Quantum Leaps

Off leash following requires mental control.  Without any treats you can use your voice and energy to keep your puppy happily following by your side.  If a 7-year old can do it, you can too!

Lures are very useful to show your dog what to do.  But make sure you start phasing them out ASAP, or else you’ll end up with a dog that only behaves when you have a treat.

As soon as your dog learns a new command, you should work on phasing out the need for a food lure.  You can continue to use it as a reward, but over time, you should slowly reduce the frequency.

Always continue to up the ante for rewards.  The more your pup does for each food treat, the better.

Once your dog has learned a command, you want to start phasing out the use of food as a reward.  Praise & pet them when they do something right, but only give them a treat when they perform exceptionally well.

Ian reviews the basics of lure reward training.  Use a treat to lure your dog into following you and moving between body positions.   Give them the treat as a reward after particularly impressive performances.

You will make four quantum leaps in training as you phase out hand-held training lures, and eventually all training rewards. If you fail to take these steps, you will end up with a dog that only behaves when you have food to lure it with.