Luring Method: Sit and Down

When using the luring technique, hold a soft treat that the puppy can nibble, place it directly in front of her nose, and slowly move the lure so that her mouth is glued to her fingers like a magnet that you can gently pull into any position you like. For sit, move the treat slightly upward and over the dog's head, in an arc. As the puppy's nose goes up and slightly back, her bottom will fold to the floor. Click or say "yes" the instant her bottom touches the floor, feed several treats in succession, and end by saying, "okay" or a consistent release word of your choice before she gets up. For down, utilize the same luring technique but guide your magnet directly down and then slightly away from the puppy in a sweeping motion toward yourself. Click the instant her elbows touch the floor.

Fading the Lure

In the context of teaching puppies sit, down, and any other behaviours we teach via luring, repeat these exact same steps in every new location, three trials with a treat, then fading. Once your puppy is reliably responding on a single hand signal, you're ready to link a verbal cue by saying it before the gesture. Remember, your verbal cues (aka commands) are bets: don't issue a verbal cue if you wouldn't bet $5 on the puppy's correct response!