Dogs are incredible! They are highly adaptive and can be taught such a wide variety of things with the right training! Most impressive dog training feats can be accomplished using one of these three techniques. 

Luring 

This is the most common method used to train a dog on a new cue or command. It involves putting the reward, typically food, in front of the dog’s nose and “pulling” them into the position. This can be effective for training things like sit or down as well as tricks like “take a bow” or “spin.”

Free shaping 

This can be a great option for training more complex behaviors. It involves breaking the behavior you want to train down into small steps and rewarding for approximation. For example if you are trying to train the dog to hold an object you may start by rewarding the dog for sniffing it, then for mouthing it, then for picking it up, and finally for holding the dog for an extended time. 

Capture training

Capture training is rewarding the dog for something they are already doing. “Capturing” the behavior you want to train. This is a great option for dogs who are not food motivated or who become easily frustrated while training. 

With these three basic principles you never know how far you can go in your dog’s training!