small success.
Example 2: Teaching your dog to ring a bell to go outside
Start by rewarding your dog just for looking at the bell. Once that’s consistent, you wait for them to paw at the bell lightly and reward that action. Over time, you only reward when they fully ring the bell by making it move and make noise. Each little step gets marked and rewarded so your dog builds the behaviour gradually. You’re not forcing
their paw or guiding the motion—you’re encouraging your dog to figure out the behaviour one small action at a time.
This principle can be applied to anything you wish to teach your dog.
Benefits of Shaping
Gets your dog fully involved in the learning process, encouraging them to think and problem-solve instead of just following their nose.
Encourages your dog to experiment and build confidence in themselves and in you.
Helps your dog learn behaviours in a way that sticks better than luring, making them more reliable even in distracting environments (when trained in various situations).
Although it takes more patience, it actually reduces your workload because you don’t have to phase out a lure later on.
Keeps your dog motivated by rewarding every small step, which makes training fun and positive for both of you.
Helps you notice small improvements, boosting your motivation as a trainer with those feel-good dopamine hits.
Builds a stronger bond by rewarding your dog’s natural behaviours and creativity, turning training into a true collaboration.
Perfect for teaching complex or precise behaviours that are tough to lure or physically guide—breaking down big goals into manageable steps.
Cons of Shaping
Takes patience from you and the dog: Progress can feel slower than luring because you’re rewarding small steps, which can be frustrating if you’re used to quick wins.
Requires precise timing: You need to deliver your marker and reward exactly when the desired behaviour happens, as mistiming can confuse your dog.
Demands focus from the trainer: You have to watch carefully and be ready to reward the right behaviours, which can be mentally tiring, especially for beginners.
Your dog might get stuck or exhibit unwanted behaviours: Since shaping encourages thinking and exploring, your dog may try behaviours you don’t want or get stuck, so you need to gently guide them back on track.
It's easy to give in and just "show" your dog how it's done. Don't do this! It will ruin all your hard work.
Training your dog is a journey, not a race. Whether you choose luring or shaping, the main goal is the same: spending quality time together while building skills and trust. Both methods have their strengths and challenges, and the best choice depends on you and your dog’s unique needs. Luring is great for quick wins and early success, especially for beginners and food-motivated pups. Shaping takes training deeper by encouraging your dog to think, problem solve and build behaviours that last.
No matter which method you use, the fact that you are training and investing in your relationship means you are already making a difference, something many dog owners do not prioritise. The bond you build through consistent positive training is what truly sets you and your dog apart.
So keep at it, celebrate every small success and enjoy the journey. Your dog’s brain and your connection will thank you.
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