# finding it virtually impossible to "lure" my puppy



## taem (Oct 29, 2011)

Right now I'm sad lol I was all so keen on clicker/treat training.

But puppy will not be lured!!









Example, you know how you hold a treat in your hand, let puppy get a sniff of it, then raise it, and then his nose is supposed to follow the treat, and his rump hits the ground? And how from that position you can hold a treat in your hand, let pup get a sniff, and pull it forward until puppy's rump leaves the ground? All in a natural easy peasy motion?

Does.not.happen.with.puppy.

She cranes her neck forward a bit and then stops. If I go slower she sniffs at the hand, doesn't mug the hand trying to get at the treat. After a few seconds she'll wander off or crawl in my lap and just chill.

I've tried with everything from peanut butter to steak. (Spending a fortune here...) I've tried at all hours. I've tried everything I can think of. Nothing.

She's 10 weeks, and I've had her less than a week. Still, I know of 6 week pups who can be lure trained basics. I lure trained my sis's lab at 8 weeks the basics and it was a snap, he did exactly what he's supposed to do for stuff like "leave it" and "stand".

I have no idea how I'm going to train this puppy. When I try to treat her for potty in the right place often she doesn't even want the treats. Breeder did warn me she doesn't have a very strong food drive. She'll usually eat it if I hold it out for her and let her just take it. But she won't do anything for it, it's just not that important to her. I'm a loss right now.

Anyone got any tips or insight?


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## xellil (Apr 4, 2011)

I know it's hard to work with a dog that's not food motivated but I've never had the problem. I know there was a lady in my advanced dog class with an Afgan hound who was totally disinterested in food, and she had an awful time in doing the stuff you mention.


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## lauren43 (Feb 6, 2011)

First u definitely have to find something to reward her for her actions. It doesn't have to be food, I think in one of your other posts you said she likes toys, that's awesome use toys.

As far as luring if it's not working for her just shape the behavior. No movement on your part. With clicker training this is super easy. FInd a boring small room in your house (bathrooms work great) head in there with her favorite toy or a great treat you know she will take. Then you wait, brIng a book or magizine if you have to to keep yourself busy, then when she sits click and reward. If your using a toy a couple of seconds of tug or play should be enough. Eventually she will learn that this behavior makes fun things happen and she will give you the behavior more and more. Once she is taking the reward and then immediately sitting (pretty regularly) you can add the cue word for sit...


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## magicre (Apr 7, 2010)

i know nothing....about this, but isn't ten weeks young?


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## taem (Oct 29, 2011)

magicre said:


> i know nothing....about this, but isn't ten weeks young?


I was just talking to a friend who's a real dog pro, she's currently got 5 poodles, and that's what she said. So I hope you guys are right. I'm just alarmed because other pups I know *can* be lured at even younger ages. Especially the sit/stand lures, I've seen that work on pups half her age.

Her testing indicates she's slightly below average in food motivation. I did know this going in.


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## OnyxDog (Jun 15, 2011)

It is totally possible to build up a food drive. I have had to do this with a few dogs in my training classes. When I have more time, I will get you the information. I have to go get ready for church at the moment, but I will be back later on today to tell you how I have done it!


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## SpooOwner (Oct 1, 2010)

like lauren said above. try capturing the desired behavior. be ready with clicker and treats around the house. when she sits (of her own accord), click, treat, and praise.

10 weeks is not too young to start training. i also had a dog that could not be lured into a sit or a down. so i captured - just waited for him to do it naturally, and clicked, treated, and praised. he got it pretty fast.


