Lure FollowingDog tracks and follows a treat in your hand
The meta-skill behind sit, down, spin, and every position change that starts with a treat at the nose. A dog that tracks a lure smoothly can be shaped into any position; a dog that snaps or gives up needs this taught first.
Also known as: Follow the Treat
At a glance
- Tier
- 0 · Foundational
- Time to fluency
- 1–2 weeks
- Practice
- 5× per week, 5 min each
- Equipment
- Small soft treats
How to teach lure following
Lure
Hold a treat in a closed fist and reward for following it
- Pinch the treat between thumb and fingertips so the dog can smell but not steal
- Move slowly. Losing the nose means starting over
- Mark and open the hand every few inches at first
- Build distance gradually: 6 inches, then a foot, then a full arc
- Keep movements at the dog's nose height
Hand Signal
Same hand motion with an empty fist
- Switch to an empty hand once the dog tracks reliably with food
- Reward from the other hand so they learn to follow the motion, not the food
- Vary the path: circles, figure eights, up and down
Success criteria
- Unlearned
- Snaps at the treat or loses interest immediately
- In progress
- Not applicable. This skill is gesture-based by nature
- Mastered
- Tracks a hand through complex paths (figure eight, over obstacles) smoothly
Common mistakes
- Moving the lure too fast, so the dog gives up and sits staring
- Letting the dog mug the treat hand. The fist must stay closed until you mark
- Only luring in one direction, so the dog only follows to the right
- Never fading to an empty hand, which stalls every skill that depends on this one