Free Shaping

Free Shaping is shaping a behavior without prompting/luring/compelling your dog to do anything.

Overview

Shaping involves slicing the behavior you want your dog to do into small steps, successively marking and rewarding each “slice,” until you have built up the finished behavior you want to train.

Free Shaping is where you do not use any form of helping your dog to do something. You just wait until they start to do a movement that’s a correct first “slice,” and then you mark and reward. Slowly building up to the behavior you are looking for.

You can also Capture a behavior, if your dog happens to look at you, or go to their bed you can mark and reward that behavior, which makes it likely to occur more in the future.

Free Shaping is about getting the dog to learn behaviors without needing to be lured. This helps create an operant and more reliable dog. Free Shaping is slower but more reliable long-term.

If you always need to show them a treat first then they will wait for that to do a behavior, that’s why it’s important if you are luring with food in your hand to try to remove that from the equation as soon as possible.

How Shaping Works

Shaping breaks a behavior into small, sequential steps, or “approximations,” that lead to the finished behavior. Imagine a motion picture of your dog picking up a ball: the first frame might be them looking at the ball, followed by lowering their head, touching the ball with their nose, opening their mouth, and finally lifting the ball. Each step is marked and rewarded until the full behavior is achieved.

Free shaping involves marking and rewarding these approximations without using lures, prompts, or physical guidance. This method encourages dogs to offer behaviors independently, which doesn’t come naturally to all breeds but can be trained. Free shaping works especially well for independent or difficult dogs, as it motivates them to actively participate in the learning process.

By teaching your dog to offer behaviors, free shaping builds work ethic and engagement. For dogs who are naturally independent or less focused on their handler, this method helps them realize their actions can earn rewards, encouraging problem-solving and attentiveness. It’s an effective way to shape behaviors like Engagement/Automatic Attention

Box Game

Free Shaping: The Box Game

  1. Prep & Goal: Start free shaping only after your dog understands reward markers. The goal is twofold: sharpen your marker timing and encourage your dog to offer behaviors independently.

  2. Set the Stage: Use an empty cardboard box with low edges. The objective is for your dog to interact with the box—sniff, step, touch, or any engagement works. Lay the box on the floor without prompting them. Like the game “Hot & Cold,” your marker is the only guide.

  3. Mark & Reward: Mark and reward any interaction with the box—glances, sniffs, licks, or touches. Mark first, then deliver the treat. Avoid doing anything when the dog “gets colder.” Let them figure it out themselves.

  4. Encourage Engagement: If your dog seems stuck, wait it out. If they need help, casually move around to prompt movement toward the box, or put your hands behind your back to reduce treat fixation. For stronger reinforcement, throw treats into the box after marking interactions.

  5. Short Sessions: Keep sessions short, around 5 minutes, and aim for 1–3 times a day.

Advancing the Box Game

Shaping Specific Behaviors: Once your dog eagerly engages with the box, start shaping a specific action (e.g., paw in the box). Mark and reward approximations (slices) of the desired behavior, gradually building to the final action. Always feed the reward at the box.

  1. Raising the Bar: Dogs learn through trial and error. Reinforce a behavior (e.g., a head turn) enough times, then stop rewarding it to encourage “improvements” (e.g., head turn + foot movement). Mark and reward these advancements.

  2. Adjust Your Criteria: If your dog loses interest when you raise the bar, you’ve progressed too quickly. Go back to rewarding the last successful behavior. Once it’s reinforced again, hold out for the next step.

  3. Patience is Key: Every dog is unique. Some will persevere with small steps, while others may need extra encouragement. Learn your dog’s pace and adjust accordingly.

  4. Celebrate Success: When your dog completes the desired behavior, reward with a jackpot—5–10 treats delivered one at a time. End the session with your release cue (“OK”) to signal they’re free to relax.