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## Maxy24 (Mar 5, 2011)

It sounds like she might just not get it. I would leash her so she can't wander off and then hold the treat in front of her, slightly up, and just wait until she sits. Even if she completely disconnects just wait until she gets bored and sits. Then click, give the treat and lots of praise. However she must actually like the food, experiment with different treats, also some dogs like when you toss the treat on the floor for them to chase. If she likes to play tug or likes to rough house that's another great reward you could use instead. Life rewards are always good too but harder to use in a training session because they are not quick. You're not going to get very far if you need to take the dog on a walk or let him chase a squirrel after every sit attempt, life rewards are better for practicing commands the dog already knows. You may also want to start by training something other than sit. Training the dog to do a hand touch (pokes the palm of your hand with her nose) can be really useful. You teach the dog to touch the hand and then teach her to follow the hand wherever it goes. It can then be used as a lure itself, a trained lure. The dog will follow your hand just like they are supposed to follow a treat. So you can do everything you would do with a treat to lure, but just use your hand instead. 


10 weeks is not too young AT ALL. Training classes used to be for older puppies because they used punishments like collar corrections which could be physically damaging to young pups. But if you're training without physical punishment there is no reason to wait. However remember to keep sessions SHORT, no more than ten minutes, you don't want every session to end with the pup bored and tired, you want to leave her wanting more.


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## DaneMama (Jun 27, 2008)

I've always started training with my puppies at 8 weeks, 10 week start time in my opinion is late! The earlier the better...

I agree 100% with those above who've suggested clicker training or shaping. Puppies learn faster that way but it does take a lot of patience in the beginning on your part. But once your puppy understands that the click noise means "yes that's exactly what I want you to do" learning becomes very easy and fast. Just a few correct clicks and your pup can really learn anything. 

What is your puppy eating for regular meals?


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## StdPooDad (Mar 16, 2012)

I totally agree, forget luring and shape the behavior. I have two standard poodles, one 5 years old, one 2 years. The 2 year doesn't like to do down, not sure why. Yesterday I had her in the living room with a clicker and treats, 3 minutes later..3 minutes!, she was doing downs quite well. 
I would suggest several books, one is called "Teaching the Dog to Think" by Kimberly Davis and "The Thinking Dog: Crossover to Clicker Training" by Gail Tamases Fisher
Joe



lauren43 said:


> First u definitely have to find something to reward her for her actions. It doesn't have to be food, I think in one of your other posts you said she likes toys, that's awesome use toys.
> 
> As far as luring if it's not working for her just shape the behavior. N


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## taem (Oct 29, 2011)

It's not training per se that I'm having problems with, it's the inability to lure that's got me down.



StdPooDad said:


> I totally agree, forget luring and shape the behavior.


Shaping is going fine. For example she came to me never having been on a leash, and now trots calmly at my heels.



DaneMama said:


> What is your puppy eating for regular meals?


Chicken necks and boneless chicken legs.


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## OnyxDog (Jun 15, 2011)

OK, I finally have some time to explain how I build up food drive in dogs. Sorry it took me so long! Try doing these sessions before her meal so that she wants to work for the food.

This is taken right off my 3x5 note cards that I use in classes:

*For a dog who works only for toys:
-offer a treat
-click and reward with toy for eating the treat

OR

-offer a lower-value treat
-click/reward with a really high-value treat for eating the lower-value treat

Many people have been really successful using these methods. The goal is to create a positive association between eating treats with something incredibly awesome.



*To teach luring as a behavior:
-Hold a stinky really high-value treat in your fingers
-Put it really close to the dog's nose... almost touching
-Pull the treat away slowly, and make encouraging repeating noises to get her to move (pup pup pup, kissy noises) Get her excited to move towards the treat.
-Click/reward for ANY movement towards the treat in your hand. Even if it is just a tiny tiny step or a head turn towards the treat.
-After you do that 2 or 3 times, increase criteria. Have her move a whole step, or 2 steps before you click/reward.
-After you are successful with that, PRETEND like you have a treat and lure. Click, show her there is no treat in that hand, and reward from your other hand.
-Resist the temptation to always make it more and more difficult. Make the time or amount of steps that she has to follow random so she doesn't get frustrated.
-When she gets really good at luring, you can add a cue word for it. 

You can also teach sustained hand targeting and use that as a lure. Let me know if you would like an explanation of how to do that.


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