Dr. Dunbar’s 28-Day Good Dog Challenge

Lightning Luring

Day 9 · The fastest way to get the food out of your hand. Voilà, hand signals!

Today’s challenge

Lure Sits, Downs, and Stands with an empty hand, and reward from the other. How many position changes in a row? By midnight tonight, text me your record. Bonus: send a video!

Why Lightning Luring?

Lightning Luring is the easiest way to go cold turkey on relying on food in your hand. Just do it. Doing it gives you so much confidence.
— Ian

Step by step

Lure at lightning speed

  1. Hold a piece of kibble between your finger and thumb, and lure Sits, Downs, and Stands in random order.
  2. Make sweeping movements with your forearm, and hold your hand in place after each one: palm up for Sit, palm down for Down, and palm vertical for Stand.
  3. Don’t dither! Have each position change follow the last as quickly as possible, so you keep your dog absolutely focused and mesmerized. If you dither, you’ll lose your dog’s attention.
  4. Praise LOTS, but only reward after several position changes in a row.

Now try an empty hand

I like to lure with three or four pieces of kibble in my hand, but only give one piece at a time. When you run out of food rewards, just keep luring with an empty hand. Most dogs won’t blink an eye, and will keep following your hand because your fingers still smell of kibble.

Voilà, hand signals! This will be a quantum-leap confidence boost for you. Now you know you can lure successfully with an empty hand.

From now on

Give empty-handed hand signals with one hand, praise lots, and very occasionally reward with a piece of kibble from your other hand.

Now go for a record

Keep track of your personal best. Three position changes in a row? Five in a row? Ten in a row?

Prefer to go step by step?

Another way is to phase out food lures gradually. I’m sure most of you can already get a quick Come-Sit with no food in your hand. So build from there, one position at a time. All you need is confidence and perseverance.

  1. Come-Sit-Down
  2. Come-Sit-Down-Sit
  3. Come-Sit-Down-Sit-Stand
  4. Come-Sit-Down-Sit-Stand-Down
  5. And finally, the whole Test Sequence: Come-Sit-Down-Sit-Stand-Down-Stand. Well done!

Special tips

My dog loses focus between positions.

You’re probably pausing too long. Don’t dither. Move straight from one position change to the next, with big, sweeping movements.

Which hand signal is which?

Sit: Hold your hand out, palm up and bend at the elbow to bring your hand up with your palm facing you.
Down: Arm by your side, hand up, palm out, then move your hand down, palm down until it's by your side, palm back. Stand: Upper arm by your side, elbow at 90 degrees, swing your forearm to the side palm foreward. 

My dog stops following when my hand is empty.

Go back to luring with three or four pieces of kibble for a little longer. Then keep going, without stopping, when the last piece is gone. Your fingers still smell of kibble.

What’s next

  • Tomorrow, Day 10, it’s Stay-Delays: praise now, and reward a little later.
  • Use it every day. Hand signals with one hand, the occasional reward from the other.

Filming tips and prizes: Videos and Prizes.

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