Dog training glossary
Luring
Quick answer
Using a treat or toy held near a dog's nose to guide it into a position or movement.
Written by the TailorPup team, updated September 2026. See our editorial approach.
What it means
Luring is often the fastest way to get a new behavior happening for the first time, moving a treat up and back over a dog's head typically prompts a sit, for example. The lure has to be faded out fairly quickly once the behavior is reliable, replacing the treat-in-hand motion with an empty-hand hand signal and eventually just the verbal cue, or the dog can become dependent on seeing food to respond.
A real example
A trainer lures a "down" by moving a treat from a dog's nose down to the floor and slightly forward, then, once the dog understands, uses the same hand motion without a treat visible.
Common mistake
Never fading the lure, so the dog only responds when it can see food in the handler's hand.
Related terms
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